Roseanne Barr facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Roseanne Barr
From the 2010 documentary I Am Comic
Born	Roseanne Cherrie Barr (1952-11-03) November 3, 1952 (age 72) Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, comedian, writer, producer
Years active	1970–present
Political party	Peace and Freedom (2012–2013) Green (2008–2012) Democratic (1970–2008)
Spouse(s)	Bill Pentland ​ ​ (m. 1974; div. 1990)​ Tom Arnold ​ ​ (m. 1990; div. 1994)​ Ben Thomas ​ ​ (m. 1995; div. 2002)​
Partner(s)	Johnny Argent (2003–present)
Children	5

Roseanne Cherrie Barr (born November 3, 1952), known simply as Roseanne, is an American actress, comedian, writer, and producer. She started her career telling jokes on stage in stand-up comedy clubs. She became very famous for her TV show Roseanne, which aired from 1988 to 1997 and again in 2018. For her role in the show, she won an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress.

The show Roseanne returned to TV in 2018 on ABC. It was very popular and was going to have another season. However, the show was canceled after Roseanne made a tweet that many people thought was racist. She later said it was a "bad joke." In 2022, she announced she would do a new comedy special, which came out in 2023 on Fox Nation.

Early Life and Beginnings

Roseanne Barr was born on November 3, 1952, in Salt Lake City, Utah. She grew up in a Jewish family and was the oldest of four children. Her mother, Helen, was a bookkeeper and cashier. Her father, Jerome, worked as a salesman. Roseanne's grandparents came to the United States from different parts of Europe, including Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Lithuania.

Her family kept their Jewish heritage a secret from their neighbors. They were also involved with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Roseanne once said that she was Jewish on some days and Mormon on others.

When she was three, Roseanne had a condition called Bell's palsy, which made one side of her face weak. She believed she was miraculously cured after a Mormon preacher prayed for her. Later, she learned that Bell's palsy often goes away on its own.

Roseanne has shared that she is on the autism spectrum. When she was six, she started giving lectures at LDS churches in Utah. She was even elected president of a Mormon youth group.

At 16, Roseanne was hit by a car, which caused a brain injury. Her behavior changed a lot, and she spent eight months in the Utah State Hospital. In 1970, at age 18, she left home and moved to Colorado. The next year, she had a baby girl whom she placed for adoption. They later met again when her daughter was 17.

Comedy Career and TV Success

Starting as a Stand-Up Comedian (1980–1986)

In Colorado, Roseanne began performing stand-up comedy in clubs. She later tried out at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles. She appeared on The Tonight Show in 1985, which helped her become more known.

In 1986, she performed on a TV special with Rodney Dangerfield and on Late Night with David Letterman. The next year, she had her own special on HBO called The Roseanne Barr Show. This show won her an American Comedy Award for being the funniest female performer in a TV special.

Roseanne became famous for using the phrase "domestic goddess" in her comedy routines. This phrase described a homemaker or housewife. Her success led to her own TV show on ABC, called Roseanne.

The Roseanne Sitcom and Beyond (1987–2004)

Roseanne Barr at the 1992 Emmy Awards

In 1987, TV producers Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner wanted to create a realistic family comedy. They hired a writer and signed Roseanne to play the main character, Roseanne Conner.

The show Roseanne first aired on October 18, 1988. It was watched by over 21 million homes, making it the most-watched new show that season.

Roseanne wanted more creative control over the show. She felt that the show was based on her real life and ideas. She even threatened to quit if certain changes weren't made. Eventually, the original writer left the show. Roseanne helped other writers, like Amy Sherman-Palladino and Joss Whedon, get their first jobs on Roseanne.

Roseanne ran for nine seasons, from 1988 to 1997. Roseanne won an Emmy, a Golden Globe, a Kids' Choice Award, and three American Comedy Awards for her role. For the last two seasons, she earned $40 million, making her one of the highest-paid women in entertainment at the time.

After Roseanne ended, Roseanne wrote her autobiography in 1989, called Roseanne—My Life As a Woman. That same year, she made her first movie, She-Devil, where she played a housewife seeking revenge. Film critic Roger Ebert praised her acting.

In 1991, she lent her voice to the baby Julie in the movie Look Who's Talking Too. She also appeared on Saturday Night Live three times between 1991 and 1994.

In 1994, she released another book, My Lives. She also became the first female comedian to host the MTV Video Music Awards by herself. In 1998, Roseanne played the Wicked Witch of the West in a stage production of The Wizard of Oz. That same year, she hosted her own talk show, The Roseanne Show, for two years.

In 2003, she hosted a cooking show called Domestic Goddess and starred in a reality show about it, The Real Roseanne Show. In 2004, she voiced Maggie in the animated movie Home on the Range.

Returning to Comedy and TV (2005–Present)

Roseanne Barr in 2010

In 2005, Roseanne went back to performing stand-up comedy with a world tour. In 2006, she performed in Europe for the first time. She also released a children's DVD called Rockin' with Roseanne: Calling All Kids.

Her return to stand-up led to an HBO comedy special, Roseanne Barr: Blonde N Bitchin', in November 2006. She also made a guest appearance on NBC's My Name Is Earl. In 2007, she hosted season three of The Search for the Funniest Mom in America.

