As if The Conners cast wasn’t already A+ enough with comedy heavyweights like John Goodman and Laurie Metcalf among the core ensemble, the ABC sitcom also knows how to deliver oodles of noteworthy guest stars of all kinds. We’ve seen Emmy winners such as Nick Offerman in Season 6, Grammy-earners like The Eagles’ Joe Walsh in Season 4, and full-on EGOT winners like Whoopi Goldberg in Season 5. (And can’t forget Super Bowl winner Aaron Rodgers’ cameoing on the Jeopardy! stage.)
But because The Conners was created atop the legacy of the primetime classic Roseanne, it’s one of the few shows that can pull off former character returns 30+ years after their original appearances. I could wax on about all the familiar faces that have returned over the years, from Johnny Galecki’s David to Meagen Fay as former neighbor Kathy Bowman, with former regular Natalie West’s Crystal Anderson most recently appearing.
Now let's look at some of the Roseanne characters who haven’t yet made modern-day returns, but would be absolutely fabulous to see again in this universe in one way or another.
Leon Carp (Martin Mull)
Comedy TV king Martin Mull was a regular presence throughout most of Roseanne’s run as one of the titular character’s thorniest besties, where part of that run had Leon married to Fred Willard’s Scott. He was such a memorable asset of the series, with or without Willard, that it’s almost baffling that Leon hasn’t yet shown up attempting to build a new diner across the street from the Lunchbox, or whatever the case would be. Mull appeared in a couple of Season 1 episodes of ABC’s Not Dead Yet in 2023, so I’m still holding out hope for Leon’s return.
Fred (Michael O'Keefe)
Caddyshack great Michael O'Keefe enjoyed a memorable stint on Roseanne as Fred, who may be better known as "the boyfriend of Jackie's who didn't abuse her, but did get her pregnant during their one-night stand, leading to a failed marriage." I'm not so hopeful about seeing Fred show up as the exact same character, however, since the revival-verse retconned his and Jacki's son Andy. But to me, that would make his return even more interesting.
Vonda Green (Charlayne Woodard)
Secret Invasion and Mayfair Witches vet Charlayne Woodard was one of the earliest cast members who helped populate Lanford around Roseanne, Dan and the Conner clan. As Roseanne's co-worker buddy Vonda, she was always good for a laugh-line, and it's always been a disappointment that Woodward bowed out of the show after Season 2. With Roseanne having died to kick The Conners off, it might not make a whole lot of narrative sense to bring Vonda back, but why would sense need to enter into it?
Booker Brooks (George Clooney)
I think many longtime Roseanne fans would agree that former co-star George Clooney would be the crown jewel of all returning cast members, even if his sometimes weasely Booker Brooks isn't necessarly the best character to have back. (Come at me, Booker!) But I'm all about having him return with a softer side, perhaps having gone into a medical career as an ER doctor. Clooney is a white whale behind the scenes as well, though The Conners did reference him in Season 3 for a fun story.
George (Joseph Gordon-Levitt)
I can't really act as if Joseph Gordon-Levitt's recurring youngin George was a core part of what made Roseanne great or anything, but he was already a talented enough actor at that age to pop even if all he did was stammer a few lines out with performative nervousness. It would have made more sense to bring George back before Michael Fishman exited the show, since he was D.J.'s friend, but I can't think of a bad reason to get Gordon-Levitt on The Conners.
Ziggy (Jay O. Sanders)
Crime Story and True Detective vet Jay O. Sanders was pretty much destined to gain a bigger Roseanne presence after his initial two episodes as Dan's bike shop coworker Ziggy. He was reportedly asked to take on a recurring role that fell through, but regardless of whether that's true or not, seeing Sanders and John Goodman together again would be a treat.
Bonnie Watkins (Bonnie Bramlett)
Like Vonda, Bonnie was one of Roseanne's most memorable co-workers, as they spent many hours together at Rodbell's Department Store during Seasons 3 and 4. One of the plusses with Bonnie was that her husband was played by music icon David Crosby, and they were known to make some purdy melodies on occasion. Even without the late Crosby by her side, Bonnie's return to Lanford, presumably via motorcycle, could make for some great moments where characters fondly look back and share embarrassing stories that couldn't have been shown on TV at the time.
Dwight (William Sadler)
To be clear, I think William Sadler's Dwight showed enough of his turd personality in his two episodes of Roseanne that made it seem like he showed up a lot more often. However, Sadler is an excellent actor who's welcome to appear in anything I'm watching at the time, and I think it would be interesting to see how Dan and others handled Dwight's misogyny and shit-starting rudeness in the modern era.
Heather (Heather Matarazzo)
Season 9 cast member and indie movie kween Heather Matarazzo is another case of a great actor whose presence would be a plus for viewers, but would defy all manner of logic within this retcon-friendly canon. She portrayed D.J.'s girlfriend whose hornball energy turned Michael Fishman's character into a nervous wreck. Without D.J. around, Heather's return is questionable at best, but maybe we could find out she also dated Ben at some point, and then tries to get with him again. Whatever's most awkward for Darlene to deal with, probably.
Arnie (Tom Arnold)
Tom Arnold's presence on Roseanne, which was helped along him being married to the creator and star for a while, is possibly as polarizing as it gets for regular characters on the two sitcoms, since Arnie was a bit of an annoying sleazeball most of the time. Even when he was being authentically sweet to Nancy or whoever else, Arnold has a way of playing characters who seem impervious to the fact that all they're spewing is bullshit. And given Arnie was such a big part of the show during the first half of its run, only to disappear after Season 5, I'd like to see how many other women's lives he's screwed up over the years, if nothing else.
There are no doubt plenty of other Roseanne vets I'd love to see again that didn't make this list, as well as some that we've already seen return to The Conners. More Matthew Broderick and Candice Bergen, please.
The Conners airs Wednesday nights on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET. Head to our 2024 TV schedule to see what else is hitting the small screen soon.
