John Goodman

John Goodman is one of the main actors of Roseanne, portraying the role of Dan Conner.

Biography
Goodman was born in Affton, Missouri, on June 20, 1952. Goodman went to Affton High School, where he played football and dabbled in theater. After graduating from there in 1970, he took a gap year. He earned a football scholarship to Missouri State University (then-called Southwest Missouri State University, or, "SMS") in Springfield, Missouri. He pledged to Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity but did not join until several years later. He discovered the drama program and studied there with future Hollywood stars Kathleen Turner and Tess Harper. He remains close to his school friends. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1975.

After an injury ended his college football career, Goodman decided to become a professional actor and left Missouri for New York City in 1975. With a small bankroll from his brother, Goodman found an apartment near the Theater District and unsuccessfully tried to make money as a bartender and waiter. However, he eventually found modest success in voice-overs, commercials, and plays. He was the person who slapped himself (uttering the famous tagline, "Thanks... I needed that!") in an iconic television ad for Skin Bracer by Mennen. Goodman also performed off-Broadway and in dinner theatres, before landing character roles in film during the early 1980s.

In 1985, Goodman originated the role of Pap Finn in Big River. For his role, he received a Drama Desk nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical; he is also featured on the Original Broadway Cast Recording. He had a long history of appearances on late night comedy shows and was the first guest on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, which won him the series' "First Guest Medal" (Goodman joked he would pawn the medal for a bottle of cheap Scotch). Goodman has hosted NBC's Saturday Night Live 13 times, while also making seven cameo appearances as Linda Tripp during the Monica Lewinsky scandal and cameoing on the season 28 finale hosted by former SNL cast member Dan Aykroyd.

In 1982, Goodman started landing movie roles, beginning with a small role in Eddie Macon's Run. During this period he continued to work on the stage, starring in Big River from 1985 to 1987. Before landing his big break into movies in 1986, with a significant comedic role in True Stories, he had a brief cameo as Otis in Sweet Dreams. In the former film, his character Louis Fyne memorably utters the line: "I'm 6' 3" and maintain a consistent panda bear shape", establishing his trademark size as an important part of many characters he would later play on film and stage - and in the latter film, he plays the 'guy who sold Patsy's husband the car' he would destroy in the Demolition Derby.

Goodman is also know for being a regular collaborator with the Coen brothers, having first worked with them on Raising Arizona (1987). He would go on to appear in their films Barton Fink (1991), The Big Lebowski (1998), O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), and Inside Llewyn Davis (2013). Only Steve Buscemi has appeared in more Coen works (six films), though Frances McDormand and Jon Polito have also appeared in five of their films. He is also known for his role as the head football coach for Adams College in the 1984 movie Revenge of the Nerds.

In 1988, Goodman was cast in the main role of Dan Conner on Roseanne. Not only did his chemistry with Roseanne Barr have a major impact on his casting, but also the fact that he was the only person who auditioned for the role.

Goodman has also done a slew of voice acting roles. He voiced Robot Santa in the character's first appearance on Futurama. Beginning in 2007, Goodman has been the voiceover in Dunkin' Donuts commercials. In 2000, Goodman provided the voice of Pacha in Disney's The Emperor's New Groove and, a year later, the voice of Sulley in Pixar's Monsters, Inc., a role he reprised in the sequel, Monsters University in 2013. In 2009, Goodman voiced "Big Daddy" La Bouff The Princess and the Frog. In 2012, Goodman voiced Mr. Prenderghast, Norman's great-uncle and the town's local eccentric, in ParaNorman. Goodman's voice can also be heard on an automated message system at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

On April 28, 2017, television trade publications reported an 8-episode revival of Roseanne, being shopped to multiple networks including ABC and Netflix. Goodman, Barr, and Sara Gilbert were attached to reprise their roles, while Laurie Metcalf was considered likely to return. In May 2017, it was announced the series was greenlit and would air on ABC mid–season in 2018 with the entire original cast returning.

Gallery
Gallery of behind the scene stills released to promote the actor.