From 2009 to 2010, she hosted a radio show about politics. She also co-hosts a weekly radio show called "The Roseanne and Johnny Show" with her partner, Johnny Argent.

In 2010, Roseanne appeared in a documentary about stand-up comedy called I Am Comic.

Roseanne Barr at the 2011 Utah Pride Festival

In January 2011, Roseanne released her third book, Roseannearchy: Dispatches from the Nut Farm. She also appeared in a Super Bowl XLV commercial for Snickers in 2011, which was very popular.

In July 2011, a reality show called Roseanne's Nuts premiered on Lifetime. It showed Roseanne, her boyfriend Johnny Argent, and her son Jake running a macadamia nut farm in Hawaii. The show was canceled later that year.

In 2012, Roseanne was honored at a Comedy Central Roast, where comedians make fun of a celebrity. Her former husband, Tom Arnold, even made an appearance.

From 2014 to 2015, Roseanne was a judge on Last Comic Standing on NBC. She also hosted a show called Momsters: When Moms Go Bad on Investigation Discovery.

On March 27, 2018, the 10th season of Roseanne premiered on ABC with the original cast. It had very high ratings. However, on May 29, 2018, ABC canceled the series because of a tweet Roseanne made that was widely seen as racist. Roseanne later gave up her rights to a spin-off show called The Conners, which ABC then ordered.

In September 2022, it was announced that Roseanne would star in a new comedy special called Cancel This!, which was released in February 2023. In November 2023, it was announced that she would voice a character in an animated comedy series called Mr Birchum, set to debut in 2024.

Personal Life

Family and Relationships

Roseanne Barr has been married three times and has five children. In 1970, she had a daughter, Brandi Ann Brown, whom she placed for adoption. They later reconnected.

On February 4, 1974, Roseanne married Bill Pentland, a motel clerk. They had three children: Jessica, Jennifer, and Jake. They divorced in 1990. Four days later, on January 20, 1990, Roseanne married fellow comedian Tom Arnold. She had met him in 1983. Tom Arnold also worked as a writer on her sitcom Roseanne. They divorced in 1994.

On February 14, 1995, Roseanne married Ben Thomas, who was her personal security guard. They had a son named Buck. They stayed together until 2002.

In 2002, Roseanne met Johnny Argent online. They started dating in 2003 after talking on the phone for a year. They live on a 46-acre macadamia nut farm on the Big Island of Hawaii, which Roseanne bought in 2007. Roseanne has also studied Kabbalah, a Jewish mystical tradition.

Roseanne's sister Geraldine is a lesbian, and her brother Ben is gay. Roseanne has said this inspired her to include gay characters in her sitcom and to support same-sex marriage.

Health and Well-being

In the late 1990s, Roseanne had gastric bypass surgery. In 2015, she shared that she had been diagnosed with macular degeneration and glaucoma, which could cause her to lose her eyesight. However, she later said that she was misdiagnosed and her vision problem was due to a mole behind her eye, which could be fixed with surgery. In 2018, she clarified that she had not had a heart attack, as some reports suggested.

Political Involvement

Presidential Campaign (2012)

On August 5, 2011, Roseanne Barr announced on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno that she would run for president in the 2012 presidential election. She ran on a self-created "Green Tea Party" ticket. She wanted to bring attention to topics like economics, health, and meditation. She also said she would run for Prime Minister of Israel.

In September 2011, she spoke at the Occupy Wall Street protests, supporting the people protesting.

Roseanne officially announced her candidacy for the Green Party's presidential nomination in February 2012. She came in second place for the nomination, losing to Jill Stein. Roseanne later criticized Jill Stein after losing the nomination.

After losing the Green Party nomination, Roseanne won the presidential nomination of the Peace and Freedom Party on August 4, 2012. She chose activist Cindy Sheehan as her running mate. However, Cindy Sheehan later decided to leave the campaign due to disagreements.

Roseanne appeared on the ballot in California, Colorado, and Florida. She received 67,326 votes nationwide, placing sixth overall. A film crew followed Roseanne throughout her campaign, and the footage was released as a documentary called Roseanne for President!. Roseanne and her family have said that her desire to run for president was "very real."

Support for Donald Trump

In June 2016, Roseanne Barr said she supported Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. She said she would be happy if Trump won because it meant Hillary would not. However, a July 2016 CNN story reported that she didn't officially endorse Trump, saying she would write herself in for every election.

Roseanne is featured in rapper Tom MacDonald's song "Daddy's Home," which was released in January 2025.

America Fest

In December 2023, Roseanne Barr spoke at America Fest, an event hosted by Turning Point USA.

Discography

Album

• 1990: I Enjoy Being a Girl (Hollywood Records) CD/Cassette

Audiobook

• 2011: Roseannearchy: Dispatches from the Nut Farm (Unabridged) CD/Download

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Hosting and Judging Roles

Awards and Recognition

Roseanne Barr has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It is located on the north side of the 6700 block of Hollywood Boulevard.

See also

In Spanish: Roseanne Barr para niños