In 2016, “Fuller House” executive producer Bob Boyett told People magazine that Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen had their reasons for sitting out of the revival. Boyett explained that Ashley’s reasoning for not returning was that the actor had not been on camera since they were 17 years old, and that they didn’t feel “comfortable” returning to acting. Mary-Kate, on the other hand, had mentioned that the timing of filming “Fuller House” was bad for both of them at the time.
Stamos, who also served as an executive producer on “Fuller House,” opened up to The Hollywood Reporter about why he believes Mary-Kate and Ashley decided not to return to the show. Basically, Stamos said that an offer was sent over to the Olsen’s agent, but it was turned down.
“In retrospect, I should have called them and talked to them, I guess … We love each other, but we’re not in contact — I mean, I didn’t have a phone number on them. I’d see them in New York once in a while and it was always very sweet. But that didn’t happen, so I think they sort of said, ‘Nobody asked us.’ I thought we did, through their people, but I don’t know if that happened,” Stamos explained.
When he finally did talk to Mary-Kate, she wanted Stamos to call Ashley, but he didn’t follow through. Ultimately, he says, it “wasn’t really in the cards for them at that moment.”