NEW YORK 鈥� Laurie Metcalf smiles and laughs when she thinks of her character Jackie and her assorted misadventures on the 鈥淩oseanne鈥� spinoff, 鈥淭he Conners.鈥�
Dating back to her introduction in Roseanne Barr鈥檚 1988鈥檚 sitcom, Jackie has reinvented herself many times over. She鈥檚 been a cop, a truck driver, a factory worker, co-owner of The Lanford Lunch Box (which was reopened on 鈥淭he Conners), and was for a time, as the character describes it, 鈥淟anford鈥檚 leading life coach.鈥�
The role earned Metcalf three Emmy Awards while 鈥淩oseanne鈥� was on the air, but she鈥檚 content with Jackie being a supporting role.
鈥淎 little bit of Jackie goes a long way, so I鈥檓 always the weirdo B storyline. Too much of Jackie would be just overdose.鈥�
While the character's overall persona has remained unchanged through both series, it鈥檚 provided a chance to grow as an actor. When 鈥淩oseanne鈥� started, Metcalf was a
鈥淓verything was new to me. I had a big learning curve to jump into a multi-camera sitcom. The writers started writing to each one of our different strengths,鈥� Metcalf recalled.
鈥淚鈥檓 assuming that one of my strengths was to be this victimized loser who didn鈥檛 have a clue that鈥檚 what she was to begin with,鈥� she said laughing. 鈥淏ut (Jackie) just went out every day with her head up and determined to to do something great or make something. And then it would all come collapsing down around her. But, she had definite, firm opinions about things. And she still to this day meddles in the rest of the family鈥檚 business, even though her own life is collapsing around her.鈥�
That sometimes involves Jackie鈥檚 romantic interests, which have been played by actors including George Clooney, Jim Varney and Matthew Broderick. She also dabbled in a throuple but that was short-lived because Metcalf says, 鈥淛ackie was clueless.鈥� Her current love interest is Neville, portrayed by Nat Faxon.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so funny now when we go to work because we鈥檙e wearing masks all through the week and we don鈥檛 see each other until they say, 鈥楢ction.鈥� We drop our mask and we tape the scene and then we put them right back on again. So. I didn鈥檛 know what Nat even looked like for the first episode we did together until they said, 鈥楢ction鈥� and then I saw his whole face.鈥�
Filming has wrapped on 鈥淭he Conners鈥� season three and the cast is waiting to see if they鈥檒l be renewed by ABC for a fourth season. Metcalf said there鈥檚 more to be seen from Jackie, including whether she has any actual life coaching experience.
鈥淥ne of my regrets was that you never really got to see her at work advising someone, so in hindsight there鈥檚 a tiny piece of me that wonders if she just lied about the whole thing,鈥� said Metcalf. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no proof, right?鈥�
Metcalf will soon begin production on a film in New York, directed by and co-starring Ray Romano, about a big Italian family in Queens. She鈥檚 been working with a dialect coach on her accent.
鈥淚鈥檝e never thought that I was very good at them, so I鈥檝e always shied away from a role that had an accent in it, but I鈥檓 going to tackle this one. I hope once we all get on the set and I鈥檓 surrounded by it, I鈥檒l start to absorb it.鈥�
A two-time Tony winner, Metcalf is anxious for
鈥溾�楥ompany鈥� with Patti LuPone was on the same block as me and we saw their lights go out, but everybody thought, 鈥極h, two weeks, you know, we鈥檒l be back.鈥� That was like having the rug pulled out for sure. The whole
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Alicia Rancilio, The Associated Press
