Dave Coulier facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dave Coulier
Coulier in 2010
Born	David Alan Coulier (1959-09-21) September 21, 1959 (age 64) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Education	University of Michigan
Occupation	Actor stand-up comedian impressionist television host
Years active	1979–present
Spouse(s)	Jayne Modean ​ ​ (m. 1990; div. 1992)​ Melissa Bring Coulier ​ (m. 2014)​
Children	1

David Alan Coulier (/kuːlˈjeɪ/ KOOLEE-yay; born September 21, 1959) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, impressionist, and television host. He played Joey Gladstone on the ABC sitcom Full House, voiced Peter Venkman on The Real Ghostbusters, and voiced Animal and Bunsen on Muppet Babies.

Early life

David Alan Coulier was born on September 21, 1959, to David L. Coulier and Arlen Coulier in Detroit, Michigan, and was raised in nearby St. Clair Shores, Michigan. He has 3 siblings. His mother's side of the family is from Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada, and his paternal grandmother was a German immigrant. Coulier got his start in stand-up comedy in high school by impersonating his principal and other staff over his high school's PA system. He graduated in 1977 from Notre Dame High School in Harper Woods, Michigan, where he was a member of the varsity ice hockey team, playing defense alongside future NHL player John Blum. Coulier also attended high school with Mark Cendrowski, who became friends with him in the third grade and they often made 8mm films together during high school. Coulier attended The University of Michigan but dropped out after his freshman year to pursue comedy full time.

Career

Coulier met future Full House co-star Bob Saget for the first time at a comedy club in Detroit. The two became good friends and Coulier briefly lived with Saget and his then-wife Sherri on their couch in the early 1980s as he struggled to get his career started.

Coulier moved to Los Angeles at age 19 and started performing at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles, where he performed alongside Jay Leno, David Letterman, Jerry Seinfeld, and Robin Williams.

Coulier was initially cast as a player for Saturday Night Live for its 1986 season. Shortly before the season started, however, he was left off the show because the show's management thought he was too similar to another cast member, Dana Carvey.

Coulier has done extensive voice work for shows including Scooby and Scrappy-Doo, The Real Ghostbusters, Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters (taking over the character of Peter Venkman after Lorenzo Music's departure from the role), Extreme Ghostbusters, Muppet Babies after Howie Mandel left (Baby Animal, Baby Bunsen, Bean Bunny, and Uncle Statler and Waldorf, and a preteen Janice for one episode), The Jetsons, Rude Dog and the Dweebs, and Detention. From 1984 to 1985, he was also the host of a comedy series on Nickelodeon known as Out of Control.

Coulier is best known for playing Joey Gladstone on the ABC sitcom Full House. He stayed on the show from 1987 until its cancellation in 1995. He was famous for doing voices and impersonations. In addition to Full House, Coulier appeared on George and Leo and Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher. He has also hosted America's Funniest People (first with Arleen Sorkin and later with Tawny Kitaen) and Opportunity Knocks. Additionally, he was also a voice actor in Yogi Bear and the Magical Flight of the Spruce Goose and has voiced Felix the Cat on a few occasions. He also put out a solo album called Cut It Out, a self-proclaimed tribute to "tank tops and short shorts."

In addition to his voice work, Coulier has also taken a few acting parts, appearing in the Disney Channel Original Movie's The Thirteenth Year and The Even Stevens Movie (where he had a cameo as a reality show host), as well as the Nickelodeon original film Shredderman Rules. He wrote and starred in an unaired pilot for FX called Whispers and Balls.

He also founded his own children's entertainment company, F3 Entertainment, in 2000. In 2003, Coulier appeared on season three of The Surreal Life. In 2006, he appeared on the TV reality show Skating with Celebrities on FOX, where he was paired with Olympic medalist Nancy Kerrigan. They were eliminated in episode four.

He is a member of Duck's Breath Mystery Theater touring comedy troupe (which he claims is clean comedy but "not quite as creepy" as Full House) as well as the host of the series Animal Kidding.

On June 2, 2008, Chikara, a professional wrestling promotion based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, announced that Coulier was elected by the Chikara Board of Directors as the new commissioner of the company, a position that he held for two years until the next election (which took place on May 25, 2010). Coulier is the successor to former Commissioner and fellow Full House cast member Bob Saget.

In 2009, Coulier provided the voice for Bob McKenzie on the Canadian animated series Bob & Doug, based on the SCTV characters Bob and Doug McKenzie. Coulier became the first person other than Rick Moranis to portray the character, as Moranis (who serves as executive producer) was not interested in resuming the part. Coulier says he understands that longtime fans might be skeptical of his take on the role, but he could not help jumping at the chance to portray one of his favorite comic characters. "It's huge shoes to fill, stepping into Rick Moranis' shoes. It's such an established, great character and I guess the only thing I have going for me is that it kind of sounds alike and that half of my family is from Canada." His mother's family is from Bathurst, New Brunswick.

Coulier continued to make regular television appearances as the host of shows such as America's Funniest People and America's Most Talented Kid. He continues to tour the U.S. and Canada as a stand-up comedian.

Coulier reprised his role as Joey Gladstone for the Full House spin-off Fuller House.

Personal life

In the early 1990s, Coulier was married for two years to Jayne Modean. They have a son, Luc, born in 1990. Having divorced, he dated Alanis Morissette for two years, but they broke up shortly before she recorded her album Jagged Little Pill. He was rumored to be the subject of Morissette's song "You Oughta Know" and, in a 2008 interview with the Calgary Herald, Coulier indicated he thinks the rumor is true, as there are many things about him in the song. However, in the 2021 documentary Jagged, Morissette denied the song is about Coulier, despite the coincidental timing. In 2005, Coulier began dating photographer and producer Melissa Bring. They married on July 2, 2014, in Montana.

Coulier is a private pilot who owns and flies a B35 Bonanza. His first general aviation flight was at the age of five in Michigan. He earned his pilot's license at the same airport later in 1979 and is now instrument rated. In 2012, he did more flight training in a Cirrus SR20 to "keep current." He is part of the Hat in the Ring Society to support the AOPA foundation, an organization that promotes safe flying.

Coulier is an ice hockey fan and participates in charity events with the Detroit Red Wings. He is also a fan of the Detroit Tigers and has played in celebrity softball games alongside fellow Tigers fan Tom Selleck.

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Dave Coulier para niños