Michael Fishman, who is best known for his role as D.J. Conner on the hit TV shows Roseanne and The Conners, grew up on camera in front of millions of TV viewers all his life. We caught up with the multifaceted actor, director, producer, and writer at a recent Hollywood Show. Fishman shares his memories of winning the role of D.J., his favorite episodes, and the ‘gift’ he created with Roseanne.
How did you land the job in Roseanne?
Michael Fishman: My sister had started trying to earn money for college. As a little kid, somebody that my parents knew said to her, ‘Oh, you’re so cute. You should do commercials,’ and my sister is one of those incredibly forward-thinking people who plans her life way in advance.
So, she was like six years old and wanted to earn money for college and knew she wanted to go to a good school. I started going with her to all these auditions, and they’d ask, you know, ‘Is he here for this too?’ At first, it was like, no.
I remember I was on Sunset Blvd coming back from a commercial audition with my sister, and I stopped my mom in the middle of the crosswalk, by Sunset & Gower, and said, ‘Hey, I think I’d like to do this,’ and Mom said, ‘Can you just keep walking?’ When we got to the other side of the crosswalk, I’m like, ‘No, I want to try.’ But it was 1988, and at that time, it was the biggest writers’ strike until this last one. The audition for Roseanne came up, and my parents didn’t want us to do anything long-term. My parents initially said no, since the show wanted somebody with a lot of experience, and I had done nothing. My agent said, ‘Well, he’ll never get this job. So will you just take him because it sounds like a good experience, and he looks a lot like the description of what they want the kid to look like.’
It was seven auditions spanning six months. It was massive, like tens of thousands of people auditioned for it. From the first audition, I went in and met a young man named Jeff Thomas, who worked there, and we’re still friends today. I walked out and said, ‘OK, when are they going to call about my job?’ And my family was horrified. You know, nothing long-term turned into nine years of working almost every day.
How was it as a kid growing up on TV? *Roseanne* looked like a true family.
Fishman: I loved growing up on TV. I think everybody has their own perspective of it. I was really blessed to work with incredible people, not just our cast.
Our cast really took care of me as a human being, but with our crew and all of our production people and writers, there was an element for me where I was never allowed to be a child star. So, I think that really shifted things. I went to public school, and my parents were very adamant that this was a job. It doesn’t make you more valuable than anyone else. Even today, you know, I’m here at this convention. Two of my crew members came to visit me and say hi because they knew I was in the area and that I would show up because I said I’m going to. That’s who I am. It was an opportunity to connect, those relationships never end if you cultivate them right.
What is your favorite memory of the show?
Fishman: Oh, I can’t pick one. I think it’s like asking what’s your favorite episode? We did hundreds of them. I have some from every season. There’s something special about Halloween for me, even to this day as an adult, because of what we did on the show for Halloween. We also did a masturbation episode called “Homeward Bound” that was horrifying, hilarious, and funny. I think that’s a great example of what we’re capable of.
But maybe my favorite memory in a weird way because it ties both shows [The Conners] together is “White Men Can’t Kiss,” which is an episode where D.J. didn’t want to kiss a girl in the school play because she was black. That was such a meaningful conversation to have in the early ’90s. I remember the impact it had on people and the way it impacted and moved people in the conversations we had at work and then the conversations that led to my personal life. Then the beauty of having it comes full circle, which is D.J. ends up marrying that girl, and she was his wife on The Conners. When the show came back, that was a gift that Roseanne and I had talked about for years in between, is Gina being the girl that he fell in love with. I think it’s a beautiful story and a beautiful reference to the kind of things that are going on in our world and our society now.
Which is sometimes if you step aside from your judgment, and you grow. You may find out that if you put down your preconceived notions, the most beautiful things are right in front of you, and you may fall in love with the most amazing person if you get out of your own way.
Roseanne was the Archie Bunker of its time because it tackled everything.
Fishman: That’s one of my favorite parts is that everything was on the table and that no topic was off-limits. That’s the kind of stuff I want to do going forward. I want to tackle big topics, and I want to do them with heart and humor. Because I think that’s how we navigate the difficult moments in life.
The Conners returns to ABC on March 26, and Roseanne is currently airing on Cozi TV, CMT, and TV Land. It is also available to stream on Peacock.
