John Stamos is pictured.Photo:Jeff Lipsky; Henry Holt and Co.
Jeff Lipsky; Henry Holt and Co.
John Stamoshas been considered a Hollywood heartthrob from the moment he made a splash as Blackie Parrish onGeneral Hospitaland later asFull House’s Uncle Jesse.
But good looks aside, the expectation of someone of his celebrity often tormented him, as he felt he had to keep up with the “playboy” label many have bestowed upon him.
“I did set out to write a hero story, but then as I was doing it I was like, ‘No, I’m going to tell a human story,'” Stamos, 60, tells PEOPLE. “Because with the hero story, that’s bulls—. And unless I was a hundred percent forthcoming, what am I doing this for, right? But it was hard.”
John Stamos is pictured at a PEOPLE photoshoot in Malibu, California, on October 2, 2023.Jeff Lipsky
Jeff Lipsky
Here, in an exclusive excerpt from his new memoir, Stamos opens up about the ways in which the “playboy” label ultimately impacted him.
I’m lonely, but never alone.In a sober state, I’d have the pride, morals, and values to avoid the proverbial low-hanging fruit. But what fun is that? Plus, I have an image to uphold. The “bon vivant” character, the cocksman, the ladies’ man with a revolving bedroom door.
I can’t go on my friendHoward Stern’s show without him salivating over girls he thinks I slept with. OrJimmy Kimmel, another pal, who never misses the opportunity to paint me as the ultimate playboy. And who could blame them? I play into it 100 percent.
It’s flattering. It’s my solemn duty to uphold my status as “that guy” keeping the dream alive for all those average joes out there, giving them someone to live vicariously through. Who cares if it’s at the expense of my own happiness? What I don’t get is every time I play out the fantasy in real life, I’m giving away a little piece of me.
“Stop trying to charm the world,” my shrink, Phil Stutz, says. “You’ve already done that. Show them you’re an actor; that you’re the real deal.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
John Stamos pictured during a PEOPLE photoshoot 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 subscribehere.
John Stamos' memoir,If You Would Have Told Me,is available Oct. 24 wherever books are sold.
source: people.com
