‘Roseanne’ Cast: Then and Now

Credit: Robert Trachtenberg/ABC

‘Roseanne’ Cast: Then and Now

Roseanne fans have been keeping up with the Conner family since the 1980s, from the original sitcom to its short-lived revival and hit spinoff, The Conners. The ABC series premiered in October 1988 and followed the lives of Roseanne (Roseanne Barr), Dan (John Goodman) and Roseanne’s sister, Jackie (Laurie Metcalf), as well as the couple’s three children: Becky (Lecy Goranson and Sarah Chalke), Darlene (Sara Gilbert) and D.J. (Michael Fishman). The show — which was lauded for its realistic portrayal of a working-class family living in the fictional town of Lanford, Illinois — was on the air for nine seasons, ending in May 1997 with Dan’s controversial death. [jwplayer qlkIGoYb-zhNYySv2] Nearly 20 years to the day of the series finale, ABC greenlit a revival featuring the original cast reprising their iconic roles. The new series premiered in March 2018 and centered on a modern-day Roseanne, Dan (yes, he’s alive after all), Jackie, Becky, Darlene and D.J. alongside the now-grown-up Conner children’s own families. The new Roseanne turned out to be a huge success for the network, scoring a season 2 renewal just three days after its premiere. However, ABC swiftly canceled the revival in May 2018 after Barr posted a racist tweet about former Barack Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. Three weeks after pulling the plug, ABC picked up The Conners, which killed off Barr’s character by way of an opioid overdose when it premiered in October 2018. The controversial comedian has no financial or creative involvement in the spinoff. Like the Roseanne revival once was, The Conners has been a ratings juggernaut since it debuted. The cast wrapped up season 2 in May 2020, and the network picked up a third season later that month. Scroll through the gallery below to see how the Roseanne cast has changed over the years!

Credit: Robert Trachtenberg/ABC

‘Roseanne’ Cast: Then and Now

Roseanne fans have been keeping up with the Conner family since the 1980s, from the original sitcom to its short-lived revival and hit spinoff, The Conners. The ABC series premiered in October 1988 and followed the lives of Roseanne (Roseanne Barr), Dan (John Goodman) and Roseanne’s sister, Jackie (Laurie Metcalf), as well as the couple’s three children: Becky (Lecy Goranson and Sarah Chalke), Darlene (Sara Gilbert) and D.J. (Michael Fishman). The show — which was lauded for its realistic portrayal of a working-class family living in the fictional town of Lanford, Illinois — was on the air for nine seasons, ending in May 1997 with Dan’s controversial death. [jwplayer qlkIGoYb-zhNYySv2] Nearly 20 years to the day of the series finale, ABC greenlit a revival featuring the original cast reprising their iconic roles. The new series premiered in March 2018 and centered on a modern-day Roseanne, Dan (yes, he’s alive after all), Jackie, Becky, Darlene and D.J. alongside the now-grown-up Conner children’s own families. The new Roseanne turned out to be a huge success for the network, scoring a season 2 renewal just three days after its premiere. However, ABC swiftly canceled the revival in May 2018 after Barr posted a racist tweet about former Barack Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. Three weeks after pulling the plug, ABC picked up The Conners, which killed off Barr’s character by way of an opioid overdose when it premiered in October 2018. The controversial comedian has no financial or creative involvement in the spinoff. Like the Roseanne revival once was, The Conners has been a ratings juggernaut since it debuted. The cast wrapped up season 2 in May 2020, and the network picked up a third season later that month. Scroll through the gallery below to see how the Roseanne cast has changed over the years!

Credit: ABC/Getty Images; Robert Trachtenberg/ABC

Roseanne Barr

The comic became a household name when Roseanne premiered in the ‘80s. Since then, she has stirred controversy countless times, most infamously when she sang an off-key rendition of the national anthem at a 1990 baseball game and when her racist tweet led to the cancellation of the show’s revival in 2018. She has largely stayed out of the spotlight since. Barr has been married three times, most notably to Roseanne writer Tom Arnold, and has five kids.

Credit: ABC/Getty Images; Robert Trachtenberg/ABC

John Goodman

The actor stole hearts across America as Dan Conner and went on to have a hugely successful career in movies and TV. His most notable credits include Barton Fink, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Monsters, Inc. and Community. Dan was brought back to life in the Roseanne revival, although his return was only joked about and not explained. Goodman has been married to Annabeth Hartzog since 1989 and has a daughter, Molly.

Credit: ABC/Getty Images; Robert Trachtenberg/ABC

Laurie Metcalf

It was not uncommon for the actress to outshine her Roseanne costars during her years playing the neurotic but loving Jackie. After the show ended in 1997, she had roles in Toy Story, Frasier, Desperate Housewives, The Big Bang Theory and Getting On in addition to starring in several Broadway plays. After receiving critical acclaim for her part in Lady Bird, she returned as Jackie in Roseanne and The Conners. Metcalf was married twice and has four children, including actress Zoe Perry.

Credit: ABC/Getty Images; Robert Trachtenberg/ABC

Sara Gilbert

Viewers watched the child star grow up before their eyes on Roseanne. Years later, she reunited with her onscreen love interest Johnny Galecki in the early aughts on The Big Bang Theory. Gilbert also served as a cohost and executive producer of The Talk from 2010 to 2019. She was the brains behind the Roseanne revival, which saw her character living as a single mother of two. Gilbert separated from her wife, Linda Perry, in 2019. The estranged couple share three kids.

Credit: ABC(2)

Johnny Galecki

After starring in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Galecki joined the cast of Roseanne as Darlene’s shy boyfriend, David Healy. He became an even bigger star as an adult, starring in The Big Bang Theory from 2007 to 2019. He was the last original star to join the Roseanne revival and has made guest appearances on The Conners. Galecki and his girlfriend, Alaina Meyer, welcomed a son, Avery, in 2019.

Credit: ABC/Getty Images; Robert Trachtenberg/ABC

Michael Fishman

After playing the youngest Conner child for nearly nine years, Fishman continued to act in minor roles on shows including Seinfeld and Hitz. He reprised his part as D.J. in the Roseanne revival and The Conners, in which he is married to Geena Williams (Maya Anne Robinson) and has a daughter. Fishman and his wife, Jennifer Briner, split in 2017 and coparent two children.

Credit: ABC/Getty Images; Robert Trachtenberg/ABC

Lecy Goranson

The actress exited Roseanne after five seasons to go to college, but she eventually returned and took turns with Chalke to play Becky. Her other credits include Boys Don’t Cry and The Extra Man. On the Roseanne revival and The Conners, Becky works as a server at a Mexican restaurant and has a daughter, Beverly, with her coworker Emilio.

Credit: ABC/Getty Images; Robert Trachtenberg/ABC

Sarah Chalke

After becoming known as “Becky No. 2,” Chalke starred in a slew of hit TV shows including Scrubs, How I Met Your Mother and Cougar Town. She was finally able to share the screen with Goranson on the Roseanne revival, playing a wealthy woman named Andrea who was willing to be a surrogate for Becky. She also made a single-episode cameo in The Conners.

Chalke has two kids with her ex-fiancé, Jamie Afifi. Us confirmed in September 2022 that the pair called it quits after being engaged for more than 15 years.