Quick Facts
Intro | American actress | ||||
A.K.A. | Lori Anne Loughlin | ||||
Is | Actor Model Television actor Film actor Voice actor Television producer | ||||
From | United States of America | ||||
Type | Fashion Film, TV, Stage & Radio | ||||
Gender | female | ||||
Birth | 28 July 1964, Queens, New York City, New York, USA | ||||
Age | 56 years | ||||
Star sign | Leo | ||||
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Profiles | |||||
Peoplepill ID | lori-loughlin |
Biography
Lori Anne Loughlin (/ˈlɒklɪn/; born July 28, 1964) is an American actress and producer. She is known for her role as Rebecca Donaldson-Katsopolis on the ABC sitcom Full House (1988–1995) and its Netflix sequel Fuller House (2016–2018). Loughlin is also known for her roles of Jody Travis in The Edge of Night (1980–1983), Debbie Wilson in The CW series 90210 (2008–2012), Jennifer Shannon in the Garage Sale Mystery television film series (2013–2018), and Abigail Stanton in When Calls the Heart (2014–2019). Loughlin was a co-creator, producer, and star of the two seasons of The WB series Summerland (2004–2005).
In 2020, Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal. On August 21, 2020, Loughlin was fined and sentenced to two months in prison.
Early life
Loughlin was born in Queens, New York City, and moved to Hauppauge, New York, on Long Island when she was one year old. She has one younger brother, Roy, and is of Irish descent; their parents are Lorellee and Joseph Roy Loughlin, a foreman for the New York Telephone Company.
Loughlin attended Oaks School No. 3 Elementary School in Oceanside, New York, and graduated from Hauppauge High School.
Career

Loughlin became interested in acting as a young child; she began her career at age 11 as a print model, recalling:
My mom had a friend that was going into Manhattan to meet with an agency for modeling. She was taking her teenage daughters in and she asked my mom if I wanted to go along. My mom reluctantly let me go, but I don't think she ever thought anything would come of it. And I went in and they handed me a contract and said, "We'll take you."
At 15, she was cast in the ABC soap opera The Edge of Night, playing the part of Jody Travis, an aspiring dancer, appearing in the series from 1980 to 1983. From 1983 to 1988, Loughlin appeared in more than a dozen of feature films and television guest spots.
From 1988 to 1995, Loughlin was cast in the ABC sitcom Full House as Rebecca Donaldson, Danny Tanner's (Bob Saget) co-host, and later, Jesse Katsopolis's (John Stamos) wife. She was initially set for a six-episode arc, but then became a regular after becoming a popular character on the series. A few months after Full House ended, Loughlin co-starred with Tony Danza in the ABC sitcom Hudson Street (1995–96). The series was cancelled after one season.
In 1993, she starred in the television adaptation of Sidney Sheldon's novel A Stranger in the Mirror, a roman à clef on Groucho Marx and Erin Fleming, in which Loughlin plays Fleming's role. In 1997, she starred alongside Bruce Campbell in the film In the Line of Duty: Blaze of Glory. In 2000, Loughlin co-starred opposite Treat Williams in the Fred Olen Ray-directed thriller film Critical Mass. She also guest starred in Suddenly Susan, Spin City, Seinfeld, The Drew Carey Show, and as the superhero Black Canary in the Birds of Prey series in 2002.

From 2004 to 2005, Loughlin co-created, produced, and starred in The WB drama series Summerland. She played Ava, the aunt who raises three children after their parents die in a car accident. The series was canceled after two seasons due to low ratings on July 11, 2005. In 2007, Loughlin co-starred in the ABC sitcom In Case of Emergency with David Arquette. She appeared in the film Moondance Alexander (2007), co-starring with her former Summerland castmate Kay Panabaker. Loughlin also was in attendance at Comedy Central's The Roast of Bob Saget which was hosted by John Stamos and premiered on August 17, 2008. At her table were Full House co-stars Dave Coulier and Jodie Sweetin. In 2010, Loughlin starred in the television film Meet My Mom, which premiered on the Hallmark Channel on Mother's Day. For the network, she most notably starred in the drama When Calls the Heart and the telefilm series Garage Sale Mystery before she was fired in 2019. On April 10, 2019 it was reported that When Calls The Heart would be returning after a production hiatus without Loughlin's character.
She co-starred in seasons one through three of the Beverly Hills, 90210 spin-off 90210 as Debbie Wilson from 2008 to 2011. She reprised her role in the season five premiere episode in 2012.
