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John Stamos & Katelyn Tarver Star in ‘Open Book’ Based on Jessica Simpson’s Shocking Memoir

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Open Book on Amazon's FreeVee

John Stamos is booked and busy. The Full/Fuller House alum was recently cast in Open Book, an Amazon Freevee pilot based on Jessica Simpson’s memoir of the same name. Alongside him will be Katelyn Tarver, and we have even more details about their characters and the show’s premise below. So, keep reading to learn everything we know so far.


Who are John Stamos and Katelyn Tarver portraying? What is the show about?

According to The Hollywood Reporter, John Stamos will portray Butch Thorn, a “divorced former singer-songwriter and alcoholic with self-destructive tendencies who maintains a dangerous charm and grace.” The outlet also reported that Katelyn Tarver will be playing mid-20s pop star Sadie Sparrow.

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A post shared by Katelyn Tarver (@katelyntarver)

Apparently Butch is “attracted to Sadie and the two form an immediate connection, which makes things awkward when he realizes she’s the young pop star he’s been tasked to write songs with,” according to THR. So, it looks like Butch is trying to make a comeback, whereas Sadie’s career is just getting started.

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A post shared by John Stamos (@johnstamos)

Open Book will “touch on themes of love, friendship, divorce, family and sisterhood, relationships, soul connections, Hollywood and the music business as it follows Sadie’s unexpected journey as she ultimately comes to embrace herself and the fact that her heart inevitably wants what it wants at every stage of life,” THR reported.

The idea is to show Sadie’s rise from ingenue to mogul. It sounds a bit similar to Jessica’s own story through fame while balancing a career and relationships, but it’s unclear if specific parts of Simpson’s memoir will serve as inspiration for the series.


Where else you’ve seen John Stamos and Katelyn Tarver before?

Obviously fans know John Stamos as Jesse Katsopolis from Full House and its Netflix spinoff Fuller House. Currently, he leads the cast of the Disney+ series Big Shot and season 2 premieres on October 12. John’s also a talented musician, as seen on TV through Jesse’s various bands, but Stamos has forged his own path IRL too. He’s toured with the Beach Boys and can play 5 musical instruments (drums, guitar, conga drum, bass and piano).

Katelyn Tarver is a singer-songwriter and actress. You might remember her from the Nickelodeon show Big Time Rush, as Jo Taylor. Recently, she made a cameo at one of the band’s concerts and the video became an Internet sensation since she reunited with onscreen boyfriend Kendall Schmidt. Katelyn’s independently released 4 EPs, but her full-length album Subject to Change was released in 2021 to great success. In addition to touring solo, she’s played with James Bay and Michelle Branch.


Any other details to know about Open Book?

Considering their castings were announced on October 10, they’re not filming right this second. But, Katelyn did post a selfie to her Instagram Story with a heartfelt memory. “I had the final callback for this on Zoom while traveling (classic) and I snapped this pic in case I ended up getting the part because even if I didn’t, it was still so cool to make it that far and I wanted to remember it,” she said.

While John hasn’t posted anything about the pilot to his social media, he’s been busy promoting his latest success: season 2 of Big Shot, where he was at Good Morning America doing press. Check out both Katelyn and John’s IG Stories below:

In addition to her IG Story, Katelyn posted on her profile, writing: “😭🎉 WHAT IS LIFE. Freaking out so excited so grateful @amazonfreevee @jessicasimpson @tomkapinos!!!!!”

Jessica Simpson also took to Instagram to share her excitement surrounding the project. “This project holds my heart completely…Thank you to my Amazon fam for believin’ in my purpose, creativity and givin’ me this epic platform.  @KatelynTarver, it is an honor to find myself in your eyes. It is your time to shine beautiful. @JohnStamos, I am so grateful to work alongside a legend, but even more so, I am VERY ready to watch you break the mold as Butch Thorne, always makin us swoon,” she wrote.

See her lengthy post in full below:

Katelyn commented “😭😭😭 thank you Jessica! I’m so excited and honored to be a part of this!!!”


Is there a premiere date yet?

While no premiere date has been set, the series was given a pilot order, so maybe John or Katelyn will share a couple behind the scenes photos in the near future. Be sure you’re following them on Instagram @johnstamos and @katelyntarver, respectively.

In the meantime, you can listen to Katelyn Tarver’s album Subject to Change on all music platforms, and check out John Stamos in season 2 of Big Shot, streaming October 12 on Disney+.


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