American actress Lori Loughlin was born on July 28, 1964 in New York City. She began her career at age 12, working initially as a print model; she appeared in national print ads, notably for Sears. She also dabbled in television commercials, and received her first notable national exposure in 1979. A year later, she began her acting career, appearing as aspiring dancer Jody Travis in the daytime soap The Edge of Night. She left after three years to pursue other roles in television and film.

Loughlin spent the most of the 1980s as a guest on television programs. She also appeared in films, making her debut in the 1983 release Amityville 3-D. She got her big break in 1988, when she starred in the comedy series Full House. Her character, Rebecca Donaldson, was initially supposed to be a brief love interest for Danny Tanner (Bob Saget), but audiences responded favorably, and she became a recurring character. She was part of the show until 1995, during which she became the major love interest, and later wife, of Jesse Katsopolis (John Stamos).

Loughlin’s next regular television role came later in 1995, in the short-lived sitcom Hudson Street. She played Melanie Clifford, an idealistic crime reporter, in the hit series; regardless it was cancelled after one season. Her next regular role came in 2004, when she was cast as the lead in the drama series Summerland. Her role as fashion designer Ava Gregory lasted for two seasons. She also had a regular role in the short-lived series In Case of Emergency. In 2008, she joined the cast of the television drama 90210. She played the role of Debbie Wilson, the wife of Harry Wilson (Rob Estes) who works as a photographer. Over this period, she played guest roles in shows such as 1-800-Missing, Jake in Progress, Spin City, The Drew Carey Show and Seinfeld. She later signed on to play a role in the Walt Becker-directed comedy Old Dogs.