John Stamos Stands Up for Writers

While soundstages around them lay vacant because of the Hollywood writers' strike, the "ER" troupe continues with work that will help fill a stockpile of shows to keep the series on the air until February. "Our writers were really cool and worked around the clock to get three episodes of the series written before the strike struck," reveals John Stamos.

"They don't like me saying it, but I'm proud of them for doing it. It's important for the audience -- people in middle America don't realize what the walk-out is all about. They think it's just rich writers and actors begging for more money. But it's not about that. As far as I'm concerned, the writers are helping out the actors because the SAG contract is coming up in June, and if issues about payments for downloads on the Internet and such aren't straightened out now ... Well, I remember the '88 strike, when many of my friends lost their homes."

The former "General Hospital" (Blackie) star wants us to know he's willing to do anything he can to help. "If the strike goes on for a while, I'm going to phone my heavyweight friends and put together some concerts to help out these people whose paychecks have been taken away -- the craft people and wardrobe people and hair and makeup and so many, many others."

He's also talking about "buying hundreds and hundreds of turkeys" to hand out at Thanksgiving to strike-struck Hollywood workers.