John Goodman Faces Tough Goodbye as 'The Conners' Wraps: 'I'm Old and Resistant to Change'

John Goodman is not quite ready to close the book on Dan Conner, the blue-collar family man he's played for nearly four decades. In a recent interview, Goodman, now 72, opened up about how hard it is to say farewell as The Conners reaches its final episode.

"It's really hard," Goodman admitted. "It's something I'm going to miss for a while. I'm old and resistant to change." Honestly, who isn't a little allergic to change—especially when it means leaving behind a character that’s been in your life for almost 40 years?

Goodman first took up Dan Conner's flannel shirts in 1988 on Roseanne, a sitcom that brought working-class struggles to the small screen and quickly found its place in American TV history. The show ran for nine seasons, wrapping up in 1997, but the story didn’t end there.

After a two-decade hiatus, the cast reunited for a Roseanne reboot in 2018. But following controversy around Roseanne Barr, the show transformed into The Conners, minus its original star but with the rest of the family intact. Goodman reflected, "It was so exciting when we got this together and it seems like it was two weeks ago. Showing up every day and just being here with everybody. It's a great place to work."

Like the original, the reboot struck a chord with viewers by spotlighting a "normal family that's really been up against it," a sentiment Goodman believes resonates with countless Americans who’ve also faced their fair share of uphill battles.

The seventh and final season of The Conners will air its last episode on Wednesday. Though Goodman is clearly struggling to let go, he expressed gratitude to ABC for giving the series a true send-off. Not every show gets that luxury these days—some just vanish mid-season like they never existed.

Goodman has spoken candidly about his recent career ups and downs, including how he's become more selective with his roles and the challenges of trusting himself after 50 years in Hollywood. He shared that overcompensating by working too much nearly led to a nervous breakdown, but now he’s learned the value of relaxing and listening to his instincts. "You have to be ready to listen to yourself. You have to be relaxed. For me, that was the key," he explained.

As The Conners takes its final bow, Goodman is also preparing to say goodbye to another hit, The Righteous Gemstones. The HBO comedy, where he stars as televangelist Eli Gemstone, will also air its last episode on May 4.