Loughlin made a brief appearance as Rebecca Donaldson, alongside John Stamos as Jesse Katsopolis, on a July 2013 episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, following a reunion performance by Jesse and The Rippers. She has since made several appearances as Rebecca on the Full House sequel series Fuller House, which premiered its first season on Netflix on February 26, 2016.
Personal life
Loughlin is Catholic. She married investment banker Michael R. Burns in 1989, and divorced 1996. On Thanksgiving 1997, Loughlin eloped with fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, the creator of the Mossimo clothing line, whom she met in 1995. They have two daughters, Isabella Rose and Olivia Jade, and Loughlin is a stepmother to Gianni, Giannulli's son from a previous relationship. Olivia has a YouTube channel of beauty tips and an Instagram account; both with over 1 million subscribers/followers as of 2015.
2019 college admissions bribery scandal
Loughlin and her husband Giannulli were among 50 individuals charged by the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office for fraud- and bribery-related offenses on March 12, 2019, in a nationwide college entrance exam cheating scandal. The indictment against the couple alleged that, disguised as a donation, they had paid $500,000 to the Key Worldwide Foundation so that the admissions committee of University of Southern California (USC) would believe their two daughters would join the women's rowing team although neither had trained in the sport of rowing nor had plans in doing so.
On March 13, 2019, Loughlin and her husband surrendered to federal authorities in Los Angeles. In their subsequent appearances at United States District Court in Los Angeles, they were released on bail of $1 million and were permitted to retain their passports and travel outside of the United States as long as they informed the court. At her court appearance in Boston on April 3, she acknowledged her rights, charges, and maximum possible penalties; Loughlin waived a pretrial hearing, signed conditions of her release, and was free to leave.
As a result, the Hallmark Channel terminated Loughlin on March 14, 2019, later editing out her scenes from season six of When Calls the Heart. Two days later, on March 16, Netflix dropped her from Fuller House, and technology firm Hewlett-Packard announced it would remove Loughlin and her daughter Olivia Jade Giannulli from its advertising. Loughlin's daughters were able to remain enrolled at USC, but Olivia Jade Giannulli, a social media influencer on YouTube and Instagram, lost a partnership with cosmetics firm Sephora, as well as sponsorships for her beauty channel and Instagram posts.
Loughlin and her husband were named as defendants in a private class-action lawsuit brought on by Stanford University graduates, who allege their education and degrees have been devalued due to their school's association with the case.
Loughlin and Giannulli rejected a plea deal, including for the additional charge of money laundering, requiring both to spend two years in prison; on April 15 she pleaded not guilty.
On September 5, 2019, ET Online reported that characters in Lifetime's movie The College Admissions Scandal would be depicted by actresses Mia Kirshner and Penelope Ann Miller in roles inspired by Loughlin's and Felicity Huffman's involvement in the college admissions matter. Describing her role, Kirshner was quoted saying, "This story is about privilege and corruption and it's about people who don't follow the rules because they think they're above rules... My character (based on Loughlin but named "Bethany" in the film) is so corrupt, greedy, narcissistic, self-centered, and the dialogue is hilarious, so I'm glad that they're able to capture humor about this as well."
On October 22, 2019, federal prosecutors said Loughlin is facing additional charges in the college admissions cheating scandal. US Attorney Andrew Lelling said, Loughlin is now being charged with conspiring "to commit federal program bribery by bribing employees of the University of Southern California (USC) to facilitate their children’s admission. In exchange for the bribes, employees of the university allegedly designated the defendants’ children as athletic recruits – with little or no regard for their athletic abilities – or as members of other favored admissions categories."
