John Stamos Young: The ‘Full House’ Star Was — and Still Is — the Ultimate Hunk
Take a trip down memory lane with the handsome star — he's still just as dreamy today!
There are few ’80s TV stars we love more than John Stamos. The handsome actor, who recently turned 60 (no, we can’t believe it either!) got his start with a role on General Hospital in 1982. Starring roles in the short-lived sitcoms Dreams and You Again? followed, and in 1987 he landed the part that made him an icon, when he was cast as Uncle Jesse on Full House. The wildly popular sitcom ran until 1995, with eight seasons and 192 episodes.
Full House told the sweet tale of Danny Tanner (the late Bob Saget) a widowed father raising his three plucky daughters, D.J. (Candace Cameron Bure), Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) and Michelle (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen), with the help of his best friend, Joey Gladstone (Dave Coulier) and his brother-in-law, Jesse Katsopolis.
As Jesse, Stamos perfectly embodied the irresponsible yet lovable “cool uncle” archetype. Surprisingly, Stamos was initially skeptical about the show, saying, “I fought it for a long time, then I finally said, ‘What am I doing? It’s a beautiful show, filled with sweetness and kindness.'” Stamos’ mix of rocker vibes and approachability gave the show just the right dash of ’80s cool, and over 30 years after it first aired, audiences are majorly nostalgic, as evidenced by the Fuller House reboot on Netflix, which ran from 2016 to 2020, with Stamos and others from the cast reprising their roles.
Here are some of the many reasons why we love John Stamos.
John Stamos is multitalented
Uncle Jesse is passionate about music, and his rockstar ambitions come from Stamos himself. He’s a singer, guitarist and drummer, and has even played with The Beach Boys on multiple occasions. Stamos appeared in the 1988 video for “Kokomo,” playing the drums,
Recently on The Kelly Clarkson show, he revealed, “I never even dreamed of meeting the Beach Boys, let alone playing with them.” While at one of their concerts during his General Hospital days, he found himself backstage, thanks to a musician friend, and soon enough, he was being chased by fangirls, which caught the attention of Beach Boy Mike Love, who immediately wanted to put him onstage. From there, a long musical partnership was born.
Full House fans will also likely remember Jesse’s Elvis obsession — this too was something the actor shared with his character. Time magazine named his character one of the top 10 Elvis impersonators, and Stamos and his young son have dressed up as the King in recent years.
Young John Stamos could rock a mullet
Uncle Jesse’s obsession with his hair was a running joke in Full House, and there’s no denying that Stamos sported some seriously luscious locks — and at 60, he still looks fabulous! Stamos had a few different hairstyles during the sitcom’s run, but the mullet he had early on — business in the front, party in the back! — was particularly memorable.
It’s a testament to his charm and charisma that he was able to make this infamously unflattering style look — dare we say — cool. While Stamos has said, “I don’t think I’d ever grow it again… I don’t know why I ever grew it back then,” we think he was one of the only people who could truly pull the style off.
He takes pride in his heritage
Stamos is of Greek descent, and he’s always been proud to showcase this heritage. His Full House character was originally named Adam Cochran, but Stamos didn’t like the name Adam, so he asked that it be changed to Jesse. Then, the character’s name was changed again, at his request, from Jesse Cochran to Jesse Katsopolis. Stamos wanted his character to have a Greek name, and his heritage was further written into the character once some of his Greek family members were introduced.
Stamos even had a small part in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, and took part in a Greek Independence Day celebration at the White House in 2015. In 2017, he appeared on Who Do You Think You Are? to learn more about his Greek background and do a deep dive into his family history.
He had the sweetest relationship with his former co-star
Bob Saget’s sudden death at age 65 in 2022 shocked the entertainment industry and deeply saddened the many fans who grew up watching him. While Saget and Stamos may have been presented as opposites on the show, they ultimately became best friends. As Stamos said in a CNN interview, “He started popping into my life when I needed him the most, when I needed somebody. And then vice versa… We just got closer and closer and closer, and we ended up just being there for each other during the happiest and the saddest moments of our lives.”
The two actors went through many ups and downs together in their decades of friendship, and Stamos gave a moving speech at Saget’s funeral, saying, “The last person on Earth I ever imagined would be my rock became just that. When I lost my parents, Bob was there for me like no other… He was there through divorces, deaths, despair and dark days. He was there through love, marriage, a child and bright times. He was my lifeline.” Having a friendship like that is a gift, and it’s clear Stamos treasured it.
What Stamos is doing now
After Full House ended in 1995, Stamos struggled to “organically separate myself and show that I have more depth than that mullet-headed dude on the show.” Roles in TV movies and appearances on various shows followed, and in 2005 he joined the cast of ER. In 2015, he starred in the sitcom Grandfathered, playing a bachelor who discovers he’s a grandfather, but the show only lasted one season. Another series he starred in, Big Shot, was also cancelled prematurely.
Other recent Stamos appearances include thriller shows like Scream Queens and You and family fare like The Little Mermaid Live! and Muppets Haunted Mansion. He’s also recently done voiceover work for a variety of cartoons. And of course, his appearances on Fuller House appealed to fans old and new, and helped bring him back in the spotlight.
Stamos will forever be one of our favorite sitcom stars, and his combination of handsomeness and good humor delights us every time he graces the screen. While we don’t know if he’ll be playing Uncle Jesse again, we’ll be happy to see him in any role he chooses.
Check out more of our favorite actors!
‘Miami Vice’ Star Don Johnson Through the Years — From 80s Sex Symbol to Silver Fox
‘Gilmore Girls’ Dreamboat to ‘This Is Us’ Dad — Why We Can’t Get Enough of Milo Ventimiglia
Hilarious, Handsome & Talented: 15 Chris Pratt Movies We Can’t Get Enough Of
