'America's Dad' Bob Saget Has Passed Away At The Age Of 65

Bob Saget, the comedian and actor best known for his role as Danny Tanner on Full House, has passed away. He was 65 years old and was found unresponsive in a hotel room at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, as per the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. The cause of his death is currently unknown but there were no signs of foul play or drug use. Saget was in the midst of a stand-up tour and had just performed in Jacksonville on Saturday night.

"We are devastated to confirm that our beloved Bob passed away today," the Saget family said in a statement, as per CNN. "He was everything to us and we want you to know how much he loved his fans, performing live and bringing people from all walks of life together with laughter. Though we ask for privacy at this time, we invite you to join us in remembering the love and laughter that Bob brought to the world." He is survived by his wife, Kelly Rizzo, and three daughters from an earlier marriage, Aubrey Saget, Lara Melanie Saget, and Jennifer Belle Saget.

Friends and peers shared their condolences when the news of his passing came to light. John Stamos, his co-star on Full House took to Twitter and said, "I am broken. I am gutted. I am in complete and utter shock. I will never ever have another friend like him. I love you so much, Bobby." Comedian Drew Carrey tweeted: "Well this one hurts. I loved Bob Saget. He gave me so much encouragement when I first started out. He was a real friend to me too. Not just a mentor. I always looked up to him. He was SO damn funny and so kind."

Portraying the head of the Tanner family, Saget was part of Full House for eight seasons from 1987 to 1995 on ABC. He played the role of a widowed father of three daughters. He then enlists the help of his brother-in-law and his best friend to help raise his kids. The show was a hit and was rebooted in 2016 as Fuller House in which he reprised his role. In addition to this memorable role, Saget will also be remembered as the first host of America’s Funniest Home Videos or AFV. This tenure coincided with most of his time at Full House and lasted from 1989 to 1997. He came back to co-host AFV with Tom Bergeron for the 20th-anniversary special.

Other than comedy and acting, he also made his directorial debut in 1998 with the film Dirty Work starring Norm MacDonald and Artie Lange. He also went on to be a part of other successful TV shows including Raising Dad, with Kat Dennings, Brie Larson, and Jerry Adler, How I Met Your Mother as the future Ted Mosby, Entourage, and Strange Days. Saget was also a board member of the Scleroderma Research Foundation and dedicated time and effort to spreading awareness, reported DEADLINE. "I will for the rest of my life remain committed to finding a cure for scleroderma through my work with SRF," he had stated.