‘Roseanne’ Cast – Where Are They Now?

Roseanne became a successful show thanks to its portrayal of a dysfunctional family, emphasizing that no matter how much the members of a family might argue with one another, it only makes their bonds stronger.

When compared with other hit sitcoms at the time, like The Cosby Show and Full House, Roseanne focused on a more blue collar family, which added the stressors of financial woes into the personal relationships of the series.

Another unique element of Roseanne was that, rather than focus on the male head of a household, this show would focus on a working mother, with her husband acting as more of a supporting character.

The show was a huge success, becoming the most-watched television show in 1989 and 1990, while remaining in the top four most watched shows for six of its nine seasons.

With a revival that was a massive success that fell from grace, it’s time we catch up with the cast of the groundbreaking show to see what they’ve been up to before they signed on for the reboot.

Roseanne Barr – Roseanne

The stand-up comedian was chosen to star in the series after the show creators saw Barr appear on The Tonight Show, knowing that her comedic material was closely enough related to Roseanne‘s tone to be the right fit. That assumption proved true, as her work on the show earned her both an Emmy and a Golden Globe award for Best Actress.

Following the show’s conclusion, the comedian was given her own talk show, The Roseanne Show, that lasted from 1998-2000. The comedian returned to the world of stand-up comedy with a world tour in 2005. In 2011, she starred in a reality series about her life on a Hawaiian farm, Roseanne’s Nuts, which only last a few months.

With the rise of social media, the comedian began to gain a following for her political ideals, even earning herself the presidential nomination for the Peace and Freedom Party in 2012 and scoring over 60,000 votes in the national presidential election.

 

John Goodman – Dan

When an injury ended his college football career, Goodman focused on acting, beginning with theatrical productions before earning his first movie role in 1982’s Eddie Macon’s Run.

Throughout Goodman’s run on Roseanne, he was one of the most successful actors outside of the sitcom, scoring roles in big films like Arachnophobia, Matinee, and The Flintstones.

Since the sitcom has ended, Goodman’s career only continued to rise, starring in films like Monsters, Inc., Speed Racer, and The Artist. Goodman has also regularly worked with the Coen brothers on a variety of projects, beginning with Raising Arizona and including The Big Lebowski and Hail, Caeser!

In 2016, Goodman made a compelling and villainous turn in the thriller 10 Cloverfield Lane and earlier this year starred in the massive monster movie Kong: Skull Island.

 

Laurie Metcalf – Jackie

Starring as Roseanne‘s eccentric sister on the series, Metcalf’s character proved to be one of the most compelling elements of the family’s dynamic, starring in virtually every episode of the series. 

Metcalf has remained one of the busiest members of the cast following the series’ ending, starring in a variety of roles in TV, film, and on the stage. She has starred in movies like the Toy Story trilogy, Scream 2, Bulworth, and Runaway Bride.

She has starred alongside fellow Roseanne stars Sara Gilbert and Johnny Galecki on the hit CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory.

 

Alicia Goranson – Becky

The role of the oldest daughter in the Conner family was one of Goranson’s first gigs, having studied acting in Chicago. Despite the success of the show, Goranson made the decision to pursue an academic career, attending Vassar College, forcing Sarah Chalke to intermittently take over the role of Becky.

Following her graduation, Goranson continued acting and had the availability to take on more substantial roles in films like Boys Don’t Cry and also took guest spots on a number of TV series like Sex and the City, Fringe, Inside Amy Schumer, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Goranson is slated to return to the Roseanne revival series as Becky.

 

Sara Gilbert – Darleen

Prior to her work in Roseanne, Gilbert had starred in various commercials and TV movies before landing the gig as the sarcastic middle child Darlene on the sitcom.

Much like the actress who played her older sister on the series, Gilbert didn’t let acting get in the way of an education, enrolling at Yale University while the show was still taping. Unlike Goranson, however, Gilbert was able to juggle her appearances on the show along with her school schedule, allowing her to stay with the series to its conclusion.

Gilbert continued to appear on multiple TV series, taking on roles in 24, Will & Grace, ER, and Private Practice. 

She can currently be seen as the co-host of The Talk, alongside Sharon Osborne, Aisha Tyler, Julie Chen, and Sheryl Underwood.

 

Michael Fishman – D.J.

The youngest member of the regular cast, Fishman played the youngest member of the Conner family, D.J. When the series ended, he was 15, and resumed his life as a high school student.

His school schedule allowed him the time to briefly appear in TV shows like Seinfeld and Walker, Texas Ranger, in addition to a small role in the film A.I. Artificial Intelligence.

In the mid-2000s, Fishman returned to the industry, but this time, his aim was to gain technical skills in filmmaking, ranging from set design and the props department to camera operating and directing. He also began to take acting classes, wanting to hone his craft to the best of his ability, while also writing and producing original works

 

Johnny Galecki – David

Galecki joined the cast in the fourth season as Darlene’s boyfriend David, having previously starred in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and having a small role in the sitcom Blossom.

Following the end of Roseanne, of which he became an integral character on, Galecki tried to transition his small screen success to films like Suicide Kings, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and The Opposite of Sex, with none of these leaving as much of an impact as his role of David.

When Galecki returned to TV, however, he did so with a “bang,” starring as Leonard on the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. Since its premiere in 2007, the show has gone on to be one of the most popular shows on television, with its ninth season just wrapping up a few weeks ago. The sitcom will be returning for a tenth season this fall, with neither the show nor its fanbase showing any amount of fatigue.

 

Sarah Chalke – Becky

Chalke joined the cast to take on the role of Becky in the sixth season, with the original Becky popping up here and there to reprise her original role. Throughout the show’s final seasons, Chalke and Goranson would regularly swap places to portray the character, depending on who was available.

The show made no attempt to cover up the switcheroo, regularly writing jokes for the characters to deliver that referenced the dual portrayals of Becky.

The actress continued her sitcom success with her role in Scrubs alongside Zach Braff, which ran for nine seasons. Following that sitcom’s conclusion, Chalke continued to appear on various TV shows including How I Met Your Mother and Grey’s Anatomy, in addition to voicing characters in American Dad!, Clone High, and Rick and Morty.

Chalke is slated to appear in the Roseanne revival, but not portraying Becky.

MORE NEWS:

• ‘Roseanne’ Revival Trailer Snags Over 33 Million Views
• ‘Roseanne’ Revival Ignoring Original Series Ending
• ABC Reveals Throwback Trailer Teasing New Roseanne Revival Series