Along with the main cast members and the recurring, like Johnny Galecki, Katey Sagal, Estelle Parsons, Matthew Broderick, Alexandra Billings, and Nat Faxon, The Conners has already seen a ton of high-profile guest stars through its three seasons to date. Most of the guest stars have only had very brief appearances in a single episode, though a few appeared in multiple episodes and different scenes. But in all cases, their appearances were memorable.
There are interesting tie-ins between some of the guest stars and the original series on which The Conners is a spin-off/continuation, Roseanne. In other cases, the guest stars have links to the actors.
10 Candice Bergen
The most recent guest star, Bergen appears as Ben's cold and distant mother who first abruptly advises him over video call that his father has died, then shows up for a visit to reveal to Darlene that the man Ben thought was his biological father all along actually wasn't.
It's a departure from her much nicer character, Murphy Brown, from the series of the same name, but Bergen, as expected, nailed the role and managed to bring humor to the role of a mother who could be so callous to her own son.
9 Mary Steenburgen
Although Steenburgen had a very minor role and she only appeared in a single scene, it was a very important one. Following the unexpected death of Roseanne, Steenburgen plays an acquaintance named Marcy Bellinger, who shows up out of guilt to confess to Dan that Roseanne had obtained prescription pills from her.
Sad and feeling partly responsible for Roseanne's overdose, Marcy comes by in the hopes that she will get forgiveness from the now widowed Dan, but it's clear she's mostly looking to clear her own conscience.
8 Juliette Lewis
While Darlene might be willing to give it another shot with the seemingly changed David, it might be too late. It seems he has a girlfriend. Lewis plays Blue, the flaky, free-spirited woman who has captured David's attention.
She appeared in a few scenes, including one where Darlene gets upset at the advice Blue gives to Harris. Fun fact: Lewis acted with Galecki before in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, one of the best Christmas movies ever, where she played his sister.
7 Justin Long
When Darlene starts to put herself out there and date more, she encounters a nice man named Neil (Long). And while there's potential for something between the two, it's clear that Darlene still has unresolved feelings for David and isn't ready for a serious relationship.
What's more, she needs to focus on her own life, career, and kids. Long only appeared in two episodes, nonetheless, they were pivotal ones, as Darlene explored both whether she was ready for a relationship and whether she was truly ready to move on from David, once and for all.
6 Sarah Chalke
Chalke, of course, was in the original series as "the new Becky" when Lecy Goranson left the role for a period of time to pursue her education. Naturally, there had to be some way to work both actors into the continuation series, even if Goranson would be in the main role.
They found an interesting way to incorporate Chalke into the series, as a woman named Andrea who wanted to hire Becky as a surrogate mother. Hilariously, one of the first lines she speaks is in commenting on how much she and Becky look alike. "We could be the same person!" And so, the "two Beckys" issue was solved.
5 Dan Aykroyd
Aykroyd only appeared in a single episode, as one of Dan's poker buddies, sitting around the kitchen table playing, chatting, and munching on food.
This wasn't the first time the pair worked together: they also both appeared in the 1998 movie, Blues Brothers 2000.
4 Paul Reubens
When Jackie was working on re-opening Lunch Box, a local reporter who came by to cover the news was played by none other than Paul Reubens. His character's name was Sandy Bitensky, and he was actually a historian in Lanford who was interested in writing about the restaurant given its long-time significance to the town.
While Sandy was initially excited to cover the good news, it turned sour quickly when Dan uncovered potentially toxic mold that meant that Jackie would have to spend a good chunk of money to fix the issue. She also had to try to fend off Bitensky so he wouldn't report this horrifying discovery.
3 Cheryl Hines
After the Lunch Box officially opened, Jackie was looking to make deals with vendors for product. One such woman named Dawn (Hines) appears very friendly. In fact, so much so that Becky and others are suspicious of her motives and think she might be playing Jackie.
She tries to sell Jackie on an expensive order while inviting her out for social meetings, which makes Jackie put blinders on because she's just excited to have a new friend. Is Dawn for real and actually enjoying spending time with Jackie, or is she just laying on the charm in order to get a good commission?
2 Clark Gregg & Jennifer Grey
In one of the more bizarre storylines, the acting pair, who are married in real life, play a married couple who are interested in carrying on a "throuple" relationship with Jackie. Both Ron and Janelle befriend Jackie, and while she considers a relationship with one or the other, she realizes they actually both want to be with her – together.
Jackie mulls it over and goes on dates with both, which work really well since they all get along. But in the end, it is just too weird for her. It makes sense that at this time in her life and being so unlucky in love, that Jackie would be willing to try anything. Gregg plays Agent Coulson on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., while Grey is, of course, best known for her roles in Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Dirty Dancing.
1 Danny Trejo
He's only seen in one scene, but it's a tough one, as he shows up to serve Dan eviction papers, first pretending to be showing him a contract for construction work that he wants advice about. His character is Tito, a neighbor who has expensive health bills, largely due to an accident his son got into.
It turns out that Tito only agreed to do the deed because he needed the money, even though he felt really terrible about doing it. It fits perfectly with the theme of the series, which is to be totally real and show how real people might act in difficult situations. In this case, Tito is willing to take a job no one else wants because he's that desperate for the money. Though it's a small scene, Trejo delivers it with the same passion fans have come to know from his many movie roles.
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February 06, 2021 at 06:30AM
