“I was afraid of this role — and that’s what you kind of look for,” the actor explained of his philosophy when it comes to choosing roles. “You look for stuff that you haven’t done. I’m just naturally a terrible athlete. I never was never into sports.”

“It was a challenge,” Stamos conitnued. “And I’m not even kidding when I say this: It was easier to be a doctor onERthan to be a coach. It’s just not in my DNA.”

John Stamos.Christopher Willard/Disney

JOHN STAMOS

Stamos went to great lengths to prepare for the role,he said: “I studied as much as I could, and I met Jerry West who was a famous basketball guy. I went down to visit and I said, ‘Thank you for allowing me to come to the rehearsal today.’ And he said, ‘First of all, it’s not rehearsal. It’s called practice. Those aren’t costumes.’ And he kinda schooled me quickly, but I knew that I had to be a good coach to make this thing work.”

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John Stamos and his son, Billy Stamos.John Salangsang/Shutterstock

John Stamos and his son, Billy Stamos

While speaking about the show, theGeneral Hospitalalum also said he appreciates that his character on the show is “not afraid to be vulnerable,” and said that he has been accessing his own vulnerability as an actor and a dad.

He adds that it’s not unusual for him to"cry all the time" in front of son Billy, 4, and that his relationship with Billy has allowed him to approach emotional family scenes (like Marvyn’s with his daughter) with even more clarity.

“I want to — I like to — dive into those themes,” he tells PEOPLE. “It’s not about the big things anymore for me. It’s about the moments, the micro-transaction.”

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source: people.com