Original ‘Roseanne’ Star Michael Fishman Exits ‘The Conners’ Ahead of Season 5
The Conners is going to be one person short when the series returns to TV for Season 5 this fall as original star Michael Fishman exits the show.
According to TV Line, the actor who plays D.J. Conner, the onscreen son of Dan (John Goodman) and Roseanne Conner (Roseanne Barr), and younger brother to Darlene (Sara Gilbert) and Becky (Lecy Goranson), is not going to be a part of Season 5. Despite the actor’s change in status on the series, Fishman’s onscreen daughter Mary, played by Jayden Rey, will not have a diminished role moving forward.
(Credit: ©Carsey-Werner/courtesy Everett Collection)
The young actress is still expected to play a role in the show as a series regular, making appearances in Fishman’s absence. Even with the actor’s exit, the door has supposedly been left open for his return should he choose to come back in potential later seasons.
Fishman’s departure may not come as a major surprise to viewers as he’s appeared in the least amount of episodes for The Conners in comparison to his series regular costars. In lieu of his presence onscreen in the first four seasons of The Conners, Fishman took a bigger role behind the scenes, directing five episodes of the sitcom.
Fishman made his television debut on Roseanne in 1988 when he stepped into the role of DJ for the second episode of the original series. The actor portrayed DJ from 1988 to 1997 before returning in 2018 when Roseanne returned for a single season before being redesigned as The Conners.
While Fishman may not be returning, fans can rest assured that original stars Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Gilbert, and Goranson will all be back alongside Rey, Emma Kenney, Ames McNamara, Jay R. Ferguson, and Katey Sagal.
The Conners, Season 5 Premiere, Wednesday, September 21, 8/7c, ABC
Conversation12 Comments
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O
Who cares the show is horrible anyhow
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You care enough to read the article and leave a comment…
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P
I don’t care about the show since all the actors on the show threw Roseanne under the bus by not standing up for her. If it wasn’t for Roseanne, none of them would have a job.
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G
This is a terrible blow from which the show will never recover. Fishman made that show! I'm just glad he was available when they rebooted. But I doubt the show can recover from this.
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O
You must be joking ! Fishman was and still is a terrible actor, he brings nothing g to this already horrible show. Get real. I actually thought the show had been canceled!!
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B
The show will never be like Roseanne without her there's no show to me!!!!! Don't like
the Connors!!!!!
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Bring Jerry Home Now!!
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L
Not too surprising...he's pretty much been an "under 5" in the few episodes in which he appeared. I almost thought they'd dropped him when they dropped Roseanne. 😉
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O
I like the original actors, but the show isn’t worth watching without Roseanne, they are a team.
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He's not an original cast member. He was a replacement for the original
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O
Huh? Replacement for who? He's the same actor who played the DJ role as a child. I'm confused.
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They are trying to be a know it all because someone else played DJ in one episode( the pilot) which it's common to replace people after pilots based on network feedback
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