John Stamos' original family name is Stamotopoulos, which was shortened by his grandparents when they came to America from Greece. His parents are Bill & Loretta, and he has two younger sisters, Janeen & Alaina, both school teachers. His first professional role was as Blackie Parrish on the daytime soap, "General Hospital" (1963), which turned into a 2-year role, for which he won two Soap Opera Digest Awards (1982 & 1983). In 1987, he began the role of Jesse on "Full House" (1987/I), which is his best-known role to date, spanning 8 years. At his request, the writers of "Full House" (1987/I) gave his character the last name of Katsopolis, instead of the original character's name, Cochran, in order to highlight John's Greek heritage.

He has played drums occasionally with The Beach Boys since 1985, and directed their "Hot Fun in the Summertime" video. More recently, he expanded his career to include the role of J. Pierrepont Finch in Broadway's production of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying!", in 1995, showcasing not only his musical talents, but his dancing ability, as well. On September 19, 1998, he married Rebecca Romijn of MTV's "House of Style" (1989), which is the first marriage for them both.