Famous from the age of six when she portrayed the original character of Carrie Brady (later portrayed by Christie Clark) on “Days of Our Lives,” Barber’s breakout role as D.J. Tanner’s pal “Kimmy Gibler” on ABC’s “Full House” made her a series favorite during the show’s eight-season run. When the show came to an end, Barber was ready for more of a normal life and began pursuing education, a passion that extended to helping others pursue theirs after she earned a master’s degree in Women’s Studies in York, England.
“I worked in International Education, helping American students find opportunities to study abroad,” Barber says. “I got married, had two kids, and became a stay-at-home mother for several years. I loved living a normal non-celebrity life.”
Not long after Barber’s youngest child was born, she began experiencing symptoms of postpartum depression which became crippling as the weeks went by. She couldn’t eat, she couldn’t sleep and says she was “pretty much unable to get of bed.” Her extremely concerned parents intervened on her behalf. She gives them credit for making that first phone call to ask her doctor for help.
“I called them in the middle of the night and said I can’t do this anymore, I don’t know how I’m going to get through the next minute, much less the next day,” she said.
Barber realizes how fortunate she was to have a great support system. Her parents had retired, and they insisted that Andrea, her husband and two children move into their home.
“They helped nurture me back to health and helped take care of my kids. I couldn’t be a mother to them because I was literally unable to function,” she said.
Over the last ten years, Barber says she has learned to manage her anxiety in a much healthier way, advocating therapy, medication and exercise.
“I’ve been in therapy for 10 years and I love, it’s so great,” she said. “I feel like everyone would benefit from it. Medication also helped – there’s no stigma about that with me – and running helped immensely. I discovered solace and therapy in my running.”
When Netflix gave the green light to “Fuller House” five years ago, most of the original cast expressed an interest in at least making guest appearances with Barber, Jodie Sweetin and Candace Cameron Bure signing on as series regulars. Barber says the returning to the show she loved doing as a kid was a wonderful experience.
“We love the show, we love each other and we love these characters,” she said. “I love playing Kimmy Gibler so much and I just felt like there were more stories to tell. We’re sad that it’s over but we’re excited that fans are now getting to see the final season, and I can’t wait for them to see how we wrapped up the series when the final episodes become available on Netflix later this year.”
