Roseanne Barr’s Co-Star Michael Fishman Is ‘Devastated’ After The Show’s Cancellation

Michael Fishman, who came back from near retirement to reprise his role as D.J. Conner, having returned from war in the Middle East, on the Roseanne revival, is “devastated” by the show’s cancellation, CNN is reporting.

In a tweet, Fishman lamented the effect the show’s cancellation will have on his costars, its writers, and all of the behind-the-scenes lighting technicians, sound technicians, stagehands, and so on (it’s estimated that around 200 people derived their paychecks from Roseanne directly).

“Today is one of the hardest in my life. I feel devastated, not for the end of the Roseanne show, but for all those who poured their hearts and souls into our jobs, and the audience that welcomed us into their homes.”

He further went on to distance himself from costar Roseanne Barr’s tweets.

“We must stand-up against; bias, hatred, bigotry and ignorance to make society a better place for all.”

Fishman and his colleagues may not be without jobs for too long, however. The show was hugely popular, having been renewed by ABC for a second season after only nine episodes of the revived series. Roseanne was a bankable money-maker, and fans are hoping that another network would pick up the show – such as Fox, which picked up Last Man Standing, much to the delight of conservative audiences who found common ground with conservative star Tim Allen.

If Fox does pick up Roseanne, it will do so without Sara Gilbert, who played daughter Darlene, as she’s vowed never to work with Roseanne Barr again. Similarly, as reported by the Inquisitr, Emma Kenney, who played granddaughter Harris, had planned to quit even before the show was canceled.

Meanwhile, as reported by the Inquisitr writer Amanda Lynne, the Roseanne cast reportedly held an emergency meeting to continue the show without her. Supposedly the cast met to brainstorm ways to keep the revival going without its namesake star.

Fishman, for his part, will almost certainly never need to work another day in his life, considering the residual checks he’s been getting from Roseanne for decades. According to IMDB, Fishman has had very little work since the original run of Roseanne ended nearly two decades ago, doing only bit parts here and there.

According to a 2012 report in The FW (long before there was any talk of a Roseanne revival), Fishman has worked behind the scenes in the entertainment industry, working on set buildings, set design, and camera operation.