Johnny Galecki‘s decision not to return to The Conners ultimately caused his character, David, to be depicted as a “bad father” to his kids.
Executive producers Bruce Helford, Dave Caplan and Bruce Rasmussen were asked about Galecki’s noticeable absence from the final season, which concluded on Wednesday, April 23.
“Because we didn’t have him so much, we had to make him a terrible father,” Caplan told Deadline, to which Helford added, “He really did not want to keep doing it. He loved us and we loved him, and he was always invited and we’re all very close with him.”
Galecki’s decision not to reprise the role caused David’s story to shift.
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“We were kind of in a position where, how do you explain this guy without killing him? This guy isn’t around,” Helford noted. “So unfortunately his character got tarnished in that way. Had he been there, he would’ve definitely been part of the Mark story, for sure.”
Galecki, 49, originally portrayed David from 1992 to 1997 on Roseanne. He returned for the 2018 revival but ultimately wasn’t involved for long when the revival shifted to ABC’s The Conners. As a result, Darlene (Sara Gilbert) was the only visibly present parent of their kids’ — Harris (Emma Kenney) and Mark (Ames McNamara) — lives.
“The last time Johnny was here, he really went out of his way to say how much he loved not only the legacy of the show, but what we’re doing with The Conners,” Caplan told TVLine in 2024 of David’s departure. “He’s a big fan, and he loved being on the show. But real life tends to take priority, and if he needs to step away, we all respect that.”
The Conners came to an emotional end on Wednesday after seven seasons. Before the finale, Lecy Goranson shared how proud she was of how The Conners paid tribute to past characters.
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“If it felt like this is a Hollywood thing to bring all the guest stars back, that’s exciting for the audience. But it’s not really true to the world of the show,” she exclusively told Us Weekly in March. “We’ve had people have feelings about the show since Roseanne left. But with what we have, it’s been really, really tasteful and well done, so I’m proud of it.”
Goranson expressed hope for a possible spinoff as well.
“I don’t want a break. I would love a spinoff. I imagine that might be complicated but I would love that. I love my colleagues so much and the crew,” she shared. “We have a really, really long history. When you are around people every day like that, it’s very much like family. It sounds stereotypical, but it does feel that way. I set up a happy hour meeting for the crew and we’re always saying, ‘How do we get together again? What’s our next project together?’ It’s very sincere. We all feel this way.”
The Conners is currently streaming on Hulu.
