Candace Cameron Bure (aka D.J. Tanner, in case you’ve been living under a rock), might look sweet as pie on her shows Fuller Houseand The View, but don’t be fooled by that perfectly put-together exterior: This babe’s a total badass.
Take, for example, her stint as “Mamacita del Amor” in Fuller House‘s wrestling episode. That scissor kick? All Candace. And here’s the real kicker: It only took her two days to get down those moves. “I did everything myself; I did all of the stunts,” she tells us. “If I weren’t an actor, I’d probably be a stuntwoman. I love doing that kind of stuff.” The wrestling episode was, in fact, one of her favorites to film. “I hope they write more physical activity!” she says of season two. It doesn’t hurt that Candace is staying plenty active when the cameras are off. Nearly 40 years old (her birthday is April 6), she’s proving that age is just a number. “Every year that goes by, I enjoy fitness more and more,” she says. “I train five days a week at the gym, and I do as much as I can when I’m home with my kids.” Whether that means hiking or participating in obstacle strength courses, Candace does it all — sometimes alongside Andrea Barber, her on-screen BFF. “She’s been my partner in races. She encourages me so much with all of the running she does. We always talk fitness.”
Also discussed between the besties behind closed doors? Fashion — Candace says the real-life Kimmy Gibler calls both her and Jodie Sweetin for tips on what to wear. “Fashion is not her life,” she tells us. “She would live in Lululemon pants — she does unless she’s on the set.”
But don’t mistake Andrea for Kimmy — Candace tells us that even though there’s “definitely a little bit of everybody in their characters” on Fuller House, Andrea is the furthest from her Full(er)House alter ego. As for the most improved in the 20-year lapse since the cast last met? Candace says that honor goes to Jodie Sweetin, AKA Stephanie Tanner. “The show ended when she was 13,” she says. “At 13, you haven’t quite grown into who you are yet. You’re just starting your teenage years. Jodie’s gone through a lot in her life. She’s had her ups and downs — it’s been a roller coaster ride, but she’s come out swinging and strong. She’s fought to get to where she is now.”
Where she is now is securely back in her role as D.J.’s little sister, Stephanie, with a spot as a fan favorite on ABC’s upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars — a spot Candace herself was in not too long ago (she came in third place during the show’s 18th season). But still, she says she’s resisting the urge to offer some *ahem* sisterly advice. “How do I say this,” she laughs. “With all of my might, I am trying to keep my mouth shut. I am trying not to solicit advice unless she asks me for it. I had such an incredible experience, and I want to talk to her about it every single day, [but] I realize this has to be her own experience,” she shares.
In the meantime, Candace will be plenty busy herself — in fact, it’s rare she gets a free moment (though when she does, she admits to binge watching Jane the Virgin — “I absolutely love it!”). She’s currently shooting the third and fourth installments for the Aurora Teagarden Hallmark series in Vancouver, and acting as a co-host on The View in between Fuller House seasons. “I have never been busier than I have the last two to three years of my life,” she says. “This year in particular.” She isn’t kidding. Candace tells us she’s been commuting from L.A. to New York every Sunday and back again on Thursday for an entire year. And just like any working mom, “It’s really challenging on the family front and physically on my body,” she says. “My kids and husband have been troopers. I’m constantly on the phone or on FaceTime with my family when I’m not at home, and when I am at home, I am 100 percent invested in their needs,” she says. “It’s still a huge juggling act.”
Not that you’d ever know it — Candace is looking better than ever these days, no jet lag in sight. Apart from her top-notch hairstylist and makeup artist, she credits this to a healthy diet. “I think your diet has so much to do with your skin,” she says. Which, for Candace, means mostly plant-based. “I don’t eat a lot of meats and I’ve cut dairy out. I think that was the biggest thing that affected my body,” she says. “I drink a lot of water, so that helps keep my skin pretty.”
Oh, and about that nary a hair out of place thing? That’s the one thing Candace can say will likely be changing for season two of the Netflix hit. “We call season one D.J. ‘D.J. 1.0’ and season two D.J. ‘D.J. 2.0’. I think we’re gonna go a little more deconstructed [with the hair], so it feels more realistic,” she says. After all, she points out with a laugh, moms don’t always have perfect hair.
As for the rest of season two’s storyline, Candace says it’s all still up in the air. If she has her way, both Matt and Steve will remain on the show — though maybe just as good friends. “I wasn’t rooting for either of them [for D.J.],” she says. “I think it was an interesting storyline.” Her other favorite moment from Fuller House happened to be the one where D.J. jumped into Matt’s arms for their first kiss, showing off her character’s geeky, awkward side. “There’s so much history with Steve, and yet Matt is new and fresh and exciting. I love both [guys] onscreen and off. [But] I don’t think it would be good to have her attached to somebody at this point,” she shares. “It keeps the storyline more interesting if she’s not in a relationship. I think D.J. needs to just take her time and concentrate on her kids [instead] of finding a man,” she says.
That’s pretty sound advice, and we’d expect nothing less from D.J. — or Candace, for that matter. After all, as she points out, she’s had to be mature from a young age. “The day I turned 30 was the most exciting year for me to turn of any year,” she says. “I finally felt like at 30, the number matched up to the maturity level I had felt since I was a teenager. I was a working child actor — I always felt and was much more mature than most of my peers because of that.”
Now, a decade later, Candace says that she’s excited for her birthday once more. “I think it’s true that you realize how short the years are,” she says. “You become more and more comfortable in your own skin. You figure out what’s most important and valuable and meaningful in your life. That’s why I’m really excited to turn 40.”
We wish you the happiest of birthdays, Candace!
(Photos via @candacecbure and Frederick M. Brown/Getty)
