John Stamos is looking back on his early days on “Full House”—and the reason he almost walked away is as funny as it is unexpected.
During an appearance on Access Daily on Tuesday, April 14, alongside his former costar Jodie Sweetin, Stamos reflected on a table read of the pilot episode of the beloved sitcom.
While fans now associate him with the iconic role of Uncle Jesse, he admitted there was a moment early on when he wasn’t so sure about sticking around.
Stamos Almost Left the Show
“We did the pilot, the reading for the pilot. I came in off of ‘General Hospital’ like a big shot,” Stamos joked, recalling his confidence at the time.
As a rising heartthrob, he expected to make a strong impression.
But things didn’t quite go as planned.
As the cast began reading, a young Sweetin—who would go on to play Stephanie Tanner—quickly stole the spotlight.
“Then this little one just starts doing the jokes and hitting every joke out of the park,” Stamos said.
Meanwhile, his own performance wasn’t getting the same reaction.
“I got maybe one or two laughs,” he admitted. “I’m just slowly like sinking down” in his seat.
The moment left such an impression that Stamos briefly panicked.
“Who’s this kid?” he remembered thinking, before making a dramatic move. “And I remember running out to the payphones at the time and jamming a quarter, calling my manager, ‘Get me off this show.’”
Of course, he didn’t actually leave—and it’s a good thing he stayed.
Stamos Is Happy He Stayed
Stamos went on to become one of the show’s most beloved stars, helping turn “Full House” into a cultural staple that continues to resonate decades later.
Looking back, his perspective has clearly shifted. “I just fell in love with the show,” he said. “I think the reason I’m always trying to figure out why it’s still around… there was no central character. The central character was love on that show.”
Stamos also took a moment during the interview to praise Sweetin and the rest of the young cast, who grew up in front of audiences.
Turning to his former co-star, he shared a heartfelt moment: “Can I say how proud I am of her?” he said before giving Sweetin a hug.
“All the kids on our show turned out so well,” he continued. “They do such good stuff. They do such good work. They do a lot of charity work. I’m just proud of how you’ve turned out.”
“Full House” also starred Candace Cameron Bure, as well as Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen, who famously shared the role of Michelle Tanner.
