The Conners Cast & Character Guide: Where Else To See The Stars Of The ABC Roseanne Spinoff

In 2018, The Conners premiered on ABC as a direct continuation of Roseanne, with the cast of The Conners remaining almost entirely in place from the parent show. ABC fired Roseanne Barr from the series following a string of controversies, moving on with the rest of the cast for the spinoff The Conners. While it seemed unlikely to succeed, the show did find success and finally ends with season 7 in 2025. The Conners saw the series kill Roseanne following a prescription drug overdose, and the new series showed how her family moved on.

This meant that everyone but Roseanne Barr returned as actors in The Conners, including John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, and Sara Gilbert. However, the show added some new actors and showed how far this family had come since the original show aired in the 1990s. The seventh season of The Conners wraps up the story, and The Conners cast will finish off a story over 30 years in the making and, hopefully, pays off the great characters that most of the show's fans have grown up with.

John Goodman as Dan Conner

Birthdate: June 20, 1952

Character: John Goodman plays Dan Conner in The Conners cast. Dan is one of the main characters from Roseanne and is the main character in the cast of The Conners. He is the late Roseanne's husband and the family's father. Throughout The Conners, Dan struggles to find jobs but does his best to help his family make ends meet. While he and Roseanne were there for the reboot, after Roseanne died, it was up to Dan to help hold his family together.

Actor: Goodman is an actor from Missouri who has picked up multiple awards over his long career. He got his start in Public Theater before he enjoyed his breakout as Dan on Roseanne in 1988. He started working with the Coen Brothers and appeared in several of their best movies, including Raising Arizona, Barton Fink, The Big Lebowski, and O Brother, Where Art Thou? He earned seven Emmy nominations, all for Roseanne, and also won a Golden Globe Award for his work on the show.

Katey Sagal as Louise Conner

Birthdate: January 19, 1954

Character: Katey Sagal's The Conners character is Louise Conner. After Roseanne died, Louise joined the cast of The Conners as a guest character in the first two seasons and then a recurring character in the third. She was a classmate of Dan and Jackie and came back into their lives on the show. Soon, she and Dan fell in love and got married on The Conners.

Actor: Katy Sagal is an actor from Los Angeles who most fans know from one of two roles. She enjoyed her major breakout on Married... with Children, where she played Peggy Bundy from 1987 to 1997. Sagal earned her first Golden Globe nomination for that role. Her next significant television role was the motorcycle club drama Sons of Anarchy, where she played matriarch Gemma Teller Morrow. She also had roles in Rebel, Shameless, and 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter. Fans might also recognize her voice as Leela on Futurama.

Laurie Metcalf as Jackie Harris-Goldufski

Birthdate: June 16, 1955

Character: Laurie Metcalf joins the cast of The Conners as Jackie Harris-Goldufski. Jackie is Roseanne's sister and remained there to help out Dan and her family after Roseanne's death. She has always been one of the best The Conners cast members, a quirky and funny character with a caring personality. After Roseanne's death on the show, it was Jackie who was there to help Dan keep things with the family running smoothly.

Actor: Laurie Metcalf is an actor from Illinois who got her start in theater productions before getting her first break on Saturday Night Live. This led to her casting in Roseanne, where she picked up three Emmy Awards. After Roseanne, Metcalf picked up roles in Norm, Easy Money, and The Big Bang Theory, where she played Sheldon Cooper's mother. She is also an Oscar-nominated actor, picking up a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her work in Lady Bird. She has also appeared in Uncle Buck, JFK, Scream 2, and Stop-Loss.

Sara Gilbert as Darlene Conner-Olinsky

Birthdate: January 29, 1975

Character: Sara Gilbert plays Darlene Conner-Olinsky in The Conners cast. Darlene is the second daughter of Dan and Roseanne and has been in the cast since Roseanne, growing up on the small screen. She is cynical, sarcastic, and very intelligent. In The Conners, she also found career success as a writer and started a relationship with her editor, Ben. She also has a daughter (Harris) and son (Mark) with her estranged husband, David.

Actor: Sara Gilbert is a California actor who got her start on Roseanne at the age of 13, a role that has earned her two Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Other than her role as a child actor on Roseanne, and then reprising it as an adult in the cast of The Conners, Gilbert might be best known for her job as a co-host on the daytime talk show The Talk. She has also appeared in The Big Bang Theory as Leslie Winkle, one of Leonard's close friends.

