Greek-American heartthrob John Stamos plays a basketball coach on his new show 'Big Shot'.
But there was just one problem. The actor isn't exactly a sports buff.
“I was a band geek in school, I’m a band geek now — I never played sports, I didn’t watch sports,” Stamos told the NY Post.
“It was harder for me to learn basketball lingo than medical lingo when I was on ‘ER’ playing a doctor, I’m not kidding.”
'Big Shot' premiered on Disney+ on April 16. The series follows basketball coach Marvyn Korn (John Stamos) as he finds himself a new job after an incident at a college basketball game. Winding up at an elite all-girls high school, Korn soon realises he has his work cut out for him, as his traditional style of coaching is met with resistance from the girls.
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“I got a call from my agent saying, ‘You’re getting an offer on the new David Kelley show,’” Stamos added during his interview.
“And I was like, ‘Oh, I love David Kelley! Am I playing a lawyer, is it like one of those dark characters on ‘Big Little Lies?’ And they were like, ‘It’s a show about basketball.’ And my heart just sunk. Of all things! I said, ‘I’m a player?’ and they said, ‘No, you’re a coach.’ And I said, ‘OK, great … what does a coach do?’”
So, the Full House legend took some lessons from Los Angeles Lakers legend Jerry West (who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980) to learn more about coaching and playing the game.
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The ten-episode series explores second chances, self-growth, and more.
Of the character, Stamos told the Post that “it was nothing like anything I had ever done, and it was nothing like me. He’s unlikable, he’s not a people person, he has no charm.”
“I had no outside interaction with the cast. I didn’t want to know the girls very well, I wanted to learn about the girls as Marvyn did. It was hard for me, because that’s not how I usually work,” he continued.
Stamos became a household name as Uncle Jesse Katsopolis on ABC’s Full House and he also starred as Dr. Tony Gates on the medical drama ER from 2006 to 2009 and played Connor McClane in the third season of Necessary Roughness in 2013.
John is very passionate about his Greek heritage and a few years back he paid a visit to his homeland and spent his name day in Greece, where he visited the Parthenon and other archaeological sites, as well as spending time with his family.
In 2019 he married actress Caitlin McHugh.
Later that year he also became a father and in Greek tradition named his son Billy, after his late Dad who he was very close with.
“Staying at home with the toddler, who is named after my father, has been the silver lining of the past pandemic year,” he told the Post.
“I never would have imagined that I’d get this much time with him. But also, it really hits home what’s important and what isn’t important...But mainly I’m watching kids’ shows with him … It sure makes you go like, ‘Oh man, I’m glad I paid attention to the kind of television I did that was geared towards children.’ Because it is a bit of a responsibility."
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On being an older dad, Stamos told the Post, “I’m glad that I have time and energy and patience to spend time with a 3-year-old right now and I don’t have to worry about my career as much or money, or things that a lot of people have to deal with. I’m very lucky and grateful.”
*More on GCT: John Stamos pays heartfelt tribute to his dad Billy
