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BEHIND THE VELVET ROPE

Michael Fishman (Tells All on Roseanne, The Conners and playing D.J.) - Part II

BEHIND THE VELVET ROPE

David Yontef

Entertainment News, Tv & Film, News, Society & Culture

43K Ratings

🗓️ 21 April 2021

⏱️ 95 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Having discussed how Michael broke into the business at age six with his Rosanne audition and what it was like working on one of televisions all time greatest shows for a nine year run, we pick up right where we left off last time. Michael looks back sharing his opinions why he think Roseanne was not only such a critical and ratings darling for its entire run but will forever go down in history as one of the shows that changed the face of TV as we know it. Michael opens up about his “lean years” after the show ended, how he didn’t hear from family members Rosanne Barr, Laurie Metcalf, John Goodman, Sara Gilbert, and Lecy Goranson as often as he expected, how he got a fast education once he returned to public high school and various odd jobs both in and outside the entertainment business and how playing the part of D.J. Conner for nine years led to a “typecasting” that proved not always an easy feat to secure new roles. Then one day John Goodman appeared on Sara Gilbert’s “The Talk” and everything changed. Within two months, the entire original fast had signed on the dotted line and “Roseanne, The Reboot” was official. Having premiered to insanely stellar numbers, all was great with the world and the family was back together. Not so fast. One viral tweet from Roseanne, would change all that! Just like that, The Reboot was cancelled, the public reacted, Michael issued a statement, Roseanne responded, and…. We discuss the psychology and mental state of what it was like for Michael to get hired for Roseanne, lose his job as D.J. Conner in an instant after Roseanne’s tweets, make an official public statement denouncing the tweets (and including his own views on diversity and inclusion), hearing from Roseanne (publicly) in response to his statements hint: she was not happy, and the “fall out” (however temporary or permanent) of a very close friendship with Roseanne, a woman who was like a second mom and saw him grow up. Confused, Dazed, Shocked and many more adjectives - we emotionally go through the full trajectory of emotions, as well as the exact timeline associated with those emotions. Emotions which then included a job offer to “reprise his role”, immediately, in The Conners. It has been a rollercoaster of a ride to present day, present season of The Conners and Michael is here to share it all as we conclude our Two Part chat with the actor behind the iconic role of D.J. Conner. @reelmfishman @behindvelvetrope @davidyontef Bonus Episodes Available at - https://www.patreon.com/behindthevelvetrope This episode is brought to you by https://www.storyworth.com/velvet ($10 off First Purchase) This Episode is brought to you by Apostrophe https://www.apostrophe.com/pod/VELVET/ ($15 off First Visit) Merch Available at - https://www.teepublic.com/stores/behind-the-velvet-rope?ref_id=13198 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

This is the true story of a New York City boy with big town hopes and small neighborhood

0:12.8

dreams of becoming BFFs with the real housewives and other bravo liberties.

0:18.3

Then one day that dream actually came true.

0:23.4

Let me take you behind the velvet rope.

0:36.9

Welcome back to our part two sit down with Michael Fishman and if you haven't heard

0:41.4

part one, check it out.

0:43.4

He talks about how he was cast in the iconic role of DJ Connor.

0:48.2

What it was like as a young child working on set with Roseanne Sarah Gilbert, Lucy John

0:53.1

Goodman, Laurie Meckalf and what happens when the show ended?

0:57.7

Michael was tight cast, what it was like to try to find work, how people suddenly treated

1:02.2

him different.

1:03.2

Imagine that and Hollywood.

1:04.7

He's so open and honest.

1:06.0

It is such an interesting conversation.

1:08.2

Check that out and now part two.

1:10.4

I didn't realize how hard it would be to get back in.

1:14.1

Yeah.

1:15.1

That's one of the things.

1:16.1

It's easy to get tight cast.

1:19.7

Then it's easy to get forgotten if you step away too long.

1:22.6

But anybody can tell you that in this business too.

1:25.2

Because it's what have you done lately?

...

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