John Goodman says he was frightened by sudden fame from Roseanne

John Goodman told the SAG-AFTRA Foundation that he was "frightened" by the level of fame he achieved following his starring role in "Roseanne." The 74-year-old actor admitted during a conversation with interviewer Joe Neumaier that he wished he had understood the shift from independent actor to celebrity better. Goodman stated, "I wish I would have taken to it better," adding that he is "my own worst enemy, by far."

The actor described the late 1980s and early 1990s as a period when his career changed rapidly. He recalled being told to hire a publicist and manage the situation, saying, "I had a bad time dealing with how famous I got all of a sudden, and just [said], ‘Well, that ain’t me.'" Goodman noted that it took a long time to deal with the fame but acknowledged that negotiations to sell films are necessary because people put a lot of money into those projects.

Goodman originally agreed to join "Roseanne" to stop living out of a suitcase. He said he hit it off with Roseanne Barr immediately and knew when he left the audition that he had the job. The series aired on ABC for nine seasons from 1988 to 1997, releasing 222 episodes in its first run and winning four Emmy Awards. Goodman contrasted the show with the "wealth porn" of the era, such as "Dynasty" and "Dallas," describing "Roseanne" as "sober reality." He noted that the show demonstrated that just because a family is poor does not make them stupid, and that they stayed together because of laughter and love.

After "Roseanne," Goodman starred in films including "The Flintstones," "The Big Lebowski," and "Monsters Inc." He returned to the role of Dan Conner for the "Roseanne" reboot in 2018. The reboot lasted only one season before being canceled after Barr made a racist statement on social media regarding President Barack Obama's senior advisor, Valerie Jarrett. ABC subsequently announced a new spin-off, "The Conners," without Barr. The series aired for 112 episodes from 2018 to 2025.

Goodman told The Hollywood Reporter in July 2025 that he did not expect the reboot to last beyond five or six episodes. He said, "I thought it’d be a one-off thing, and then we got picked up, and Roseanne got fired." After being dismissed from the cast, Goodman picked up the role in "The Righteous Gemstones," which he filmed concurrently with "The Conners." He added that he did not know how long "The Conners" would last but enjoyed his time on the show.

Goodman stated that he and Barr have not spoken for about seven or eight years. He added, "I’d rather doubt if she wants to talk to me." In March, Barr told listeners of her podcast, "The Roseanne Barr Podcast," that she felt betrayed by Goodman due to his decision to scale back his appearances in later seasons. She claimed she heard from producers that Goodman did not want to be on the show anymore, stating, "I think they said he'll do six of the 24 or something like that."