‘Roseanne’ Star Michael Fishman Addresses Exclusion From ‘The Conners’ Series Finale

Despite being excluded from The Conners series finale, Michael Fishman has revealed he only feels “gratitude” for the “legacy” the show has left behind.

Fishman played D.J. Conner, the son of Roseanne (Roseanne Barr) and Dan Conner (John Goodman), on Roseanne and later reprised the role for The Conners. He starred in the first four seasons of the hit ABC spinoff series before departing ahead of Season 5.

Even though D.J.’s story was wrapped up, many fans anticipated him appearing in last week’s series finale. However, Fishman’s character didn’t appear, nor was he even mentioned, save for clips in a flashback montage of the original series.

Taking to Instagram on Thursday (April 24), Fishman addressed his absence, saying, “It’s the day after The Conners finale, and I have been inundated with people looking for a reaction. People seem to want to have there be some kind of conflict or controversy, especially on my part.”

 

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He continued, “The reality is, all I really have is empathy and understanding for all of the people on set and for all of our audience that’s grieving. I prefer to be a lighthouse in the dark.”

“When I look back at the legacy of the show, a legacy that started with Roseanne Barr and that we built into Roseanne and The Conners, I have only gratitude,” Fishman added. “I really believe that that legacy belongs to all of you in the audience.”

Michael Fishman on ‘Roseanne.’  (Carsey-Werner Company/courtesy Everett Collection)

In March, the show’s executive producers, Bruce Helford and Dave Caplan, spoke to TV Line about why certain characters wouldn’t appear in the final series. “There was so much to do in six [episodes],” Caplan stated, referring to the season’s short episode order.

“Honestly, once you see the arcs [you will understand],” Helford added. “What we never want to do is just bring somebody in just to see that person on the show. We want everyone to have something important to play.”

Michael Fishman, Maya Lynne Robinson, Jayden Rey in ‘The Conners’; ABC

Fans appreciated Fishman’s message and took to the comments to react, with one user writing, “You’re a class act, my man. Seriously, so much respect for you. Not sure who else would have handled the whole situation with as much maturity and rationale as you did.”

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Roseanne Barr Reacts to 'The Conners' Emotional Series Finale

“You deserved to be there. Thank you for being the little brother I never had,” said another.

“You are amazing and a fan of yours. The Conners had a deserved proper finale and closure. The naysayers did not believe that the show will last past the first season, let alone seven seasons,” another added.

Another wrote, “Thank you for being a part of the tv family that raised me. 🤍 Love the attitude and hope everyone is able to find peace and understanding.”