Lecy Goranson as Becky Conner-Healy

Birthdate: June 22, 1974

Character: Lecy Goranson's The Conners character is Becky Conner-Healy. Lecy is the oldest daughter of Dan and Roseanne and is mostly self-centered and frustrated with her status in life when she grew up. She spent a lot of time on The Conners dealing with depression issues, which also led to alcohol addiction. She was one of two actors to play Becky in the franchise, although she was the one who returned to the role when The Conners launched.

Actor: Goranson is an actor from Illinois who got her start on Roseanne, where she played Becky for five seasons. However, her college aspirations caused Roseanne to have to replace her with Sarah Chalke. In season 8, Goranson returned to the show, replacing her replacement Chalke, and continues to play the role in The Connors cast. Goranson's acting career other than this franchise is limited. She appeared in Boys Don't Cry in 1991, a highlight of her movie career, and was a guest in shows like Sex and the City, Law & Order: SVU, and Damages.

Michael Fishman as D.J. Conner

Birthdate: October 22, 1981

Character: Michael Fishman joins the cast of The Conners as D.J. Conner. D.J. is the youngest child and only son of Dan and Roseanne. He was a troublesome child, but as an adult, he became a quiet and devoted father to his daughter Mary. D.J. Conner left the show after the fourth season. This came when his wife Geena decided to retire from the military when she realized how much of Mary's life she had missed out on, and the small family left the show after that without anyone mentioning them again.

Actor: Michael Fishman is a Los Angeles actor who got his start on Roseanne at 6 years old. He played the role until he was 15 and then returned to The Conners. Other than Roseanne and the cast of The Conners, Fishman appeared in the movies A.I. Artificial Intelligence and Undrafted and in guest roles in TV shows Seinfeld, Walker, Texas Ranger, and The Roseanne Show.

Emma Kenney as Harris Conner-Healy

Birthdate: September 14, 1999

Character: Emma Kenney plays Harris Conner-Healy in The Conners cast. Emma is one of the main characters on The Conners, Darlene's oldest daughter who is sarcastic and spoiled, sharing many of her mother's traits. However, she also never wanted to live with the family and resented them for it, wanting one day to move in with her father instead.

Actor: Emma Kenney is a New York actor who worked on made-for-TV movies as a child. She enjoyed her breakout role on Shameless, where she played Debbie Gallagher, one of the Gallagher siblings on the series. She appeared in that series for 134 episodes until it finally ended. She has also appeared on Boardwalk Empire and had movie roles in Robert the Bruce and Epic.

Ames McNamara as Mark Conner-Healy

Birthdate: September 27, 2007

Character: Ames McNamara's The Conners character is Mark Conner-Healy.​​​​​​​ Mark is Darlene's second-oldest child and is a lot more delicate and sensitive than his older sister. In the second season, Mark came out as gay to his family. Everyone accepted his decisions, although it took Dan a little while to come around. However, Mark remains one of the more positive representations of the LGBTQ+ community to appear on The Conners.

Actor: Ames McNamara had one of the most progressive roles on The Conners as a non-gender-conforming nine-year-old. However, despite his groundbreaking performance, it has not led to anything for the young actor since debuting on the show. McNamara debuted in 2007 in an episode of At Home with Amy Sedaris before catching on with The Conners. While he has not had any acting roles since The Conners, he worked as a crew member on the Jim Jarmusch horror film The Dead Don't Die.

Jayden Rey as Mary Conner

Birthdate: April 25, 2009

Character: Jayden Rey joins the cast of The Conners as Mary Conner.​​​​​​​ Mary is D.J. Conner's daughter with Geena. However, she spends most of her time with her extended family since D.J. works long hours and her mother is in the military. She is also a sweet girl who loves animals.

Actor: As for Jaydenm Rey, she is a young actor from New York whose only other roles were on Unforgettable as Lulu and Bobcat Moretti as Riley Harris. However, she is only 16, and there is a chance she could have a bigger career ahead of her if she continues to pursue acting.

Maya Lynne Robinson as Geena Williams-Conner

Birthdate: May 11, ??

Character: Maya Lynne Robinson plays Geena Williams-Conner in The Conners cast.​​​​​​​ Geena is D.J.'s wife who serves as an active soldier, which keeps her away from her family for long periods of time. She was a main character in season 1, but then just a guest in the third season. Later in The Conners, she decides she has missed too much of her daughter's childhood and wants to make up for it.

