Candace Cameron Bure on Truth Be Told, Full House, and the Fight for Family Programming

Candace Cameron Bure said it plainly: "Once you tell one lie, you have to cover it up with another — but it all comes to a head at the end. It's always going t…" — and Premier Guide Miami was in the room when it happened.

Best known for her role as DJ Tanner on the long-running family sitcom Full House, Candace Cameron Bure is all grown up and back in the spotlight. She currently stars in the ABC Family series Make It Or Break It and in the FOX TV movie Truth Be Told, where she plays Annie Morgan — an unmarried marriage counselor who makes a living telling others that honesty is the key to a successful marriage. Daedrian McNaughton sat down with Candace to discuss the film, her book, and her advocacy for family programming.

PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: Can you tell us a little bit about Truth Be Told?

CANDACE CAMERON BURE: Well, it's a fun little romantic comedy for the whole family. It is based on my character, Annie Morgan, who is offered her own radio show under the false pretenses that she's married. So not wanting to lose the job offer, she talks to her old college friend, played by David, and convinces him to pretend to be her husband for the weekend — and his kids to be their kids. So it's about this one little lie that snowballs into a big, huge mess, and just has a really great point that honesty is always the best policy. It's one of those fun movies that you can sit down with the entire family and watch something that's entertaining but also has a good life lesson to talk about.

PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: What was your motivation for doing this?

CANDACE CAMERON BURE: I'm a big supporter of family movie night, so I had seen some of them before and really wanted to be a part of one. When they asked me to take a look at the script, I was super excited knowing this was part of the Family Movie Night initiative. I thought the script was adorable, and as a mom who really supports quality family programming, I jumped onboard right away.

PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: What were some of the lies that were told and how were you able to navigate yourself out of them?

CANDACE CAMERON BURE: Well, the biggest lie is that we went into a weekend pretending that we were married, and we weren't — and those lies just got worse and worse because with every opportunity we would try to tell the truth, it didn't happen. Once you tell one lie, you have to cover it up with another. But it all comes to a head at the end, which you'll find out when you watch the movie.

PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: How did you find a way to connect with your co-star to make the relationship so warm and believable?

CANDACE CAMERON BURE: It was really difficult — one look into those eyes and I just melted. We had a great time. You either have chemistry with people or you don't, and I had just an awesome time with David.

PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: How do you think the audience will relate to your character and the themes of the film?

CANDACE CAMERON BURE: I think the characters are just likable people, and anyone can relate because how many times do we find ourselves in positions where we want something so badly and we're willing to compromise just a little bit to get it? Yet we realize at the end of the day that it's always going to catch up to us. Once you tell a lie, it's always bound to be exposed. So again — great theme to the story itself, great conversation piece to have with your kids.

PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: What was it like to have Danny Gokey and Kurt Warner on set?

CANDACE CAMERON BURE: Oh, Kurt Warner, Danny Gokey — I was there the day that Kurt Warner was on set, but I didn't actually have a scene with him. But I met him and his wife and took a picture with them. I was excited. Then I just love Danny Gokey so much. What a great heart he has. I enjoyed talking to him, and yes — great voice. Loved the music. I think the songs he sang in the movie are an awesome addition.

PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: Was David's height a problem during taping?

CANDACE CAMERON BURE: Yes — I stood on a box for most of the movie. For almost all of my close-ups I was on an apple box. David is so much taller than me, and it's always a challenge. For some reason I seem to be paired with leading men that are quite a bit taller than me, but I've gotten used to it. We made it work.

PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: Was it interesting for you to meet director Jonathan Frakes? Were you a fan of his work?

CANDACE CAMERON BURE: I'm not a big Trekkie, but my dad loved the original Star Trek, and that's where it came from. But yes, I loved Jonathan so much and was excited to meet him and especially work with him. He made the whole film such a joy because he had such an upbeat, positive, happy attitude every single day. Just made it really fun.

PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: What excites you about where the industry is today?

CANDACE CAMERON BURE: It's awesome that there are a lot more choices with the amount of stations we have. But because standards and practices are much more lenient on cable networks, I've found over the years there's such a division now — programming for adults and very specific programming for children. And that took away from family programming in general. We had all those old shows like The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Who's the Boss, Full House, JAG — those types of shows just kind of disappeared. As a mom with young children, I wish there were more television shows I could sit down and watch with my kids that weren't just specific to them or just specific to me. I'm happy that some of the major networks are now coming back and saying, "Hey, there are people that still want quality family programming." I'm an advocate for it, and I believe everyone can have their choices — but let's not forget that this is something families in America want and desire.

PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: What was it like to work with David James Elliott, comparing notes on your respective TV show experiences?

CANDACE CAMERON BURE: I just asked David what the difference was between his show and my show — how everyone got along, who he still talks to. I guess I was probably asking him the same questions the fans ask, and vice versa. It is kind of fun to compare, because it's a very specific time period when you're on those shows. Times have changed so much, and series are so different now. It's fun to reflect.

PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: Were there any standout moments on set, any memorable scenes from filming?

CANDACE CAMERON BURE: I think for me it was more about all of us huddling in these tents in between takes, because it was so cold — I can't even tell you. We had these little pop-up tents with heaters in them because we were kind of in the middle of nowhere in Santa Fe on this ranch. Even the makeup and hair trailers were a drive away. So the one thing I'm going to take away from the movie is all the times we were just laughing, trying to unthaw our toes and fingers, huddling together in these tents — and standing there curled up in David's jacket so he was keeping me warm too, in between takes.

PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: Are there any other upcoming projects in the works?

CANDACE CAMERON BURE: Make It Or Break It is on right now — the back half of our second season just premiered two weeks ago. I also had a book released in January called Reshaping It All. I was super excited — it hit The New York Times bestseller list a few weeks ago. So I've kind of just been out promoting the movie, the show, and the book. I have some stuff in the works, but nothing to tell you about yet beyond that.

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