I Have a BEAUTIFUL LIFE

The Emmy-winning TV star talks about comedy, new project and her world today

- Fortune Benatar

Roseanne Barr, the driving force behind the groundbreaking 1990s family sitcom Roseanne, is ready to look back on her time as television’s biggest star. “Everyone’s telling me I should write a book,” the actress, Emmy winner and stand-up comedian, 71, tells Closer. “It’s a great story. There are a million lessons — the most important to me is to be stalwart in your faith and in your belief that people are mostly good and they get it. You have to hang on to that.”

Since being dropped from the 2018 reboot of Roseanne (which was renamed The Conners) after posting a comment that some perceived as racist, Roseanne hasn’t kept still — or silent. This summer, she toured with her stand-up comedy. She can also be heard interviewing newsmakers on The Roseanne Barr Podcast. And, yes, that is Roseanne’s voice as the character of Principal Bortles on the adult-oriented animated comedy series Mr. Birchum.

How did you get involved with Mr. Birchum and the role of Principal Bortles?

[Comedian] Adam Carolla asked me to do it. I think he wrote it for me. I love him and I thought it would be fun. There were also some really great comics involved. [The work] is really easy and fun because it’s just you in a little sound booth and you get to act goofy.

What do you hope that viewers take away from the show?

I hope they just get some laughs and a little bit of insight into another point of view that is kind of missing from other parts of Hollywood and the media.

How did you first start doing comedy?