For ‘Full House’ Actress, Leading by Faith Is Now Crucial in Her Career

Candace Cameron Bure attends the 30th Annual Movieguide Awards at Avalon Hollywood & Bardot in Los Angeles on Feb. 10, 2023. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

After four decades of working in showbiz, actress Candace Cameron Bure now sees inspiring the next generation as a priority over landing her latest role.

That’s while the mother of three also said she wants to concentrate on projects that align with her Christian faith.

“I’ve been an outspoken Christian pretty much my whole life. I love sharing my faith with people, and I haven’t always incorporated that in the movies and television shows that I’ve been in over the last 40 years,” Ms. Cameron Bure told The Christian Post this week.

“But if anyone knows me on a personal level or looked me up, they would know that I’m a woman of faith, she said.

“As I’ve gotten older, it’s just something that’s become so much more important to me to be able to share my faith within the movies that I produce and star in, as well.”

It was in 1987 that Ms. Cameron Bure, now 47, became a household name, starring as one of Bob Saget’s daughters, D.J. Tanner, on the sitcom “Full House.”

The show, which also starred John Stamos, Dave Coulier, and Mary-Kate Olsen, debuted in 1987. It ran for eight seasons before ending in 1995.

Ms. Cameron Bure, who is married to former professional hockey player Valeri Bure went on to star in numerous Hallmark Channel original productions, including the “Aurora Teagarden Mysteries” franchise and many Christmas-themed films.

She also starred in the Netflix spin-off, “Fuller House,” along with some of her previous cast-mates from the original “Full House.”

Candace Cameron Bure arrives at the Los Angeles special screening of Hallmark Channel's "A Christmas Love Story" at Montage Beverly Hills on Oct. 21, 2019. Morgan Lieberman/Getty Images

Joins GAF for Faith-filled Content

It was in late 2022 that Ms. Cameron Bure announced that after years with the Hallmark Channel, she was leaving the network for the Great American Family Channel, citing her preference for its values.

The cable television network, owned by Great American Media, is based out of Tennessee. Its emphasis is on family-oriented general entertainment programming, including TV series and made-for-television movies.

“My heart wants to tell stories that have more meaning and purpose and depth behind them,” Ms. Cameron Bure explained to the New York Post at the time. “I knew that the people behind Great American Family were Christians that love the Lord and wanted to promote faith programming and good family entertainment.”

The actress, who told the entertainment trade Variety in September of that year that her contract happened to be expiring with Hallmark, also made it clear to the New York Post that because of the change of leadership, Hallmark was basically a “completely different network” than when she started with it.

Specifically, Ms. Cameron Bure objected to the portrayal of same-sex couples in Hallmark’s content.

“I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core,” said Ms. Cameron Bure, who in April 2022 was announced as the chief content officer for the network. She described it as a network that puts God, family and country first, in stark contrast to much of the contact put forth by Hollywood.

“We’re incorporating a lot more faith into our movies, and that, for me as a Christian woman, has been so important,” added Ms. Cameron Bure.

She also explained that while not all of the films are faith-forward, viewers can expect to see little hints of things that people do on a regular basis, like taking time to pray, whether it’s praying before meals and before bedtime or people just honoring God in different ways.

According to the New York Post, CEO Bill Abbott was a little less transparent about the network’s future content at the time.

“It’s certainly the year 2022, so we’re aware of the trends,” he explained. “There’s no whiteboard that says, ‘Yes, this’ or ‘No, we’ll never go here.'”

Current Holiday Productions at GAF

Ms. Cameron Bure, whose name is practically synonymous with holiday movies due to her roles in so many Hallmark Christmas films, stars in GAF’s new movie, “My Christmas Hero.”

The film pays tribute to the military, which is an important theme to her since her grandfather served in WWII.

“It’s a subject close to my heart,” she said, adding that she could add a personal touch by including her grandparents’ photos and letters in the film.

Bill Abbott, Candace Cameron Bure, Gabriel Hogan, and Col. Brandon Sokora pose for a photo with service members at the premiere of ‘My Christmas Hero’ in Joint Base Lewis McChord, Wash., on Nov. 15, 2023. Suzi Pratt/Getty Images for Great American Family

Ms. Cameron Bure also produced “A Christmas for the Ages,” a holiday film starring her 25-year-old daughter, Natasha. The story revolves around the youngest granddaughter in a family of four generations of women, who decides to get her family to celebrate what Christmas looked like in the ‘40s, ’60s, ‘90s, and present day.

“I think for most parents, it’s a dream to have your children work alongside you or be able to work in the same business as you,” she said. “And so it was wonderful as a producer of the movie to be able to hire Natasha as our leading actress...”

Ms. Cameron Bure is also lending her creative talents to The Generous Kids Book Club, a monthly subscription of children’s books and animated e-books geared for children ages 4-12 that teach them values, important lessons, gratitude, kindness, and generosity through stories featuring lovable animal characters.

It also includes a home-school curriculum focused on values like empathy, compassion, and thoughtfulness.