Bob Saget: Tributes to 'sweet and hilarious' US actor and comedian

Saget's wife Kelly Rizzo, pictured with him in December, said she was "completely shattered and in disbelief"

US actor and comedian Bob Saget has been remembered as a "sweet, kind, hilarious" friend and co-star by the cast of his sitcom Full House.

In a statement, the TV family said they would now "grieve as a family" following his death at the age of 65.

"He was a brother to us guys, a father to us girls and a friend to all of us," they wrote.

Other tributes poured in from celebrities including Pete Davidson, Adam Sandler and Jimmy Kimmel.

On his talk show on Monday, an emotional Kimmel said: "If you've read anything about Bob online last night, if you saw any of the many thoughts from people who knew him personally, a word that came up a lot was, the sweetest.

"Bob was the sweetest. He was the sweetest man, and the reason people wrote that is because it's true. It's the best word. If you had to pick one word to describe him, that was it - the sweetest.

"I have so many wonderfully kind and supportive texts and emails, calls from Bob. He always had a compliment. He would write sometimes just to tell me he loved me, and I know he did that for many people."

Saget was found unresponsive in his room at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Orlando, Florida, on Sunday.

He played Danny Tanner, a widowed father of three daughters, in Full House from 1987 to 1995, and reprised the role in 2016 when Netflix revived the programme for a further five seasons.

The cast statement said: "Thirty-five years ago, we came together as a TV family, but we became a real family. And now we grieve as a family.

"Bob made us laugh until we cried. Now our tears flow in sadness, but also with gratitude for all the beautiful memories of our sweet, kind, hilarious, cherished Bob.

"He was a brother to us guys, a father to us girls and a friend to all of us. Bob, we love you dearly. We ask in Bob's honour, hug the people you love. No one gave better hugs than Bob."

Bob Saget (centre) with the cast of Full House in 1989

Stars of the show have also issued their own tributes. They included twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who played daughter Michelle Tanner. "Bob was the most loving, compassionate and generous man," they said in a joint statement.

"We are deeply saddened that he is no longer with us but know that he will continue to be by our side to guide us as gracefully as he always has."

• US actor and comedian Bob Saget dies aged 65

Fellow actor and comedian Davidson described Saget as "one of the nicest men on the planet".

He revealed: "When I was younger and several times throughout our friendship he helped me get through some rough mental health stuff.

"He stayed on the phone with my mom for hours trying to help in anyway he can - connecting us with doctors and new things we can try. He would check in on me and make sure I was okay."

The Laugh Factory comedy club in Los Angeles displayed a tribute to Saget

Sandler wrote on Twitter: "Great man. Funny as hell. Such a nice person."

In a statement to People, Saget's wife Kelly Rizzo said she was "so deeply touched by the outpouring of love and tribute from our friends, family, his fans and his peers".

She wrote: "My whole heart. Bob was my absolute everything. I am so completely shattered and in disbelief...

"When the time is right and when this news is not as raw, I look forward to sharing more of Bob with the world. Sharing how much he meant to me, all of those around him, and how much all of his fans and friends meant to him as well."

Saget was also known as the narrator of the hit show How I Met Your Mother and for his guest stints as a highly fictionalised version of himself in TV series Entourage.

The details surrounding his death remain unclear, but on Sunday the Orange County Sheriff's Office said detectives had found no signs of foul play or drug use during initial enquiries.

Saget had just started a new comedy tour across the US, performing as recently as Saturday in the city of Jacksonville, Florida.