John Goodman Opens Up on His Silence with Roseanne Barr
So, real talk, John Goodman admits he and Roseanne Barr have been on different channels since her 2018 firing. In a candid interview published July 9 by The Hollywood Reporter, the veteran actor who brought Dan Conner to life alongside Barr on the original Roseanne sitcom from 1988 to 1997 and again on its 2018 revival, confirmed that he has not had one single conversation with his former on-screen wife in about seven or eight years. Goodman doesn’t expect that gap to end anytime soon, joking that he doubts she even wants to pick up the phone.
John Goodman’s surprise silence follows the sudden cancellation of Roseanne’s rebooted Season 11. The show was a ratings hit and ABC had already ordered more episodes, only to pull the plug when Barr tweeted a comparison between President Barack Obama’s advisor Valerie Jarrett and an ape. That tweet prompted Channing Dungey, then president of ABC Entertainment, to call Barr’s remarks abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with the network’s values. ABC canceled Roseanne immediately, even though production had been greenlit, leaving Goodman and the rest of the cast in limbo.
Within days, ABC launched The Conners, a spinoff that quietly killed off Barr’s character in its premiere. Goodman returned as Dan Conner alongside Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert, Alicia Goranson and the rest of the core ensemble, carrying the show through its run until the series finale in April. Despite the abrupt shift, Goodman says he still treasures the laughter and camaraderie he shared with Barr during those years. He recalls their first encounter as instant chemistry, admitting that they hit it off from day one and that neither of them ever stopped cracking each other up.
The 73-year-old Emmy winner also reflected on the cultural impact of Roseanne. He noted that the sitcom broke ground by portraying a working class family with sharp writing and genuine warmth. “It was basically playing myself and people I know,” Goodman explained to The Hollywood Reporter. He remembered Roseanne’s rallying cry that being poor does not mean being stupid, a line that resonated with millions of viewers who saw themselves in the Conner household.
Goodman says he never took the show’s success for granted. He soaked in every single season, unsure how long the ride would last but grateful for the opportunity to portray an everyday American struggling to keep things together with humor and heart. As for Barr, Goodman’s silence speaks volumes about the personal divide that followed her social media storm.
Hollywood has seen its share of abrupt cancellations amid controversy. Reality series have been yanked for everything from offensive social media posts to on-set tragedies. Shows featuring high-profile musicians or personalities have fallen off schedules when stars ran into legal trouble or ignited public outcry. In that wider context, Roseanne’s demise was just the latest reminder that off-camera behavior can instantly erase on-screen success.
That is the scoop on Dan and Roseanne’s post-show status. Trust me, I’ll be here if there’s ever a sequel to this silence.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and The Hollywood Reporter, E! Online
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
