John Phillip Stamos is an American actor and musician. He first gained recognition for his contract role as Blackie Parrish on ABC Television, for which he was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding supporting actor. Since the show’s finale in 1995, Stamos has appeared in numerous TV films and series.
From 2005 to 2009, Stamos had a starring role on the NBC medical drama as Dr. Tonny Gates. In October 2009, he began playing the role of Albert in the Broadway revival of Bye Bye Birdie, which he played until January 2010. He then played Senator Cantwell in a Broadway revival of Gore Vidal’s play The Best Man from July to September 2012.
From September 2015 to 2016, Stamos starred as the lead character in the Fox sitcom Grandfathered. He executive produced the Netflix series Fuller House, in which he reprised the role of Jesse Katsopolis. He also starred in Never Too Young to Die (1986), Born to Ride (1991), and as Dr. Nicky in the Lifetime/ Netflix psychological thriller You.
John Stamos Biography
| FULL NAME: JOHN STAMOS (ACTOR AND MUSICIAN) | ||
| Date of Birth August 19, 1963 | ASTROLOGICAL SIGN Leo | YEAR ACTIVE 1982 to Present |
| Occupation Actor, Musician | Children 1 | Nationality American |
Early Life
Born on August 19, 1963, in Cypress, California, John Phillip Stamos is the son of Loretta (nee Phillips) and Bill Stamos, a restaurateur. Bill’s Greek immigrant father changed the family’s surname from Stamatopolous. John has two younger sisters, Alana and Janeen.
At his father’s insistence, young Stamos worked for the family’s fast-food eateries. Contrary to the bad-boy image he would later embody, Stamos spent his teen years flipping burgers for the Orange County–based Duke’s and Yellow Basket restaurants, along with playing drums in John F. Kennedy High School’s marching band. Stamos described himself as “the dorky kid” in school; he was interested in magic and often went to the Disneyland theme park only 20 minutes from his home.
In 1976, he saw his first Beach Boys concert—a seminal experience for the avid fan—and at 15, he began to pursue acting and music in earnest. His parents supported Stamos’ artistic aspirations, and although John intended to enroll at Cypress College in 1981, Bill agreed that his son should skip his first semester to take a legitimate shot at a professional acting career.
ACTING CAREER (1982–1986)
Stamos began his acting career with the role of Blackie Parrish on the soap opera General Hospital in late January 1982, for which he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in 1984.
That April, he went on to play the lead role in the short-lived CBS sitcom Dreams, in which he played an aspiring musician in a band of the same name. Later, he played a cast role in the sitcom You Again? (1986) with Jack Klugman. In 1986, Stamos starred in his first film, Never Too Young To Die, an action spy film starring Kiss bassist Gene Simmons.
Though intended to be a “young James Bond” film (and even starring former Bond actor George Lazenby as the father of Stamos’ character), the movie was a critical and commercial flop.
Era From 1987 to 1995
In the late 1980s, ABC’s Full House gradually became a hit, and the show solidified Stamos’s career. He asked that the character’s last name be Katsopolis to highlight his Greek heritage, according to show creator and executive producer Jeff Franklin. He played one of the show’s protagonists, Jesse, who lives with his brother-in-law, Danny, whose deceased wife was Jesse’s older sister. Danny’s best friend, Joey, also lives in the house with them. The three help each other raise Danny’s three young daughters. Jesse is known to be the “bad boy” at first until he falls in love with and marries Rebecca Donaldson and has twin boys, Nicky and Alex. In 1995, after eight seasons, the series came to an end.
Although his most well-known roles are from TV series, Stamos has taken on many movie projects. He transitioned from television to film in 1985 by starring in Never Too Young To Die, though it was a little-seen performance. During his years on Full House, he filmed the World War II movie Born to Ride (1991), USA Network’s The Disappearance of Christina (1993), and CBS’ made-for-TV movie Fatal Vows: The Alexandra O’Hara Story (1994).
Struggling to separate himself from his Uncle Jesse’s screen persona, Stamos embraced theater after the series ended. He landed the lead role in the Broadway production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, replacing Matthew Broderick as the star. Elsewhere, his made-for-TV movie roles continued. He appeared in CBS’s A Match Made in Heaven (1997) and The Marriage Fool (1998).