Prison sentence
On May 22, 2020, Loughlin pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, and her husband pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services wire and mail fraud. On August 21, 2020, Loughlin was sentenced to two months in prison while her husband was sentenced to five months. At their sentencing, it was revealed that she and her husband were recommended to William "Rick" Singer (the mastermind of the scandal) by Mark Hauser, a former Chairman of the Board at Marymount High School, where their daughters attended. Hauser was subsequently indicted, and has also pleaded guilty. Loughlin and Gianulli had until November 19, to report to prison. She began serving her two-month prison sentence at FCI Dublin in Northern California on October 30, 2020. Due to health concerns related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Loughlin also had her visitation rights suspended. Giannulli reported to prison on November 19. She was released from prison on December 28, 2020 after completing her sentence.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1983 | Amityville 3-D | Susan Baxter | |
1985 | The New Kids | Abby McWilliams | |
Secret Admirer | Toni Williams | ||
1986 | Rad | Christian Hollings | |
1987 | Back to the Beach | Sandi | |
1988 | The Night Before | Tara Mitchell | |
1997 | Casper: A Spirited Beginning | Sheila Fistergraff | Video |
2000 | Critical Mass | Janine | |
2001 | Suckers | Donna Deluca | |
2006 | Farce of the Penguins | Melvin-Smacking Penguin (voice) | Video |
2007 | Moondance Alexander | Gelsey Alexander | |
2009 | Old Dogs | Amanda | |
2013 | Crawlspace | Susan Gates |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1980–1983 | The Edge of Night | Jody Travis | Regular role: June 1980 to December 1983 |
1982 | Matt Houston | Sue Landa | Episode: "Shark Bait" |
1983 | The Tom Swift and Linda Craig Mystery Hour | Linda Craig | TV film |
1985 | North Beach and Rawhide | Candy Cassidy | TV film (CBS) |
1986 | Brotherhood of Justice | Christie | TV film (ABC) |
1986–1987 | The Equalizer | Jenny Morrow | Episodes: "Prelude", "First Light" |
1986, 1988 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Kelly / Sally | 2 episodes |
1987 | A Place to Call Home | Jenny Gavin | TV film (CBS) |
1988 | CBS Summer Playhouse | Tammy | Episode: "Old Money" |
Great Performances | Kay Cork | 2 episodes | |
1988–1995 | Full House | Rebecca Donaldson Katsopolis | Recurring role: season 2; main role: season 3–8 |
1992 | Doing Time on Maple Drive | Allison | TV film (Fox) |
1993 | Empty Cradle | Jane Morgan | TV film (ABC) |
A Stranger in the Mirror | Jill Castle | TV film (ABC) | |
1994 | One of Her Own | Toni Stroud | TV film (ABC) |
1995 | Abandoned and Deceived | Gerri Jensen | TV film (ABC) |
1995–1996 | Hudson Street | Melanie Clifford | Main role |
1997 | In the Line of Duty: Blaze of Glory | Jill Erickson | TV film (NBC) |
Tell Me No Secrets | Jess Koster | TV film (ABC) | |
The Larry Sanders Show | Lori Loughlin | Episode: "The Prank" | |
Suddenly Susan | Paula | Episode: "With Friends Like These" | |
The Price of Heaven | Leslie | TV film | |
Seinfeld | Patty | Episode: "The Serenity Now" | |
Medusa's Child | Dr. Linda McCoy | TV film (ABC) | |
2001 | Cursed | Natalie Keith | Episode: "...And Then They Tried to Make Some Rules" |
Spin City | Michelle | 3 episodes | |
2002 | Birds of Prey | Caroline Lance / Black Canary | Episode: "Sins of the Mother" |
The Drew Carey Show | Robin | 2 episodes | |
Eastwick | Sukie Ridgemont | TV film | |
2004 | Justice League Unlimited | Dr. Tracy Simmons (voice) | Episode: "The Greatest Story Never Told" |
2004–2005 | Summerland | Ava Gregory | Lead role |
2005 | Missing | Dr. Joy Gribben | Episode: "Anything for Baby: Parts 1 & 2" |
2006 | Jake in Progress | Lindsay | Episode: "The Two Jakes" |
Ghost Whisperer | Christine Greene | Episode: "Demon Child" | |
2007 | In Case of Emergency | Dr. Joanna Lupone | Main role |
2008–2012 | 90210 | Debbie Wilson | Main role: seasons 1–3 |
2010 | Meet My Mom | Dana Marshall | TV film (Hallmark) |
2013 | A Mother's Rage | Rebecca Mayer | TV film |
Psych | Dr. Joan Diamond | Episode: "Nip and Suck It" | |
Major Crimes | Rebecca Slater | Episode: "The Deep End" | |
Addicts Anonymous | Mrs. Goldberg | Episode: "Choices" | |
2013–2018 | Garage Sale Mystery | Jennifer Shannon | TV film series (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries) |
2014 | The Neighbors | Tina Giannulli | Episode: "High School Reunion" |
2014–2019 | When Calls the Heart | Abigail Stanton | Main role |
2015 | Northpole: Open for Christmas | Mackenzie Warren | TV film (Hallmark) |
2016 | Blue Bloods | Grace Edwards | Episode: "The Greater Good" |
Every Christmas Has a Story | Kate Harper | TV film (Hallmark) | |
2016–2018 | Fuller House | Rebecca Donaldson Katsopolis | Recurring role |
2018 | Homegrown Christmas | Maddie Finley | TV film (Hallmark) |
Awards and nominations
Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1987 | Young Artist Awards | Michael Landon Award | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Won | |
1989 | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Nominated | |
2006 | PRISM Awards | Best Performance in a Drama Series Storyline | Summerland | Won | |
2009 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Parental Unit | 90210 | Nominated |