John Stamos Initally ‘Hated’ ‘Full House’ & Didn’t Want To Play ‘Second Fiddle’ After Jodie Sweetin’s Successful Table Read

Jul 27, 2023

With over four decades in the industry, star actor John Stamos has earned his place as a TV legend. Stamos has a wealth of experience in television, with his most known role being Uncle Jesse on "Full House" and its spin-offs. However, he was not always a big fan of the fan-favorite TV show. 

Alongside stars like Bob Saget, Dave Coulier, Mary-Kate and Asley Olsen, Stamos made "Full House" one of TV's most-revered shows. During the early stages of putting the show together, Stamos almost ran off due to an unforgettable moment. The star hilariously narrated this incident during a July 2023 interview on "Hot Ones," making it known that he almost did take up the critically-acclaimed role. 

Stamos's TV fame started early in his career when he starred as Blackie Parrish on the 1980s soap opera, "General Hospital." His successful stint on the TV show earned him a Daytime Emmy nomination in 1984, and he went on to snag more roles in other series. The TV star was a staple on shows like "You Again?," "Dreams," "E.R and "Full House," among others.

He joined the cast of the sitcom in 1987, playing the role of Jesse Katsopolis, otherwise known as Uncle Jesse by his nieces. Stamos played his role alongside Saget's Danny Tanner, a widowed father with three daughters. 

Tanner solicited the assistance of his brother-in-law Jesse and best friend, Joey Gladstone (Coulier), to raise his daughters, and they formed an unconventional family with love emanating in their midst. Set in San Francisco, the Tanner family and their loved ones portrayed everyday societal issues with a healthy dose of comedy. 

The cast also included Jodie Sweetin, Lori Loughlin, Candace Cameron Bure, and Andrea Barber. "Full House" aired from 1987 to 1995, and in 2016, the cast returned for a 2016 revival by Netflix titled" Fuller House." Despite the success of the classic sitcom, Stamos struggled to work with the child stars. In an April 2023 chat on the "Good Guys" podcast, the actor recalled how he got the Olsen twins fired. 

He revealed that they had been filming the pilot episode, and there was a scene where he and Coulier needed to change Michelle's diaper. The Olsen twins started playing the role at 11 months. Stamos explained: 

"We're carrying the baby downstairs and I think I was holding her on the armpits and Dave was holding her little feet, I think. And we take her into the kitchen and we hosed her down, we put a fan on her, wrapped her up in paper towels. She was screaming."

The actor relayed that even as the babies were switched from time to time, they kept on crying, wanting "to be anywhere else but there." He recalled being frustrated at some point, screaming ten times for the twins to be taken off the show. Ultimately the Olsen twins were fired, and in their place were "two redheaded kids." Stamos noted that the replacements weren't as good; therefore, he asked for the Olsen girls to be brought back. 

Stamos's struggle with the kids on the show extended to a funny showdown with Sweetin, who played Stephanie, the Tanner middle child. This happened at the initial stage when he joined Sweetin for the table read. 

Stamos told "Hot Ones" 's host Sean Evans that he initially "hated" "Full House" because the storyline was different from what he envisioned. He made it known that although he ended up loving the sitcom, he thought it would be like the 1980s "Bosom Buddies," and he would play a central role. Stamos shared: 

"…It was sort of pitched to me as Bosom Buddies … with a couple of kids in the background. And as we're casting I was like, 'They're spending a lot of time casting these kids that are going to be in the background.'"

Stamos discovered the "Full House" concept was completely different, and the kids were to share in the spotlight. He recalled how the table read was an eye-opening experience despite how he was a star fresh off "General Hospital." He revealed: 

"We did a table read of it and I was the star coming off of General Hospital … and we sit down and start reading and Jodie Sweetin, who plays Stephanie, starts reading her lines and people are dying laughing — I mean screaming. And I was like, 'What's happening here?' They couldn't even hear my lines they were laughing so hard."

He relayed that he became quite upset that he stormed off to call his agents to "get me the f**k off this show." He noted how he fought it for a long time before coming around to realize "a beautiful show we built with sweetness and kindness." 

Fellow star Coulier reiterated Stamos's table read situation on his "Full House Rewind" podcast, noting that the star was "so upset about having to play second fiddle to these really funny kids." In the end, Stamos realized that there was no central character, and they ended up being "the best representation of a loving family."

Isn't it lovely that John Stamos could move past his initial struggle to become a revered star on “Full House?” Do you remember your favorite Tanner family moment? Let us know, and be sure to pass this on to others.