The actress opens as much as The Hollywood Reporter concerning the premature dying of the actor-comedian for whom she starred in a 1996 TV film impressed by the dying of his sister, Homosexual, from scleroderma: "He was a effectively of deep emotion."
Dana Delany and Bob Saget.
Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Pictures
Hollywood continues to mourn Bob Saget. The multi-hyphenate, whose portrayal of beloved dad Danny Tanner on Full Home made him one in every of TV’s hottest fathers, had simply launched a stand-up comedy tour when he died in Florida over the weekend on the age of 65. Right here, fellow actor Dana Delany remembers her longtime pal.
I’ve identified Bob [Saget] for 35 years. We’re the identical age, and we form of began out collectively. Bob was a type of guys that you possibly can simply name out of the blue and get proper again into the groove, and I’m so sad that I can’t choose up the cellphone now to name him and say how ridiculous it's that he’s lifeless. Bob would assume it’s so absurd. However seeing the outpouring of affection for Bob from associates and from everywhere in the world, I really feel like he could be so completely satisfied to be getting a lot consideration. That makes me chortle.
Not lengthy after Sharon Monsky began the Scleroderma Analysis Basis, Bob and I went to the second occasion that they had. Neither of us knew something about scleroderma, we simply went as a result of chef Susan Feniger invited us and we preferred her meals. It was 1989 and I keep in mind Rosie O’Donnell was one of many comedians who carried out. We simply stored going to the occasions as a result of Sharon was so magnetic and such a robust human being and the occasions had been an ideal mixture of meals, enjoyable and a very good trigger for a outstanding particular person.
You will have heard this story by now however Bob was requested to host it and — since he was shut together with his household — his mother and father and his sister, Homosexual, went to the occasion. A yr later, she was identified with scleroderma, which was weird. Bob and I share the identical darkish humorousness and we used to joke, “Don’t go to the profit since you’ll get scleroderma.”
After Homosexual died from scleroderma [in 1994], Bob got here up with an thought to make a tv film about her. On the time, there was a giant stigma in opposition to disease-of-the-week motion pictures and you actually didn’t wish to be in a single. However Bob and Brad Gray, who used to handle each of us, referred to as me at some point. Bob mentioned, “I actually would find it irresistible in the event you might do that.” I mentioned, “Oh for Sharon, I'll do something.” So, Bob wrote [the film] For Hope with Susan Rice, who remains to be a very good pal, and he additionally directed it.
We shot in Vancouver as a result of it was cheaper, and I used to be principally enjoying a model of Bob’s sister, Homosexual. There was an exquisite younger actor enjoying Adam, her son, who's an actual property agent now in L.A. We needed to do in depth prosthetic make-up as a result of Homosexual had the systemic sort of scleroderma that actually exhibits on the face. We went to Tom and Bari Burman, preeminent prosthetic make-up artists, to create the look. I confirmed up 4 hours early each day to get it finished, and we weren’t as superior again then and there was no CGI, so in the event you watch the film, you may see little cracks right here and there.
However Bob was a unbelievable director and I really feel like not lots of people know that. He was so gifted and he gained an Oscar, [a Student Academy Award], when he was in faculty. He’s really one in every of my favourite administrators I’ve ever labored with. Possibly as a result of he’s an actor, he understands materials from an actress’ viewpoint. See? I'm nonetheless speaking about him within the current tense. He had such a positive sense of steadiness between comedy and tragedy and his entire life was like that as a result of he misplaced so many individuals in his household early on [his sister Andrea died of a brain aneurism in 1985]. I discover that mixture makes for excellent filmmaking. We'd trip as much as the sting of melodrama after which there could be some joke to interrupt the stress. It was a joyous, joyous movie shoot, and everyone remained very shut from it.
Bob was in his component. He beloved directing and I want he had finished extra of it. He did the whole lot from prime to backside — writing, directing, modifying, music, publicity. I imply, Bob needed to do all of it. He was just about a management freak, but it surely was at all times finished with enthusiasm. He couldn’t assist himself, and he was so good at it.
Not lengthy after that, each Bob and I joined the board of the Scleroderma Analysis Basis. I used to be on the board for possibly 15 years and Bob finally began working the Cool Comedy, Scorching Delicacies occasion. He actually made it into what it's at this time, elevating a lot cash and consciousness. I feel I’ve been to nearly each one of many occasions over time as a result of it’s enjoyable but in addition as a result of it’s Bob. He had a knack for pairing musicians, comedians and actors as a result of everyone wished to hang around with Bob. He preferred to drink loads so it was at all times one steady celebration. He bought folks like John Mayer, Jackson Browne and the Goo Goo Dolls to return play as a result of being round him was like a touring circus. Wherever Bob went, folks wished to be part of it. On the similar time, he actually was a deeply emotional particular person. Bob might cry on the drop of the hat over something. He was actually a effectively of deep emotion.
I’m a bit prejudiced, however his work on behalf of scleroderma is what’s going to actually resonate for years to return. I feel he would be ok with that as a result of it was his legacy, particularly for his sister and for his mother and father. Even when we used to joke about how lengthy it’s taken to discover a treatment, that’s what I beloved about him — that darkish humor, once more — as a result of it’s attainable to be humorous whereas going through a horrible illness and nonetheless do some good alongside the way in which. That’s Bob. He had so many sides from Full Home to America’s Funniest Dwelling Movies to stand-up to the long-running joke of him being America’s dirtiest dad.
I keep in mind when Brad Gray was our supervisor and all of us used to hang around collectively together with his different shopper, Garry Shandling [before their infamous falling out]. I've this picture in my head now that makes me chortle of Bob, Garry and Brad Gray up in heaven with Bob brokering a peace deal between the 2 of them saying, “Hey, you fuckers, life is brief, now make up. I really like you guys.”
To study extra about Saget’s work on behalf of SRF, click on right here.