One of Dan’s (John Goodman) long-lost acquaintances is on his way to see the Conners. Season 5 of the ABC blockbuster comedy premiered on September 21, and now Oscar contender William H. Macy is making an appearance as a new guest star in Lanford. He’ll be playing Dan’s best friend from high school, Smitty, who plans to visit Lanford and spend some time with the Conners. Macy’s impressive resume includes an Oscar nomination for his performance in 1996’s Fargo and Emmy wins for both writing and acting in the series Door to Door. Before getting the lead part in The Coen Brothers’ enormous picture that made him a superstar, he made his debut in 1991’s Homicide.
Macy has been a television mainstay for some time now, earning Emmy nominations for everything from ER to perhaps his biggest small-screen role in Shameless, despite his massive presence on the big screen with subsequent roles in Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Jurassic Park III, and Wag the Dog, among others. Television roles include those in Sports Nights, A Slight Case of Murder, Curious George, and the newer The Dropout. Macy enters the picture while the Conners are through a significant upheaval. Both Darlene (Sarah Gilbert) and Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) decided to leave the Conner household at the conclusion of Season 4 after being married to their respective boyfriends, Ben (Jay R. Ferguson) and Neville (Nat Faxon).
They decide to go on a double honeymoon to save money, which results in a hectic and chaotic trip full of the usual family humour. With an old pal in the home to goof around with, Macy’s debut as Smitty may lead to more Dan-centered stories. Goodman, Metcalf, and Gilbert front up an impressive group that also includes Macy, Lecy Goranson, Michael Fishman, Emma Kenney, Ames McNamara, and Jayden Rey. The Conners, a spinoff of the classic show Roseanne, was also developed by Roseanne’s original showrunner, Matt Williams. The sitcom was created by Bruce Helford, Bruce Rasmussen, and Dave Caplan, who also served as executive producers with Gilbert, Tom Werner, and Tony Hernandez.
Season 5 of The Conners has begun broadcasting on ABC, and episodes may be seen on Hulu when they first air.