Kerry Washington Read John Stamos' Memoir Ahead of Working Together on UnPrisoned: 'So Many Crazy Parallels' (Exclusive)

Washington tells PEOPLE she's been "a huge fan for so long" of Stamos, who is an "amazing" addition to the season 2 cast

Kerry Washington, John Stamos
Kerry Washington (left), John Stamos. Photo:

Sean Zanni/WireImage, Noam Galai/Getty 

Kerry Washington did her homework before working with John Stamos for the first time.

After being "a huge fan for so long" of Stamos, the actress, 47, tells PEOPLE that she was excited to work with him for the first time on season 2 of UnPrisoned.

Calling the 60-year-old actor "a comic genius," Washington reveals that she put in some work ahead of time once she knew he would be guest-starring on the show.

"It's so funny because, knowing that I was going to be working with him, I read his memoir and there were so many crazy parallels," she says, referring to the connections between his memoir, If You Would Have Told Me, and her own, Thicker Than Water.

Their memoirs were released within weeks of each other in the fall of 2023, and Washington says of her thoughts after reading Stamos' book, "I don't know if anybody else has talked about Disney as much as he and I have in our memoirs."

"I just adore him," she continues of Stamos while talking to PEOPLE about her new role as an advisor and investor at Winx Health, a Gen-Z sexual and vaginal health brand.

Teasing what fans can expect from his character in season 2, Washington calls him "an amazing addition to the cast. He's so funny, so smart, so generous and kind,"

"And this season — it's really so special and so funny, and he's a big part of that."

UnPrisoned Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington in 'UnPrisoned'.

Kelsey McNeal/Hulu

PEOPLE previously confirmed that the Full House alum will make an appearance as bestselling author, reality star and self-proclaimed “family radical healing coach," Murphy, in the comedy series. His character is described as a “cut-to-the-chase” type therapist who prides himself in being very direct with patients about “what’s wrong with them.”

Along with Stamos, Jamie Chung, Brandee Evans and Oliver Hudson are also set to guest star in season 2, and Brenda Strong, who appeared in the first season as Delroy Lindo’s onscreen love interest Nadine, will return as a guest star.

Season 2 of the hulu series picks up where the season 1 finale left off, with Edwin (Lindo) deciding to move out of Paige's (Washington) home as he continues figuring out life after getting out of prison.

According to an official synopsis, Paige’s therapy practice is in jeopardy and Finn (Faly Rakotohavana) must navigate his anxiety, while the Alexander family turns to Murphy (Stamos), who tosses out all the conventional rules of therapy to “free them of their issues, old wounds and family secrets holding them back.”

UnPrisoned, Faly Rakotohavana and Kerry Washington
Faly Rakotohavana and Kerry Washington in 'UnPrisoned'.

Kelsey McNeal/Hulu

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Season 2 of UnPrisoned premieres July 17 on Hulu.

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