John Goodman on ‘Roseanne’: ‘I didn’t realize how damn good I had it’

After "Roseanne" ended, Goodman said he "didn't realize how damn good I had it."

April 20, 2018, 11:56 AM

John Goodman couldn’t be happier about the reboot of “Roseanne.”

After a 21-year break, the entire cast is back together, giving fans the same great comedy they delivered with the original show.

The reboot is certainly not anything Goodman could have predicted. He had reached a point of complete burnout at the end of the show’s initial 10-season run.

PHOTO: Roseanne Barr, left, and John Goodman appear in a scene from the reboot of "Roseanne."
Roseanne Barr, left, and John Goodman appear in a scene from the reboot of "Roseanne."
Adam Rose/ABC via AP

“Toward the end of the show, I was tired of doing it,” Goodman said in a recent interview on “Popcorn with Peter Travers.” “I had some other things going on. I got to resent it. And I didn’t realize how damn good I had it.”

But after the long break, Goodman is grateful to be back at it, saying the joy over his return to the set is almost indescribable.

“It was like putting on an old shoe, an old sneaker, that you really like,” Goodman said. “The pair that you didn’t throw out, really comfortable. The best shoes in the world. You got some new stuff, but put these on and you’re 25 years old again.”

He added, “It was remarkable. I lack the wit or the words to describe what it was like going back on that set. I just got goosebumps. My hair stood up on my arms because it was like, 'I’m back. I’m back home,'” Goodman said.

PHOTO: A scene from the reboot "Roseanne."
A scene from the reboot "Roseanne."
Adam Rose/ABC

But while Goodman has returned to TV, he’s now taking some time away from the big screen hoping to completely reinvigorate his love of acting. He said he's "taking a little break" because he's been away from home too often and is "tired all the time."

“And when I do that, I start coasting, not coasting, but just maybe I’m not giving it my all,” Goodman, 65, said of his acting. "And then I’ll try too hard. The result is I just need some time away. And all I’ve been doing lately is thinking about acting. Whereas before all I could think about was going home. All I could think about was, 'I’m not in my own home. My doggie’s not here. I’m not eating regularly. I’m eating too regularly.'"

Download the all new "Popcorn With Peter Travers" podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Tunein, Google Play Music and Stitcher.

PHOTO: John Goodman appears on "Popcorn with Peter Travers" at ABC News Studios in New York City, March 26, 2018.
John Goodman appears on "Popcorn with Peter Travers" at ABC News Studios in New York City, March 26, 2018.

”Roseanne” can be seen every Tuesday night on ABC.

Be sure to watch the full interview with Peter Travers and John Goodman in the video above.

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