Why John Stamos Struggled While Filming Full House
John Stamos made portraying Uncle Jesse Katsopolis look so natural, but in reality, the actor struggled to play the role in Full House.
John Stamos talks about why he struggled to film Full House. Playing Uncle Jesse in the classic family sitcom, the happy-go-lucky rocker moved in with his brother-in-law Danny Tanner’s family to help raise his three nieces: DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle. Despite his initial hesitation to live with the Tanners, Jesse eventually softened up to the girls, ultimately realizing he is more than happy to stand in as a parental figure to the kids.
While Full House is an ensemble series, Stamos’ character Jesse Katsopolis is one of the show’s standouts. Given his good looks, musical abilities, and overall fun vibe, he balances Danny’s more traditional way of parenting. Behind the scenes, the actor was also responsible for bringing the Tanners back to the small screen after the original show ended in 1994. After looking around to get a reunion project off the ground for years, he eventually became one of the producers for Netflix’s Fuller House, in which he reprised his Jesse role.
Stamos made playing Jesse look so easy; he had an instant connection with the kids, particularly Michelle. Behind the scenes, however, he struggled to film Full House at the beginning, as he recalls in a new interview with CBS Sunday Morning. It didn’t have anything to do with his co-stars (although he at one point tried having Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen fired) – instead, it was due to his perception of what his career would look like. Read Stamos’ full answer below:
It was really difficult. A lot of it was because it just wasn’t where I saw myself. The reviews were like ‘this show won’t last til Thanksgiving.’ And now, I’m so proud of it. I’m really happy I did that show.
How Full House Changed Stamos’ Life
As Stamos said, his struggles working on Full House were largely based on his preconceived notion that he wasn’t going to star in a sitcom. By then, the actor had already starred in General Hospital in a largely dramatic role, so it makes sense that he was looking for more serious projects. What he didn’t know was that Full House would change his life forever. Aside from the fact that playing Uncle Jesse was arguably his breakout gig, he also gained lifelong friends through the sitcom. That included Bob Saget, who died earlier this year unexpectedly. Stamos has been vocal about how difficult it was to cope with the massive loss, and even now, he gets teary-eyed when he discusses it.
Besides Saget, Stamos also maintains a close relationship with most of the original cast of the series. In light of Full House‘s 35th anniversary, he shared a behind-the-scenes video of them filming the iconic intro video in front of San Francisco’s row houses. Stamos has also kept in touch with Lori Loughlin following the actor’s stint in prison due to her involvement in the national college admissions scandal. The pair recently reunited to reminisce on their past as Jesse and Becky through a throwback video.
