Roseanne Barr Says John Goodman Declined Meemaw Cameo

Roseanne Barr says her attempt to reunite with former co-star John Goodman for her independently produced sitcom Meemaw was unsuccessful. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published Tuesday, October 20, 2026, the 73-year-old comedian discussed her estrangement from Goodman, 74, and Laurie Metcalf, 71, and revealed that Goodman declined a guest appearance requested by her son.

Barr also described her feelings about the fractured relationships with her former Roseanne castmates. According to The Hollywood Reporter, her new series draws loosely from her life in Texas Hill Country and features Barr as the matriarch of a mixed-race family, with Randy Quaid also among the cast.

When asked whether she maintained friendly relationships with Goodman or Metcalf, Barr gave a brief response.

"I don't." Barr replied when asked whether she gets along with her former co-stars.

The interviewer then asked whether she remained in contact with either actor, prompting another direct answer from Barr.

"Of course not." Barr said.

Despite the distance between them, Barr said she continued to value the positive experiences they shared while working together. She also disclosed that her son had personally approached Goodman about appearing in Meemaw.

"Nobody is more brokenhearted than me," Barr said of the estrangement, adding that she preferred to remember their enjoyable experiences. "I just choose to remember the fun and the good times. My son called Goodman and asked him to do a cameo on Meemaw and he declined."

Goodman had not publicly responded to Barr's comments at the time of the report. The actor's decision leaves the proposed reunion unrealized, according to Barr's account.

Barr's separation from her former castmates follows the controversy that ended her involvement in the Roseanne revival in 2018. ABC dismissed her from the series after she published a since-deleted social media post comparing Valerie Jarrett, a former adviser to President Barack Obama, to an "ape." The network subsequently canceled the revival.

Barr has maintained that she did not know Jarrett was half-Black and did not intend her remark as racist. The series later returned under the title The Conners, continuing without Barr.

Meemaw represents Barr's latest effort to return to television through a project she financed and produced herself. However, the series has faced reported difficulties securing distribution.

A report published by the National Enquirer on October 12, citing Rob Shuter's Naughty But Nice Substack, claimed that ABC, NBC and CBS had shown no interest in acquiring the sitcom. The report also said major streaming platforms were reluctant to take on the project.

An unnamed industry insider cited in that report described the production's financing and distribution challenges.

"Roseanne couldn't get a network to finance her comeback, so she went ahead and made the show herself," the insider told the outlet. "Now she's got eight episodes and no buyer. That's a very expensive gamble."

The source also distinguished Barr's existing audience from the decisions made by television executives considering new programming.

"Roseanne still has fans," the insider noted. "But fans aren't television executives, and political loyalty doesn't guarantee a sitcom deal."