D.J.’s wife is joining “The Conners” full time, but with a new actress.
ABC said on Friday that Maya Lynne Robinson will be a series regular on the upcoming “Roseanne” spinoff as Geena Williams-Conner. Her character, also the mom of Mary (Jayden Ray), returns home from active duty oversees in Afghanistan.
“We’re thrilled to welcome the incredibly talented Maya Lynne Robinson to the cast this season. Her character 2nd Lieutenant Geena Conner, whom a younger DJ was reluctant to kiss in his school play, comes full circle as his wife and Mary’s mother, bringing back a little piece of Conner history. Yet, while Geena is no stranger to the family, viewers old and new will enjoy seeing how her ‘military-style’ discipline meshes with the Conners’ more laid-back attitude,” said showrunner and executive producer Bruce Helford.
The character, played by Xosha Roquemore, appeared during one episode on last season’s brief “Roseanne” revival, and first appeared on the original “Roseanne” during the 1994 episode, “White Men Can’t Kiss.”
The “Roseanne” spinoff officially began production last month on the Warner Bros. lot, with ABC sharing a photo of John Goodman, Sara Gilbert, Laurie Metcalf, Lecy Goranson, Ames McNamara, Rey, Michael Fishman and Emma Kenney all seated around the working class clan’s iconic kitchen table set.
Noticeably absent from all these pics is Barr, whose offensive “Planet of the Apes” tweet about ex-Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett in May led to her being fired and “Roseanne” being axed by the network. But ABC soon found a way to carry on by ordering the Barr-less spinoff “The Conners.”
Robinson has also been active in the theater scene, most recently playing Stella in “A Streetcar Named Desire” at the Theatre at Boston Court and Eunice in the world premiere of “Runaway Home” at The Fountain Theatre as a co-lead. Robinson is also the creator of the web series, “HTMAST,” and the co-creator/co-lead of the web series “GURL,” as well as the solo shows “Character Breakdown” and “Straight A Student.” She is a Helen Hayes and LA Drama Critics Circle award winner.