In the days following Bob Saget’s death at 65, a slew of famous names have paid tribute and share stories about the late actor. Of course, his legacy is not over. Full HouseAnd Fuller HouseFamily had many things to say about the actor. But there were also surprising names that made it onto the list. This week, longtime pal John Stamos got more candid about his relationship with Saget and how it morphed and changed over the course of a lifetime, but he also shared more details about Saget’s funeral. The story of Dave Chappelle was the highlight.
We knew Dave Chappelle, Bob Saget and were good friends. But the actor was even more. We spoke out about one regret he’d had after his comedian pal texted. He was busy and thought he’d have time to do it later. According to John Stamos, Chappelle was close enough to Saget that he spoke out at the actor’s funeral, but Stamos said he never really understood the impact Saget had on the comedy community until he had a conversation with Chappelle after the funeral.
The loving editorial piece that I wrote over at New York Times, John Stamos recalled the conversation he had with Chappelle about Bob Saget’s impact on him as a “young comic”He was in the industry. The following was his story:
People started to make jokes at his memorial. Dave Chappelle did [two long sets]. I said: ‘You’Re the GOAT. You’re the greatest of all time.’ And the respect that he gave Bob the last five, 10 years of his life, I said, ‘That was so important to Bob, and I really appreciate it.’He leaves, ‘Are you kidding me? When I was a young comic, I looked up to him and he took me under his wing. He helped me.’ Which I didn’t know.
John Stamos continued to recall that Mr. Saget had been “bombastic”When it came to friendship and love. This is why co-stars like How I Met Your MotherTo the America’s Funniest Home VideosAll hosts had their own storiesTell. (Even HIMYFThe first episode paid tribute. Stamos, however, recalled the incident in Bob’s friendship and noted:
My dad passes away, and then this guy comes in as a hero because everyone else was beaten up. My sisters and my mom. But Bob wasn’t, and he just stepped in and took care of me, even to the point of ‘Can I host your dad’s funeral?’ Two hours of dirty jokes that I think my dad would’ve liked. He gave everyone what they needed in that moment. Everyone needed a good laugh and he provided it. That one was a great way to cement our friendship.
Stamos’ dad dying was a point he’d brought up when he actually gave a eulogy at Saget’s funeral. At the time he’d also spoken out about his emotional state, saying he was having trouble “letting go” but realizing he didn’t “have to.”This piece is more recent and shows that he seems to be still holding onto all the great things his TV star brought into his life.
Stamos must continue to move forward even though he is without his friend. That’s tough for anyone to face, but it sounds particularly tough for those who knew the larger-than-life comedian who had an outsized impact on those around him. The good news is he’ll live on in memory and storytelling, and from the sounds of things, both of those threads run very deep.