Checking in with JOHN GOODMAN
For someone who got a late start on the current television season, John Goodman certainly is very evident in it. Before his “Roseanne”-spinoff sitcom “The Conners” began its current sixth round Wednesdays on ABC, The CW made a deal for repeats of the show, which it’s showing on Sundays and (in two back-to-back airings) Thursdays. Goodman, a Primetime Emmy winner (for “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip”) is continuing his portrayal of Dan Conner, the patriarch who’s keeping his family united in the aftermath of his wife Roseanne’s death. In a sense, “The Conners” — which will soon air its 100th episode — has brought the often gregarious Goodman full circle. Though he had some credits in movies — “Raising Arizona” (1987), “The Big Easy,” (1986), etc. — and on stage (including “Big River”) before “Roseanne,” playing Dan made him a true household name, opening him up to many more career opportunities, many of which he used his “Roseanne” hiatus time for. “Sea of Love” (1989), “Arachnophobia” (1990), “Barton Fink” (1991), “The Hudsucker Proxy” (1994) and “The Babe” (1992) were among the notable films he made during the show’s original 1988-97 run. “Roseanne” wasn’t revived until 2018 (although briefly, since circumstances led to its eventual conversion into “The Conners”), but in the interim, Goodman remained a familiar TV face. He starred in the series “Normal, Ohio,” “Center of the Universe” and “Alpha House,” but he also made impressions in recurring roles on other shows. Among those were “The West Wing,” “Extreme,” “Damages” and “Community.” Still, movie work remained a big part of Goodman’s career during that period. “The Big Lebowski” (1998), “Argo” (2012), “Flight” (2012) and “10 Cloverfield Lane” (2016) are among other films that have benefited in particular from his presence — all of which strongly suggests that when his revival of Dan Conner ends, there still will be a lot for Goodman to do, and for his fans to see.