John Stamos was initially not excited about playing a basketball coach in his latest show, ‘Big Shot’.
“I was a band geek at school, I’m a band geek now – I never played sports, I did not watch sports,” Stamos, 57, told The Post. “It was harder for me to learn basketball language than medical language when I was ‘ER’ to play a doctor, and I’m not kidding.”
The premiere on Friday, April 16, on Disney + (with weekly new episodes), focuses on the drama series Marvyn Korn (Stamos), a men’s basketball coach who eventually has to work at a private high school for girls after his temper him NCAA work food – to great dismay.
“I got a call from my agent saying, ‘You’ll get an offer for the new David Kelley show,'” Stamos said. And I was like, ‘Oh, I love David Kelley! If I play a lawyer, is it like one of the dark characters in ‘Big Little Lies?’ And they were like, ‘This is a basketball show.’ And my heart does not sag. Of all things! I said, ‘Am I a player?’ and they said, ‘No, you’re a coach.’ And I said, ‘OK, great … what does a coach do?’ ”
Despite reservations, Stamos did research, he said, and spent time with NBA legend Jerry West, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980.
“He told me it’s called ‘exercise,’ not ‘rehearsal,'” Stamos said.
But it was not just the subject that unnerved the actor. The character of Marvin was also outside his comfort zone.
“It was nothing like I ever did, and it was nothing like me,” Stamos said. “He can not hold, he is not a man, he has no charm.”
After being on the set, Stamos decided the best way to inhabit the coach was to keep to himself.
‘I had no outside interaction with the cast. I did not want to know the girls very well, but as Marvin also wanted to learn from the girls. “It was difficult for me because it is not how I usually work,” he said.
Eventually, Stamos nailed it enough to impress Jerry West, as well as one of his idols: Howard Stern.
‘I get texts from a New York number I did not recognize, and I get one that says,’ Come get it, it’s Howard and Beth! “he said. ‘And I FaceTimed them, and they just went on about how much they liked the show. He’s a hero of mine and a friend and someone I admire.”
Stamos occupies a rare space in Hollywood, as he has been prominent for decades with a number of hit players (“General Hospital”, “ER”, “Full House”, “You”) and he has yet to see setbacks. or fade into darkness like many stars of the 80s and 90s shows.
He attributes his longevity to his attitude.
‘I think the days of prima donna are out the door – the days of like,’ I’m not getting out of my trailer! “When someone does that, it’s like, ‘OK, next!’ “There are so many actors and actresses who need work,” he said.
He gets it in part from lessons he learned from his father, the late restaurateur Bill Stamos.
“In many ways, my father had a great influence on me. My dad had restaurants, and he treats the busboy in the back room the same way he treats his best customer. I try to keep it that way. ‘
Stamos himself is a relatively new father, as his son Billy (along with actress / model wife Caitlin McHugh (34) is 3. Staying at the toddler’s house, named after Stamos’ father, was the silver lining of the past pandemic year, he said.
‘I would never have thought I would get so much time with him. But also, it really touches on what is important and what is not important. Loving your career is one of the things I do not feel so important about at this time. ”
Quality time with the suitcase includes watching television for children together and showing him snippets of child-friendly rates that Stamos has done in the past, such as the musical ‘Bye Bye Birdie’.
“But most of all, I watch children’s programs with him … It certainly makes you go like, ‘Oh man, I’m glad I paid attention to the kind of television I did that was aimed at children. ‘Because it is a bit of responsibility, ‘Stamos said, referring to his long tenure as Jesse Katsopolis on’ Full House ‘(1987-1995).
At 57, Stamos is on the older side of fatherhood, but that doesn’t bother him.
‘I’m glad I now have the time and energy and patience to spend time with a 3-year-old, and I do not have to worry so much about my career or money, or things that many people have to worry about. . handle. I am very happy and grateful. ”