Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Who Was in the Original Cast of 'Roseanne'?

Who Was in the Original Cast of 'Roseanne'?
Actors John Goodman and Roseanne Barr speak during SiriusXM's Town Hall with the cast of Roseanne on March 27, 2018 in New York City.
Make us preferred on Google

Roseanne, the famous American television sitcom, initially aired in 1988. Now, the show is back with a brand new batch of episodes but with the same, fan-favorite cast.

The series revolves around the Conners, a blue-collar, Illinois family, and was a hit in its heyday. In 2002, Roseanne was ranked #35 on TV Guide's "50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time."


On May 16, ABC began airing a revival of the series that picks up where season 10 ended. Which cast members have changed, and which have stayed the same? Read on to learn about the original cast.

Roseanne Barr: Roseanne Barr is back as Roseanne. This time around, Barr is working as one of the writers of the show, along with Whitney Cummings, Wanda Sykes and Norm McDonald.

Barr began her career doing stand-up comedy at clubs before nabbing the role. She earned both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for Best Actress for her work on the show.

Actress Roseanne Barr speaks during SiriusXM's Town Hall with the cast of Roseanne on March 27, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

John Goodman: John Goodman is back as the beloved Dan Conner... but how exactly is that possible? Fans may remember that when the series closed in 1997, Dan had died from a heart attack. In this season's premiere episode, Dan is awoken by Roseanne as he removes a sleep apnea mask from his face. He's asked, "What happened?" and his wife says, "I thought you were dead!" In true Roseanne fashion, the show poked fun at Dan's 1997 death in order to make the show possible.

Actor John Goodman of the television show Roseanne reacts onstage during the ABC Television/Disney portion of the 2018 Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on January 8, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Laurie Metcalf:  Along with the rest of the cast, Laurie Metcalf is also back to reprise her role as Jackie Harris, Roseanne's younger sister by three years, and Dan's sister-in-law.

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Metcalf described returning to the show as "putting on a nice old pair of shoes again." Barr said of her co-star, "There’s nobody like her in TV... She can make [Jackie] really small, and really broad. We are all just in awe of her.”

HOLLYWOOD, CA - MARCH 04: Laurie Metcalf attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

Micheal Fishman: Michael Fishman played DJ Conner, the first son of the Conner household, for 220 episodes of Roseanne. Fishman was just a young boy when he first acted on the series. Speaking to Hidden Remote about what it was like growing up on a television show, Fishman says, "I was lucky enough to grow up with great people in front and behind the camera. I was fascinated by everyone. Still am. I loved the crew, never became aloof or jaded. Occasionally you get aggressive or antagonistic haters. It is an occupational hazard, but one I always felt was worth it."

Actor Michael Fishman poses for photos during SiriusXM's Town Hall with the cast of Roseanne on March 27, 2018 in New York City.

Sara Gilbert: Sarah played Darlene Conner on Roseanne, Dan and Roseanne's second child. Sara received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for her work as Darlene. She is currently the co-host and creator of the CBS daytime talk show The Talk. She plays the recurring role of Leslie Winkle on CBS's The Big Bang Theory.

Sara Gilbert attends the premiere of ABC's "Roseanne" at Walt Disney Studio Lot on March 23, 2018 in Burbank, California.

Alicia Goranson:  Alicia Goranson played Becky Conner on Roseanne. Becky was Dan and Roseanne's oldest daughter, and the sister of Darlene, DJ, and Jerry.

Goranson, now 43, has held supporting roles in How to Make an American Quilt, Boys Don't Cry, and The Extra Man.

Lecy Goranson attends An Evening With The Cast Of "Roseanne"at The Paley Center for Media on March 26, 2018 in New York City.

More from News

Patrick Stewart
Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Tributes Pour In For 'Star Trek' And 'X-Men' Icon Patrick Stewart After His Death At 86

On Thursday, people received the news of the passing of lauded stage, TV, and screen actor Sir Patrick Stewart. Already an accomplished actor in his beloved Britain, in 1987 Sir Patrick gained international fame as he joined Starfleet and the Star Trek universe for the first new television series since 1969.

For the next seven seasons, Captain Jean-Luc Picard would command the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) on Star Trek: The Next Generation on the small screen, then follow as it made the leap to the silver screen where Stewart would play the role for four feature films. He would don the uniform again for his own series, Picard, for three seasons.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jesse Ventura; Donald Trump
KSTP-TV; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Jesse Ventura Brutally Rips 'Coward' Trump For Avoiding Military Service After Trump Touts Himself As Great Military Leader

Minneapolis-born ex-pro-wrestler and former Reform Party Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura minced no words when he shared how he feels about MAGA Republican President Donald Trump.

Once rumored to be a potential running mate for the former reality star President, Ventura has been a very vocal critic of Trump for some time.

Keep ReadingShow less

Robert Irwin Hilariously Mortified After Prince William Makes 'Python' Joke About His Racy Photoshoot

Prince William has a sense of humor. I know. I'm processing this information, too.

The future king made an unexpected detour into comedy during The Graham Norton Show, where Robert Irwin's infamous underwear photoshoot became the evening's main attraction. Unfortunately for Irwin, William had questions. Well, more like observations.

Keep ReadingShow less
TikToker @kori_latham; Luke Skywalker from 'Star Wars'
@kori_latham/TikTok; Disney/LucasFilm

TikTok Mom's Church Outfit Gets Hilariously Roasted By Her 10-Year-Old With Brutal 'Star Wars' Comparison

There's nothing like finding an outfit that you love and feel really confident in, only to realize that you bear an uncanny resemblance to a popular film's costume stylings.

And that's exactly what happened to TikToker @kori_latham, who was getting dressed for church.

Keep ReadingShow less
Newborn baby with full mustache
@MarioNawfal/X

Viral Video Of Newborn Baby Allegedly Born With Full Mustache Sparks Flurry Of Hilarious Jokes

Some people are born to make an entrance—but one baby took that so seriously that he immediately became an internet meme when he was born, thanks to rocking a full mustache.

Parents are typically "warned" about little "abnormalities" they might notice when their babies are born, like birthmarks, a lot of hair on their head, no hair on their head, different eye colors, and maybe even a little facial hair.

Keep ReadingShow less