NEWSJohn Goodman Gets Candid About the Price of Fame After 'Roseanne' Success: 'It Took a Long Time to Deal With It'
John Goodman reflected on facing sudden stardom after major sitcom success.
Oct. 16 2026, Published 2:14 p.m. ET
Reflecting on his rise to fame, John Goodman recalled the defining moment that catapulted him into the spotlight and transformed him into a household name.
During a retrospective conversation with the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, the Raising Arizona actor recalled how television exposure overnight transformed his reality.
“It changed in ’88 with Roseanne,” he said. “That’s when I was told, ‘You’d better get a publicist and get a hold of this stuff.’”
Overwhelmed by the swift transition, he struggled to recognize himself amid the intense public scrutiny.
“I had a bad time dealing with how famous I’d gotten all of a sudden,” adding that he recalled thinking, “Well, that ain’t me” at the time.
Goodman Talks About Promotional Demands
Goodman supported his film production teams.
Adapting to life under the spotlight proved to be a rigorous process for Goodman.
“It took a long time to deal with it,” he said.
He noted still having difficulty with “the negotiations you have to go through and the things you have to do to sell a film” to audiences through publicity.
“They’re not ideal, but they need to be done,” he said. “People put a lot of money into these things, and let’s help each other out and get this done. They have their job to do, and you have to support it.”
Goodman Confronted His Personal Fears
Goodman learned to overcome his fears during career highs.
When reflecting on his professional hurdles, the veteran actor cited fear as his greatest challenge.
“Fame. I wish I would’ve taken to it better,” he said. “I didn’t. I was frightened.”
He added, “I’m my own worst enemy, by far.”
Following the massive success of Roseanne, he found himself inundated with scripts, but he remained grateful for the abundance of work over the uncertainty of early acting days.
He realized "you don’t have to do everything” that is brought to you, acknowledging, “It’s nice to be in that position, though. Better than not. Better than waiting for the d--- phone to ring,” he said.
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Goodman Harnessed Literature to Feed Performance
Goodman relied on extensive reading to fuel his creative acting process.
Goodman strongly encourages actors to immerse themselves in literature to build a reservoir of creative inspiration.
“Read. Read widely and deeply and you will use, most of the time, whatever’s in there,” Goodman said. “Because something will spark your imagination and give you enough pleasure when it’s on the page to subconsciously hold on to it. And you can use a lot of things that way.”
Goodman Has a Hunger for Learning
Goodman started learning at a 'terrific rate.'
While fame brought its share of complications, dedication to the craft granted Goodman a lifelong passion for learning.
“When I started taking an interest in acting, it became a passion, so much so that — well, I’m gonna need English, I’m gonna need music, I’m gonna need dance,” he said. “Start paying attention. And start learning, which I did at a terrific rate.”
