TV actor John Stamos who we love in those Greek yogurt commercials, just guest starred in Ryan Murphy’s ‘The New Normal’ opposite Ellen Barkin. In the episode, Jane, played by Barkin wonders if her fellow realtor, Brice played by Stamos is just a fashionable guy or if he is into fashionable guys.
Sick and under the weather Stamos loopy on NyQuil, got on the phone and spoke to us reporters.
“I’m sick. I have this crazy, you know, flu that everybody has out here.” We hope you feel better John.
“Well I started to feel better and then I worked all night last night with Ellen Barkin. We were outside and she was grabbing me and we were eating Korean food and then, you know, we were kissing and I hope she doesn’t get sick because I thought I was fine, but I woke up this morning feeling so sick. And, you know…”
What was it like kissing and filming with the legendary Ellen Barkin?
“Oh so good. I mean I think it was our first show where we had to kiss. But, you know, you know, we did the read through of the first episode and I felt like, you know, we’re kind of cat and mousing each other and sort of, you know, circling each other. And I just – after the (retakes) I said to Ryan, I said, “What if I just grab in back of her hair and just make out, you know.
And Ryan – and the whole room was silent because – and then everybody looked at Ryan and then he said, “Oh my God. That’s a great idea. He looked at me. And then so I think it was the first night or so we did it, and I know Ryan likes kind of surprises and he’s very, you know, especially when he’s directing. He’s very spontaneous and he loves to kind of throw out jokes and ideas and stuff.”
So I thought I’m going to stick my tongue down Ellen’s throat because I want to see – elicit some sort of natural weird, you know, surprise or fear or whatever she was going to show because it would have worked for the character.”
Of course, for the character.
“And the woman didn’t flinch. It wasn’t like, you know, there was nothing happening. I did it – it was just like okay. Looks like a normal kiss. Cut. And then we go to lunch. I was hoping for something with Ellen. I mean I think like what’s the farthest thing you can touch in the back of a throat; the uvula or whatever it was. I know I hit it and she didn’t even move.
But when Ellen and I started working together it was just this great chemistry and I think it was sort of set up where I would come on and do one, see if they like me and see if I like, you know, work there. And then all of a sudden we did this great first episode and they were like, you know, let’s do – how about tomorrow. And I’m like, I’m free. Let’s do it.
And working with her is – has been about the – you know, it’s the most interesting relationship. I always sort of wanted to play a – she’s not that much older than me but I wanted to play that sort of relationship where – what do you call it, Spring, May, April, June, you know.”
Sounds like the NyQuil is kicking in.
“She’s a tiny bit older than me but we don’t talk about it. We don’t do it. We just – we don’t – we just play it. And there’s something fantastic when I look in her eyes, you know. We just get great stuff.
Well, here’s the truth. When you kiss – when you kiss on camera – this is absolutely the truth and I’m a gentleman, so you can make it look as salacious as you want without being, you know, salacious I guess is what I’m trying to say. Like you can fake, you know, a French kiss thing, right.
And most of the time you do and then you sort of just leave it up to the actress however she feels because I was never – it’s almost like – it’s just courtesy as a gentleman actor. I guess you open the door and, you know, if they want to walk into it, they walk and if they don’t.”
Now were getting somewhere..
“So but with Ellen, you know, she was ready to play, you know and we did and it was a really great – like I said, you know, it wasn’t written into the script so I think we – I just went for it. Just grabbed the back of her hair and I sort of – in the episode I give her a makeover.
And I think you guys have been hip to what the show’s about where I come on and they don’t know if I’m gay or straight. And the truth is, you know, nowadays I mean who the hell knows. I mean I – maybe it was more defined 10, 15, 20 years ago if you were a florist or whatever, hair stylist, you know, stereotypical crap.
But in this case you just sort of can’t tell and they sort of – they – because she – I think she’s attractive and they have this game where they try to find out if I’m gay or not. And I’m hip to it so I – at the end I said, you know, if this is – this game of yours, you know, if it’s not entertaining or whatever and I leave.
But man what an actress. I just – we lock in, we look at each others eyes and then we just go and it’s been one of the kind of most – it’s the easiest and kind of a – seriously the fastest chemistry I’ve had with someone in a long time on television.”
Is TV something you want to do again full time?
“Of course. Television has become, you know, it’s a whole new landscape there, you know. And that’s why I did this show because, you know, to be honest with you and – I hope I don’t get any calls.
But I had some of my people say well maybe this isn’t the show for you because – not because of the subject matter because, you know, the ratings aren’t so good and maybe you hold off for, you know, a bigger guest spot on a show.
I said, “No, no, no. I get this show. I like this show. And I have not played this character before. So I think what I’m getting at is that, you know, when you find a good character and you got to – you got to go for it, you know.
Ryan and I have had a great relationship for years. And, you know, when he asks me to do stuff, I do it because I’m proud of being on his shows. I’m proud of him. I knew him, you know, before all these big shows happened. You know, he came to me originally right after ‘Full House‘ with a show about three hookers that would fix marriages like Charlie’s Angels but they were hookers.
And it was a little too much for me at the time. But looking back, I’m like wow. I should have done that. And then I know I’m probably one of five guys that say this but, you know, he offered me ‘Nip Tuck’ and I didn’t to that.
And so after that when I was, you know what, when Ryan calls me, I’m going to – I’m going to do what he wants me to do because he’s ahead of – he’s way ahead of me like he knows what people want. And he knows how to push the envelope. He knows how to make people think. He knows how to be – make people think about themselves.
And I should be working with this guy because, you know, if they should, you know, God forbid if he ever passed away. And I’m not – I’m saying this in all sincerity. I mean this guy runs, you know, three shows, two pilots. He’s got three movies over here and he’s – when you’re in a room with him it’s just astonishing.
They should donate his brain to science at some point. I mean I’m not making a joke about this. It’s like I don’t – my mouth is open when I see him, you know. Like I’m just amazed at what this man can do, you know. We should – people should study this guy because he is a genius.”
On people always telling John he never seems to age.
“I think good genes and truthfully I do take care of myself in a sense. You know what I do probably the most that – I mean if there’s any secret, I sleep a lot. I get a lot of sleep and, you know, rejuvenation. So I try to go to bed early. So I go to bed, you know, 9:00 or 10:00 and I get up at 5:00 or 5:30, 6:00.”
Do you work out a lot? Is that also part of it?
“I’ve done, you know, just about everything. I mean I’m not a super weightlifting guy. I’ve been doing pilates lately, which I think is just a big ploy to get me in those straps, you know, with my legs up because I’m the only guy in the class. And I’ve got my legs in place. This is my – I felt like I’m giving birth or they’re going to do a pap smear or something.
I mean I’m – they literally I put my ankles in these things and I said, “Is this – you’re making this exercise up, aren’t you? They said, No, no. It’s the platypus, it’s the platypus, no. Seriously. Lay down, put your legs in the air. Ignore those 30 women looking. Right. This is what we do here.” You know. But I know they’re trying to make me look silly. I just know it. The platypus. Whoever heard of that?