Jodie Sweetin: The 'Full House' spinoff 'is almost too good to be true'

“People have been waiting 20 years for Full House to come back,” Jodie Sweetin, who played Stephanie Tanner on the hit family sitcom, says of the sitcom’s upcoming spinoff—which is set to premiere on Netflix next year. She spoke with EW exclusively about signing on to star with Candace Cameron Bure, Andrea Barber and John Stamos (talks are pending with the other actors) in Fuller House.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY:How excited are you that this is finally official?

JODIE SWEETIN: It was the hardest thing ever to keep it a secret! Six months ago we took the initial meeting with Netflix, and it’s been something we’ve been talking about for a while. To now finally be able to be in a place that it’s official, it’s super exciting.

Ever think you’d play Stephanie Tanner again?

For a really long time, this is something we had hopes for—and I had gotten to a place where I was like, “You know what? If it happens, it happens.” I had no control over it. Jeff Franklin and I had a conversation yesterday, and we realized the first time we met and talked about bringing Full House back as a spinoff series was like, 2007 or 2008. Now that it’s actually happening, it’s almost too good to be true. To be able to do a series with people I love—who are like family—to play a character I loved so much and to be able to do that in this point in my life when things are going so well for me and I have a completely different perspective on things… I’m really, incredibly grateful.

Fans are thrilled about the news.

People are beside themselves about it. It’s not like they’re going, ‘Oh, that show.’

What can you tell us about Fuller House‘s storyline?

It’s based around D.J., Stephanie and Kimmy, so there’s still going to be that really fun dynamic, which I’m looking forward to—Stephanie and Kimmy being arch nemeses, and teaming up to help D.J. [a pregnant, widowed mom of two]. It will be very similar, certainly, to the first Full House, but we’re definitely trying to bring it back as a little more modern take. Stephanie has sort of been the wild world traveler, and I’m looking forward to bringing to life Stephanie as she is today and creating a real backstory for her. She’s a free spirit, and that will be obvious in the character she’s become.

It must be crazy to think that your younger daughter is the same age you were when you started Full House.

I was barely 5 when I started working on Full House, and Bea will be 5 in August. It’s crazy. I look at her and I’m like, I was working at this age, doing this whole crazy Full House life. What a trip. She’s my little twin. She does remind me of myself a little bit at that age. She’s a funny little person, for sure. Both of my kids have my sense of humor—they’re definitely entertaining.

Who have you kept in touch with from the original cast?

I’ve kept in touch with pretty much everybody. I work in drug and alcohol treatment right now, and my office is actually right next door to where John Stamos was filming his new show. I heard about it from crew that worked next door. I called him and was like, “We’re literally sharing a parking lot right now.” So I stay in contact with Bob [Saget] and John. I’m really close with Dave Coulier and his wife Melissa. My family and I go over there for barbeques, for dinners, Super Bowl parties. Candace and I have remained close, and Andrea. It’s just crazy how much these people have been an integral part of my life.