A chance meeting between the two entertainers left an impression on the 'Full House' alum
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NEED TO KNOW
- During a 2024 appearance on the Friars Club Podcast, John Stamos shared the story of meeting Dean Martin
- The meeting came as Stamos was looking to move on from his soap opera career and focus on comedy opportunities
- Stamos played Blackie Parrish on General Hospital from 1982 to 1984
John Stamos was ready to go in a different direction after two years of soap opera fame.
The actor, 62, got his television start on General Hospital, where he played Blackie Parrish from 1982 to 1984. Toward the end of his run, he made it known to the soap opera team that he was ready to move on.
Stamos shared the story of how a meeting with legendary entertainer Dean Martin confirmed his instinct that if he wanted to move on, it was the perfect time.
"When I was leaving General Hospital, Gloria Monty, who was the producer, she didn't want me to go. And I wanted to be funny. I wanted to be on a sitcom, like a Garry Marshall show,” Stamos explained during his 2024 appearance on The Friars Club Podcast.
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Stamos explained that it was while he was out discussing the decision with Monty that the opportunity to meet Martin arose.
The pair were dining at famed Hollywood restaurant Le Dome when Monty attempted one final pitch: "She was like, 'Well, why do you want to leave my show, dear?' And I said, 'Well, Gloria, I want to be funny.' "
Monty saw that the “King of Cool” was in the restaurant, eating alone. "She said, 'Oh, there's Dean Martin there. Let me go introduce you,’ " Stamos recalled.
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While Monty believed that the "That's Amore" singer would help her make her case, that isn’t how the brief conversation went.
"She said, 'Mr. Martin, this is the star of my show, General Hospital. And he wants to leave the show. He wants to be funny. Now, will you tell him about loyalty and about sticking where you're at?' " the Fuller House star explained.
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Laughing, Stamos recalls, "He looked at me and said, 'Run.' "
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Later that year, Stamos moved on to CBS sitcom Dreams in 1984, later appearing in the made-for-TV musical rendition of Alice in Wonderland.
From 1986 to 1987, he was one of the leads in NBC sitcom You Again?, before landing on Full House later that year. He played Jesse Katsopolis until 1995 and returned to reprise the role in Fuller House from 2016 to 2020.
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