Actor: Maya Lynne Robinson is an actor from Cleveland whose main breakout role came on The Conners. However, she also appears in the main role on The Unicorn as Michelle, Ben's (Omar Miller) wife and a stay-at-home mother of four. She also had a recurring role on Grand Crew as Kristen, Wyatt's (Justin Cunningham) wife. Her main acting career has come on the stage, where she appeared in A Streetcar Named Desire and earned award nominations for her role in Insurrection: Holding History.

Jay R. Ferguson as Ben Olinsky

Birthdate:

Character: Jay R. Ferguson's The Conners character is Ben Olinsky.​​​​​​​ Ben is Darlene's ex-boyfriend and was involved in a love triangle with her and David Healy. Ben was in charge of the news magazine, where Darlene began to work as an editor. The two lost their jobs and tried to start a magazine together while also trying to maintain their relationship, even though she was also still with David. When he learned she was cheating on him again, this time with Jeff, he ended their relationship.

Actor: Ferguson is an actor who got his start as a teenager playing Ponyboy Curtis in a TV adaptation of The Outsiders. This led to a long list of television work, including Evening Shade, Glory Days, Judging Amy, Sleeper Cell, and Easy Money. In 2010, he picked up one of his biggest roles when he played Stan Rizzo on Mad Men. He followed that up with a role on the Real O'Neals before getting cast in The Conners. On the big screen, he appeared in The Lucky One, The Killer Inside Me, and Higher Learning.

The Conners Supporting Cast

The Rest Of The Cast

James Pickens Jr. as Chuck Mitchell: James Pickens Jr. joins the cast of The Conners as Chuck Mitchell.​​​​​​​ He is Dan's closest friend and business partner and has appeared in the original Roseanne and remains a part of the Conners cast. Pickens is an actor from Cleveland who has also worked on the soap opera Another World and the TV shows The X-Files, The West Wing, and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Rene Rosado as Emilio Rodriguez: Rene Rosado plays Emilio Rodriguez in The Conners cast.​​​​​​​ Emilio is the father of Becky's daughter, Beverly Rose. He married Becky to get back into the United States after deportation, but they have since divorced, and he remains a part of Beverly's life. Rosado is also known for his role in Major Crimes as Gus Wallace.

Estelle Parsons as Beverly Harris: Estelle Parsons's The Conners character is Beverly Harris.​​​​​​​ Beverly is Roseanne and Jackie's mother. Over the series, Beverly has suffered through medical problems but has never lost her wit and humor. Parsons is a veteran actor who became a star on Broadway before moving on to movies. She won an Oscar for her role as Blanche Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde in 1967.

Johnny Galecki as David Healy: Johnny Galecki joins the cast of The Conners as David Healy.​​​​​​​ David is Darlene's ex-husband and the father of her two children. He carried over from the original Roseanne, but his character had become someone that neither Darlene nor her kids could trust to be there for them in The Conners. Most fans know Galecki as Leonard in The Big Bang Theory. He also appeared in Christmas Vacation and Rings.

Alexandra Billings as Robin: Alexandra Billings plays Robin in The Conners cast.​​​​​​​ Robin was a supervisor at Wellman Plastics and Darlene's mentor on The Conners. Billings is a transgender actress who also appeared in Romy and Michele: In the Beginning and Transparent.

Nat Faxon as Neville Goldufski: Nat Faxon's The Conners character is Neville Goldufski.​​​​​​​ Neville is Louise's younger brother who works as a veterinarian and ends up marrying Jackie. Faxon is an actor from Boston who got his start in the comedy troupe The Groundlings. From there, he starred in comedy movies like Orange County, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, and Bad Teacher. He has also had main roles on the TV shows Loot and Mulligan.

Brian Austin Green as Jeff: Brian Austin Green joins the cast of The Conners as Jeff. He is a co-worker of Darlene's. Most fans know Green from his breakout role as a teenager on the hit series Beverly Hills 90210, where he played David Silver. He has also appeared in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and in the TV adaptation of Anger Management.

Andrew Leeds as Nick: Andrew Leeds plays Nick in The Conners cast.​​​​​​​ Nick is Darlene's boyfriend in the fourth season. Leeds is an actor who got his start as an understudy on Broadway at only eight years old. On the small screen, he has appeared in Dirt, Bones, NCIS: Los Angeles, A Million Little Things, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, and Barry.

William H. Macy as Smitty: William H. Macy's The Conners character is Smitty. He is Roseanne's former boyfriend and Jackie's former high school crush. Everyone knows Macy from his role as Frank Gallagher in Shameless, where he was nominated for six consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards. He is also an Oscar nominee for his role in the movie Fargo.