John Stamos Hated ‘Full House’ So Much He Tried to Quit
Full House fans will always remember the extended Tanner family as happy, wholesome, and a bit unconventional. The sitcom made audiences laugh but also addressed more serious issues like the death of a parent, teen drinking, eating disorders, and abuse. Each of the main characters brought something special to the screen, and they became a real family. They weren’t all so happy in the beginning, however — John Stamos nearly quit because he hated it so much.
John Stamos was not happy during the early days of ‘Full House’
On a recent episode of Hot Ones, Stamos revealed that he wanted to quit Full House at one point. The actor was under the impression that the sitcom was going to be more like Bosom Buddies, focusing on the antics and relationships of the adults. He thought that the children were just going to be in the background of the story. He realized his assumption was incorrect at an early table read with Jodie Sweetin.
Sweetin was only five years old at the time, but she absolutely stole the spotlight. She was so funny and charismatic that she had the whole crew laughing — everyone except Stamos. Stamos said “We sit down and start reading and Jodie Sweetin, who plays Stephanie, reads her lines, and people are dying laughing. I mean, screaming. I was like, ‘What’s happening here?’ You couldn’t even hear my lines they were laughing so hard at her.”
Stamos recalls leaving the table, running outside, and telling his agent “Get me the [expletive] off this show!” His agent wasn’t happy with the idea of Stamos walking away from the opportunity and told him to wait it out. After realizing that he was overreacting, Stamos stuck with the show and eventually became part of a new family.
Uncle Jesse turned out to be John Stamos’ best-known role
According to Best Life, when Stamos went into the Full House project, he assumed he would one of the leading characters. His experience on General Hospital had given him somewhat of an inflated ego, and he wasn’t thrilled about sharing the spotlight with a bunch of kids.
Audiences took to the sitcom right away, and Stamos realized that there really wasn’t a “lead” character at all — it wasn’t him or the kids. The actor remembers struggling to get on board with the show in the beginning, saying “I fought it for a long time, and then I finally said ‘What am I doing?’ It’s a beautiful show we we built with sweetness and kindness. There was no central character on the show, I realized. The central character was love.”
Stamos brought the charming, handsome Uncle Jesse to life brilliantly. Audiences across the country instantly fell in love with the crooked smile, the tough-guy attitude, and, of course, that hair. Perhaps the most loveable part of Uncle Jesse was the warmth and kindness underneath that tough-guy exterior. The character became one of Stamos’ most widely-recognized roles to this day.
Stamos and Sweetin formed a strong bond due to substance abuse issues
After the sitcom ended, the cast certainly had their share of demons. According to Nicki Swift, both Candace Cameron Bure and Mary-Kate Olsen reportedly struggled with eating disorders. Cameron Bure has been very open about her battle, saying “I got into a cycle of binge eating and feeling such guilt and shame for that, then I would start purging. And without even knowing, it soon just took over.”
Sweetin was about 13 years old when Full House ended, and she recalls having a hard time identifying who she was without the show. In an interview with ABC News, Sweetin said, “There is a certain sense of loss when a series ends. It is kind of hard to figure out who you are when you’ve lost your job at age 13, when that was basically how you identified yourself.”
Sweetin began drinking alcohol at 14, and progressed to drug use soon after. After years of using ecstasy, cocaine, and meth, the actress went to rehab and has been sober since 2008. Stamos also struggled with alcohol addiction, and says Sweetin played a huge part in helping him get sober. Variety reported that Stamos presented Sweetin with Writer’s In Treatment’s Experience, Strength, and Hope Award for her advocacy in the community.
Stamos was choked up while presenting the award, remembering how much Sweetin had helped him after he had been arrested for a DUI. “I hit rock bottom. Jodie lovingly allowed me to walk my own path and when I finally humbled myself to ask for your help, I realized that the perky little blabbermouth had become the master of wisdom and was right by my side during some of the most difficult days of my life.”
