The ‘Full House’ actor talks about the expectations people had of him in his upcoming memoir ‘If You Would Have Told Me’, out on October 24.
John Stamos has been considered a Hollywood heartthrob ever since he made a splash as Blackie Parrish on General Hospital and later as Full houseThis is Uncle Jesse.
But good looks aside, he was often troubled by the expectation of one of his celebrity peers, as he felt he had to keep up with the “playboy” label many had given him.
In the veteran TV star’s upcoming memoir, If you had told me — out October 24 from Henry Holt and Company — Stamos talks about the many ups and downs of his life, from high-profile relationships to his career path to overcoming personal hardships. He is very honest in many aspects of his life, even when it is more difficult to do so.
“I was going to write a heroic story, but as I was doing it I said, ‘No, I’m going to tell a human story,'” Stamos, 60, tells PEOPLE. “Because with a hero story, it’s bullshit—. And unless I was one hundred percent open, why am I doing this, right? But it was hard.”
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John Stamos is pictured on the set of PEOPLE in Malibu, California on October 2, 2023.
Jeff Lipsky
Here, in an exclusive excerpt from his new memoir, Stamos talks about the ways the “playboy” label ultimately affected him.
I am lonely, but never alone. In a sober state, I would have the pride, morals and values to avoid the proverbial low hanging fruit. But what kind of fun is that? Besides, I have an image to uphold. A “bon vivant” character, a chicken, a lady’s man with a revolving bedroom door.
I can’t go on my friend Howard Stern’s show without him drooling over girls he thinks I’ve slept with. Or Jimmy Kimmel, another friend, who never misses an opportunity to paint me as the ultimate playboy. And who could blame them? I play in it 100 percent.
That’s flattering. It’s my solemn duty to uphold my status as “that guy” by keeping the dream alive for all those average jocks out there, giving them someone to live vicariously. Who cares if it comes at the expense of my own happiness? What I don’t get is that every time I act out a fantasy in real life, I’m giving away a little part of myself.
“Stop trying to charm the world,” says my psychiatrist, Phil Stutz. “You’ve already done it. Show them you’re an actor; you’re the real deal.”
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John Stamos pictured on the set of PEOPLE in Malibu, California on October 2, 2023.
Jeff Lipsky
For more on John Stamos, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands everywhere now, or subscribe here.
Memoirs of John Stamos, If you had told me, it is available on October 24 wherever books are sold.
Excerpted from WHEN THEY TOLD ME: A Memoir by John Stamos. Posted by Henry Holt and Company on October 24, 2023. Copyright © 2023 John Stamos. All rights reserved.
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Source: HIS Education