‘Full House’ Star Passes Away

Another cast member of the timeless show “Full House” has died just two years after the world lost lead man and legendary comedian Bob Saget. John Aprea, who played Uncle Nick opposite John Stamos’s character Jesse Katsopolis, passed away at 83 on August 5th, according to a statement by his manager. The Daily Caller reported that Will Levine, who worked with Aprea for most of his decades-long career, said the actor died in Los Angeles of natural causes.

In addition to playing exterminator Nick Katsopolis on the ABC show from 1987 to 1995, Aprea’s breakout role came in 1972’s “The Godfather” after a chance encounter with director Francis Ford Coppola while bartending in L.A. He auditioned for the lead role of Michael Corleone, which eventually went to Al Pacino, but was fortunate to grab a part as mobster Tessio in the sequel. Other credits to his name include “The Montefuscos,” “The Idolmaker” and “Matt Houston.” His roles also included “Mannix,” “The Rookies,” “NYPD Blue,” “The Stepford Wives,” “The Game” and “American Anthem.”

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In addition, Aprea dotted the second half of his career with spots in “Caged Heat,” “Crazy Mama” and 2004’s “The Manchurian Candidate” as well as “The Idolmaker” in 1980. He reprised the role of Katsopolis for a 2017 reboot of “Full House” on Netflix, and his standout performance in “The Godfather” earned him other mobster roles in “New Jack City” and the highly acclaimed “The Gangster Chronicles” where he played the star role of mobster Albert Anastasia. He played the role of criminal Lucas Castigliano in “Another World” and guest starred in “The F.B.I.,” “Wonder Woman,” “Silk Stalkings,” “The Sopranos” and “Cold Case,” according to the Hollywood Reporter.

John Aprea, Actor in ‘The Godfather Part II’ and ‘Full House,’ Dies at 83 https://t.co/UMxRMYW9dR

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) August 18, 2024

The Englewood, New Jersey native was born in 1941 to Italian immigrants who held Sunday dinners with relatives in New York City and the surrounding area. Aprea’s father and mother, who emigrated from the Campagna region of Italy, impressed on the family their familiarity with the Neapolitan language of the old country. After high school, Aprea, a wallflower by nature, pursued acting with virtually no experience or formal training. He recalled in later years being asked by directors to pay “a few thousand dollars” to appear in small-budget productions, requests he refused. With the help of his sister, Aprea enrolled in theater school while supporting himself as a janitor, barman, and bouncer at a local club.

Aprea is survived by his third wife, Betsy Garci, his daughter, Nicole, from a previous marriage to actress Cherie Latimer and stepchildren Marika Parker and Valentino Garci.

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