John Stamos chronicles his incredible rise to fame in his memoir If You Would Have Told Me. The now 60-year-old actor dives into his days as Blackie Parrish on General Hospital, which jumpstarted his acting career. In his memoir, John recalls a moment on the set of the hit soap opera where he screamed at the Elizabeth Taylor.
While filming a scene, John writes that he noticed someone “putzing around in the distance. I try to ignore it and go on, but the person is making a racket trying to set up what looks like a director’s chair. I hear a popping sound. What the hell?”
John can’t let go of the distraction and voices his frustration in front of everyone. “For the first time, I really lose it on set and yell out, ‘Will someone get that old woman out of my eyeline!’ That old woman is Elizabeth Taylor. There she is, in all her lavender-eyed glory, poised in a director’s chair, sipping champagne,” the actor reveals.
Turns out, Elizabeth decided to visit the set of the soap to see Anthony Geary, who played Luke Spencer. Elizabeth had previously appeared on the show as the iconic Helena Cassidine.
“Chris [Robinson] quickly tells me who she is, and I’m so embarrassed,” John continues in his memoir. “I can’t believe I lost my sh*t in front of Elizabeth Taylor. My dad is going to kill me. I mute my tantrum, apologize profusely, make some excuse about calling her old, then slither back to the set and continue the scene. This time, I cry my eyes out.”
During his run on GH from 1982 to 1984, John earned a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Just a few years later, John would nab the life-changing role of Jesse Katsopolis on Full House and meet some of his lifelong friends, including Lori Loughlin, Dave Coulier, and the late Bob Saget. If You Would Have Told Me is available now.