In 2002, he revisited the stage, starring as the Emcee in the Broadway production of Cabaret. Another TV movie role followed in A&E’s Wedding Wars. Stamos starred as a gay wedding planner who stands up for his right to get hitched in the 2006 film.
While continuing in his role on ER, Stamos appeared opposite Sean Diddy Combs and Phylicia Rashad in ABC’s 2008 adaptation of A Raisin in the Sun. The production was honored with nominations at the Golden Globes and the Emmys. After ER’s cancellation the next year, Stamos returned to Broadway, this time performing opposite Gina Gershon in the revival of Bye Bye Birdie.
Stamos appeared in ABC’s The Little Mermaid Live! as Chef Louis in November 2019. He had tackled the same role a few years back in a Hollywood Bowl stage production.
Music with the Beach Boys
Having befriended his idols, The Beach Boys during his General Hospital days, Stamos was invited to drum with them at their Fourth of July set in 1985. The Washington, D.C., performance drew 1.5 million people, and the band, pleased with Stamos’ penchant for percussion, used him frequently as a touring and session drummer.
In the late ’80s and early ’90s, Stamos began touring and recording with The Beach Boys. After he appeared in the video for the 1988 hit “Kokomo,” their joint efforts produced the 1992 single “Forever,” which featured Stamos on vocals. The song later appeared in the Full House series to commemorate Jesse’s wedding to love interest Rebecca, played by Lori Loughlin. Stamos also performed on the 1994 album Shades of Blue.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Stamos and band co-founder Mike Love released a single called “This Too Shall Pass.” The actor also toured with the band in 2022, appearing for their anniversary performance at New York’s Carnegie Hall. “I never forget how lucky I am. I never forget how grateful I am,” Stamos told Today that same year, adding he is happy a new generation of fans discovered the band through his work on Full House.
Family of John Stamos
Stamos has been married twice and has one son.
In 1994, he met supermodel and actor Rebecca Romijn backstage at a Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. The couple got engaged in 1997 and married on September 19, 1998. They announced their separation eight years later and finalized their divorce in 2005.
On February 3, 2018, Stamos married actor Caitlin McHugh. The couple welcomed their son, William, who goes by “Billy,” in April 2018.
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Net Worth
Stamos’ assets are about $25 million. That’s less than a number of his Full House co-stars, including the Olsen twins ($250 million each), his on-screen wife Lori Loughlin ($70 million), and Bob Saget ($50 million at his death).
NONPROFIT WORK
Along with his acting work, Stamos served as a spokesperson for Project Cuddle, an adoption-oriented nonprofit organization. He has also been a celebrity ambassador for Childhelp, a nonprofit dedicated to the prevention and treatment of child abuse, for more than 20 years.
In October 2023, Stamos revealed he was sexually abused as a child. He alleges the misconduct occurred at the hands of his former babysitter when he was 10 or 11 years old. “I mean, I knew it was always in the back [of my mind], and I do so much advocacy for the [survivors],” he told people. “I left, like, I remembered it slightly. It has always been there, but I packed it away as people do, right?”
MEMOIR
In October 2023, Stamos released If You Would Have Tile Me: A Memoir. Among other topics, the actor reflects on his struggles with alcoholism, including his 2015 DUI arrest. He points to his mother’s death nine months prior as the beginning of the spiral that culminated in the arrest. “She kept me anchored, solid and straightened out for most of my life. I’m feeling adrift and alone without her. Empty,” he wrote. The actor also credited his younger sisters for helping him enter rehab and seek treatment.
Awards and Nominations
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated Work | Result |
| 1982 | Soapy Award | Most Exciting New Actor | General Hospital | Won |
| 1983 | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Nominated | |
| 1983 | Young Artist Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Nominated | |
| 1984 | Young Artist Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Won | |
| 1985 | Young Artist Awards | Best Young Actor in a Television Comedy Series | Dreams | Nominated |
| 2016 | People’s Choice Award | Favorite Actor in a New TV Series | Grandfathered | Won |
