ROSEANNE BARR
The comic reunites with co-star John Goodman and the Roseanne cast to bring back the hit sitcom.
When the Roseanne cast walked back on the familiar living-room set to reboot the sitcom 20 years after its original run ended, “it seemed like no time had passed at all,” co-star Laurie Metcalf tells Closer. “Being in the same room with everybody again was the best part.”
Fans felt the same way when the reboot debuted in March and instantly shot to the top of the ratings. “No one was surprised because there was a real feeling of enthusiasm and excitement about how well the writers had tapped into the best parts of the old series,” costume designer Erin Quigley, one of many original crew members who have returned, tells Closer. “It deals with universal issues.”
Roseanne Barr, John Goodman and their fellow cast members have dealt with plenty of their own issues on the road to their reunion. The titular star has struggled with health concerns: “She has knee problems that are really painful to work through,” Quigley reveals. “I was happy to see how that was reflected in the show. It was brilliant to turn that into a commentary about our health care system.”
That’s not the only controversial topic Roseanne has tackled. The reboot’s first episode explored a bitter split within the Conner clan between
Donald Trump supporter Roseanne and her Hillary Clinton– loving sister, Jackie (Laurie).
“We wanted to reflect our country now and how families are divided,” says
Roseanne. “But we make it funny.”
Not everything that happened during the show’s hiatus was a laughing matter, however. John fought an offscreen battle with alcoholism. “I got complacent and ungrateful,” he says of his reaction to the show’s initial success. “I handled it like everything else, by sitting on a bar stool, and that made it worse. But I had the clarity of thought that I needed to be hospitalized.” Thankfully, John has been sober for 10 years now.
Personal issues also affected one of the show’s new cast members: Emma Kenney (Shameless), the 18-year-old actress who plays Harris, Roseanne’s rebellious granddaughter. “Growing up in Hollywood is very challenging, and I didn’t know how to deal with my stress, so I would have an occasional wild night,” Emma, who’s been getting treatment, tells Closer. “But none of this ever interfered with work. I want to be a positive figure for young boys and girls.”
TALK INTO ACTION
It was Sara Gilbert, aka Harris’ mother, Darlene, who spearheaded the sitcom’s revival after John guested on her CBS show The Talk and said he’d love to do a reunion. Now Sara’s an executive producer and one of the new show’s driving forces. “If the show was a car, Sara is the engine this time,” Michael Fishman, who plays her brother, D.J., tells Closer. “She provided the power to get us all started.” Adds Quigley, “Sara’s a ball of energy and optimism. She’s very invested in the quality of the show — this was her family growing up.”
Michael, who was 6 when the series debuted, is now all grown up and a father both on and offscreen. “He’s turned into the most amazing, stable, thoughtful father and friend,” says Quigley. “You might not have imagined that when he was a kid.”
The new Roseanne even figured out a way to work in both actresses who played his big sister Becky: Lecy Goranson reprised her original role, while Sarah Chalke appeared as a wealthy woman who considered using Becky as a surrogate mom. “It was fun working together,” Lecy says. “Our energy was very girlie.”
As for Laurie, she added to her shelf full of Emmys for Roseanne by winning a Tony for A Doll’s House, Part 2 and earning an Oscar nod for last year’s Lady Bird. “She’s completely unaffected by all of that,” Quigley says. “Laurie’s the most down-to-earth person. She takes it for what it’s worth.” Adds Emma, “She’s such a class act — every word out of her mouth is so funny.”
Other former cast members — like The Big Bang Theory’s Johnny Galecki as Darlene’s estranged husband, David, and Bonnie and Clyde Oscar winner Estelle Parsons as Roseanne and Jackie’s buttinsky mother, Beverly — have also returned for episodes. Plus, shares Quigley, “I was really happy to see Sandra [Bernhard, who played Roseanne’s lesbian pal, Nancy] and Natalie [West], who played Crystal, back.”
Tragically, Glenn Quinn, who played Becky’s husband, Mark, died of a heroin overdose at 32 in 2002. An episode was dedicated to him, and his co-workers are striving to keep his memory alive. “He was an amazing person — he lit up every room he entered,” says Michael, who put up a picture of Glenn on the show’s set. “We never even considered replacing his character — Glenn is irreplaceable.” Agrees Quigley, “We talk about missing Glenn a lot. He was a great life force.”
COMING UP ROSEY
The show has already been picked up for another season, and filming will resume later this month. “Season 11 is a dream come true,” says Michael. “We had so many ideas that didn’t make it into Season 10. We have so much more to cover as a family.”
By all accounts, the original sitcom’s set was frequently turbulent, as Roseanne clashed with writers and network execs alike about her vision for the show. But Quigley says she’s mellowed with age: “She’s much more grounded — she’s a grandma many times over and that’s so important to her. She’s an insanely smart, funny person who really cares about her work, and that shows now more than ever.”
Roseanne also relishes the opportunity for a do-over after the sitcom’s disastrous ninth and then-final season in 1996–’97, when the Conner family supposedly won the lottery and became rich, although that was later revealed to be a dream. “She loves the redemption aspect of the show coming back,” says Quigley. “It did go out on an odd note, and she loved the show more than anyone else.”
That affection has proven contagious to viewers once again. “It’s pretty amazing,” says Roseanne of coming back. “It’s very exciting and emotionally overwhelming.” Notes Michael, “It feels a lot like going home. You can see on-screen we all love working together!”
Most of all, what the new Roseanne has delivered is a huge sense of comic relief at a time when it seems like everyone in the country needs it desperately. “The biggest thing from the show, and I think fans agree, is learning how to deal with tough times with humor,” says Michael. “Trying to stick together — that’s what the core of the show is.”
And nobody does it better than Roseanne & Co. “It felt like there was a time warp,” says Quigley, who reports it took “about 30 seconds” for everyone to snap back into place. Concludes Laurie, “It’s like we were a family for nine straight seasons and worked every day together and made that bond. Then to revisit it after 20 years have passed, you can’t buy that kind of chemistry.” — Reporting by Katie Bruno, Rick
Egusquiza and Ilyssa Panitz
“It felt like the right time to put this workingclass family back on TV.”
— Sara Gilbert