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John Stamos is still grieving the loss of longtime friend and co-star Bob Saget after his sudden death earlier this year.
In preparation for a new special honoring the late comedian, called Dirty Daddy: The Bob Saget Tribute, Stamos spoke to CNN about their friendship and how the special came about after Saget suddenly passed away at 65 years old.
"He started popping into my life when I needed him the most, when I needed somebody. And then vice versa," he said. "And then we just got closer and closer, and we ended up just being there for each other during the happiest and the saddest moments of our lives."
He said, "No one would've guessed that the two of us would end up being best friends," especially with how their friendship first started off on the set of Full House.
"The truth is — and, you know, I have to say it's funny — that we weren't the best friends (when we were) on that show," he said. "I came in wanting to approach the sitcom with structure, whereas Bob and Dave (Coulier) just wanted to make everyone laugh all the time."
Eventually, their professional relationship on the show bloomed into a beautiful friendship that lasted through the years. When Saget passed away, Stamos even served as one of the pallbearers at the funeral, which he called "the hardest day of my life." He recalled the "gut punch" he felt when he learned that his best friend had died while on a comedy tour in Florida.
"I hit the ground in the parking lot. And it was downhill from there," he said of the call he made to Saget's wife Kelly Rizzo. "It was just 'I'm so sorry.' It was a gut punch."
After the funeral, an "impromptu rock 'n' roll shiva" was held above The Comedy Store in Hollywood where the comedian began his standup career. Hosted by Stamos and Jeff Ross, several of Saget's friends, family and fellow comedians paid tribute to the late star in a way that he would have enjoyed.
"It was a light roast Bob would have loved," Stamos said of the set.
The tribute was filmed and will be presented as a special on Netflix, where fans of the late Full House star can watch as Jim Carrey, Chris Rock, John Mayer and more honor the legacy Saget left behind.
As Carrey says in the special, "Bob wasn't someone who was taken away from us; he was something that was given to us. And one day, when the laughs had hit a certain amount, he just unzipped his human suit and went for a ride."
Dirty Daddy: The Bob Saget Tribute premieres Friday, June 10 on Netflix.