Biography

John Stamos

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John Phillip Stamos was born in Cypress, California, to Loretta (Phillips), a model, and William Stamos, a restaurateur. His father was of Greek descent, with the family surname originally being "Stamatopoulos". John has two younger sisters, Janeen and Alaina, both school teachers. His first professional role was as Blackie Parrish on the daytime soap General Hospital (1963) from 1982-1984, for which he won two Soap Opera Digest Awards (1982 and 1983). In 1987 he began the role of Jesse on Full House (1987), which is his best-known role to date, spanning eight years. At his request, the writers of Full House (1987) gave his character the last name of Katsopolis, instead of the original character's name, Cochran, in order to highlight John's Greek heritage. He has played drums occasionally with The Beach Boys since 1985, and directed their "Hot Fun in the Summertime" video. He expanded his career to include the role of J. Pierrepont Finch in Broadway's production of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying!" in 1995, showcasing not only his musical talents, but his dancing ability, as well. On September 19, 1998, he married model Rebecca Romijn, of MTV's House of Style (1989), which was the first marriage for both. They were officially divorced on March 1, 2005.
- IMDb mini biography by: Denise Stepp <madstepp@tampabay.rr.com>

Plays the drums, and was the touring drummer for The Beach Boys at one time.
Was the first to announce his departure from Full House (1987) after the eighth season citing his disapproval of the shows planned move from ABC to the WB after the eighth season. Candace Cameron Bure (then Candace Cameron) also planned on the eighth season being her last so that she could attend college. Consequently, the rest of the cast and crew decided to conclude the series on ABC rather than continuing with a ninth season.
In real life, he is very close to Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen, who played his niece Michelle on Full House (1987).
Loves Elvis Presley and has often referenced or paid homage to him on Full House (1987), most especially in the episode Mad Money (1988).
John's father was of Greek descent, with roots in the island of Santorini. His family's surname was originally "Stamotopoulos". John's maternal grandfather was of half Russian Jewish and half German (Lutheran) descent, and John's maternal grandmother was of English and Irish ancestry. John's character on the sitcom Jake in Progress (2005) was named Jake Phillips, which was also the name of John's maternal grandfather (whose own father was Russian Jewish immigrant Jacob Phillips).

Mary-Kate [Mary-Kate Olsen] and Ashley [Ashley Olsen], who played Michelle, were great. I miss them, I love them, and I need to borrow some money from them.
[on starring in Full House (1987)] The whole time I was on it, I wished I was on another show, I'm not gonna lie to you. But I look back on it fondly, and I'm proud of it. Was it Seinfeld (1989), Friends (1994), The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970)? No. Was it a heartwarming show you could watch with your kids? Yes. And there's nothing wrong with that.
This is an old family secret, and I just found this out recently, and it almost broke my heart. My mother said to me, "I had never told you this, but God, you were an ugly baby".
I grew up with sisters, which was fun. Being outnumbered, they always got their way. However, they are great judges of character. If I bring home a new girlfriend, I can tell within minutes if they approve or not. It's saved me from many painful relationships, so I will always appreciate them for that.
I was so young when I started on Full House (1987). I started on the show at age 25 and when the show ended, I was only 33. People that age these days look like kids. It's hard to believe "Uncle Jesse" was pretty much a kid on that show.

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