Roseanne Barr has spoken about the inclusion of a 'gender-fluid' character in the upcoming reboot of her hit sitcom, as well as her efforts to balance political views in the show. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published on Wednesday, the 65-year-old comedian revealed that the new series, which premieres on March 27, will tackle modern issues including gender identity.
Barr said that the character of Darlene's son, played by a young actor, is 'gender fluid,' though co-star Sara Gilbert clarified that the character 'just likes to dress in more feminine clothing.' The showrunner Whitney Cummings noted that the writers debated the terminology, including whether to use 'gender fluid' or 'gender nonbinary.'
Barr also discussed her efforts to ensure her character's conservative voice was heard among a predominantly liberal writing team. She recalled telling the writers on the day of the pilot shoot: 'You guys have to have a Hillary slam,' because they were all making jokes about Donald Trump. Barr said she wanted the show to be 'evenhanded.'
Writer Wanda Sykes commented on the show's portrayal of a working-class family, noting that the Conners are 'real people talking about real problems,' and that such depictions are rare on television for white families, while black characters are often allowed to be poor.
The reboot brings back the original cast, including John Goodman as Dan Connor, who was killed off in the original series but is now back without explanation. Barr said she is 'way too old to be fighting' and has 'nothing left to prove.'
