Full House Star John Stamos Recalls Terrifying Chimp Encounter on Set

According to a recent report, the classic sitcom Full House featured some surprisingly risky animal encounters for its stars, particularly John Stamos. In an episode from season 5 that aired over 25 years ago, Stamos' character Uncle Jesse had a close encounter with a chimpanzee named Ginger that left the actor shaken.

Stamos and his co-stars, Andrea Barber and Jodie Sweetin, recently discussed the episode on their rewatch podcast. Stamos revealed he was "terrified" of acting opposite the chimpanzee, as the handlers had warned the cast to avoid making direct eye contact or smiling at the primate. During a scene where Ginger crawls into bed with Jesse, thinking he is his wife Becky, the chimp ended up "smacking him on the butt," leaving Stamos with painful welts.

Full House was no stranger to incorporating animals into its storylines. Over the course of the series, the Tanner family encountered a variety of creatures, including a ferret, a golden retriever, a parrot, a turtle, and even a live elephant for a circus-themed birthday party. However, the chimpanzee incident appears to have been one of the more nerve-wracking experiences for the cast.

As Sweetin observed, Stamos was "laughing so hard" during the scene, clearly struggling to maintain his composure while being "spanked" by the chimp. The actor has reflected on the experience before, joking that the show's producers would bring in a new animal "every week" when they ran out of ideas.

While Full House may not be the first sitcom that comes to mind when thinking of shows that subjected their stars to great risk, the chimpanzee encounter proves that the series was willing to go to surprising lengths to deliver memorable moments for its audience.