John Stamos reveals the inspiration behind his famous Full House catchphrase, “Have mercy.” Stamos starred as Jesse Katsopolis, better known as Uncle Jesse, on the hit ABC sitcom Full House for its entire run from 1987 to 1995. Created by Jeff Franklin, the series finds the recently widowed father, Danny Tanner (Bob Saget), enlisting the help of his best friend Joey Gladstone (Dave Coulier) and brother-in-law Jesse to help raise his three daughters: D.J. (Candace Cameron), Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin), and Michelle (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen).

For a total of 8 seasons, Stamos played the role of a kind-hearted father figure to the Tanner children and an ally to Danny and Joey. Today, he also is remembered for his distinct 1990s look and several memorable catchphrases, such as “Watch the hair,” and “Have mercy.” Stamos later reprised the role on Netflix’s reboot, Fuller House, which returned much of the original cast and followed a similar premise. Though he retired his iconic hair in favor of an updated look, Jesse’s famous catchphrase returned in the 2016 reboot, which ran for 5 seasons and concluded last year.

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Now, while promoting his new true-crime podcast called The Grand Scheme: Snatching Sinatra, Stamos revealed the origin behind his “Have mercy” catchphrase to Insider. The actor says the mantra was inspired by the Roy Orbison song, “Pretty Woman,” specifically the last line of the first verse which goes, “No one could look as good as you, mercy.” Stamos explains he and his bandmates would frequently use the phrase in the 1980s whenever they spotted a “pretty girl,” though he did clarify that he is “much more respectful” when addressing women today.

Stamos previously revealed that it was Full House director Garry Marshall who prompted him to come up with a catchphrase for his character in 1987. Stamos ultimately landed on “Have mercy.” Interestingly enough, a few years later, Marshall went on to direct the 1990 film, Pretty Woman, starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, which is named after the Roy Orbison song and also features the popular tune.

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It seems that Stamos still enjoys the catchphrase today and embraces it, which is fortunate for him since it is still associated with him after all these years, and was certainly aided by Fuller House. It’s always interesting when an actor or artist reveals the inspiration behind their work. In this case, Jesse’s catchphrase acts as an homage to a famous song, which is appropriate given his background as a rock musician. Stamos’ time on Full House may be over, but Jesse’s legacy will live on through his iconic catchphrase.

Source: Insider

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Adam Bentz
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Adam Bentz is a movie and TV news writer for Screen Rant. From a young age, Adam has been interested in a wide range of movies and television, but it was talented auteurs like Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Aaron Sorkin who ultimately sparked his interest in the craft. Motivated by his love for the screen, Adam studied creative writing with a concentration in screenwriting at Southern New Hampshire University.

After graduating, Adam interned as a writer with The Borgen Project, a nonprofit organization working to end extreme poverty. Other than writing for Screen Rant, Adam reviews films on his website adambentz.wordpress.com

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