Jackie Harris/Laurie Metcalf: Bench Coach

[Meredith Quill]

Your Jackie Topic!

[AlphaWoman]

It's as though the writers don't know what to do with this histrionic character once they start writing for her script. I don't find her the least bit funny. Laurie Metcalf is good with the serious dramatic scenes, but she bombs at comedy -- at least in her portrayal of Jackie. They now have her facial expression perpetually in raised eyebrows unless it's a dramatic scene. It's like the director thinks she looks goofy entertaining this way. She is given way too many lines, is over-done, and is one of the most annoying characters in sitcom history (I record the shows and skip many of her scenes, and when watching re-runs of "Roseanne" I do the same).

I also don't understand why the wardrobe department keeps dressing her in such unflattering attire, when she still has the same buff physique she had 30 years ago.

If I had a body like that at age 62 or whatever Laurie Metcalf is, I'd DEMAND wearing a mini skirt and midriff for at least a few episodes. Otherwise, this character is just so boring or annoying. She needs LESS script time.

[tessaray]

Interesting article about Laurie.

Quote

How Laurie Metcalf Became the Sarah Bernhardt of Broadway

She may seem self-effacing, but it takes skill and smarts to be Nora and Hillary and, next, Martha in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/24/theater/laurie-metcalf-broadway.html 

 

 

[peacheslatour]

What roles is she pictured in there? I don't see the ones you mentioned except perhaps Nora from A Dolls House.

[tessaray]

The white hair is Mary Tyrone, Long Day's Journey into Night, the blue dress is Nora, A Doll's House Pt 2, the ugly blue print jacket on the right is Hillary Clinton.  Not sure what the red burgundy sweater/gray pants is from.

ETA: There is a b/w photo of Laurie in a striped shirt from Three Tall Women on the internet.  So it could be that.

https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/2018/three-tall-women-review-glenda-jackson-laurie-metcalf-golden-theatre-new-york-spellbinding-performances/

[peacheslatour]

Whoa, Mary Tyrone. Hard to fill Kate Hepburn's shoes.

[tessaray]

I don't have any experience with either one but night after night in a theater seems much more challenging than doing a movie version.  (Not that I don't adore Katherine Hepburn in just about anything.) 

There are a couple of clips on Youtube of Laurie in the role.  

 

[Winston Wolfe]

16 hours ago, chediavolo said:

Yes! I remember liking Jackie in the original series. Was she always this insane?

Nope. Jackie was somewhat of a catch way-back-when. Cute as a button, with those killer dimples and incredible legs. Ambitious and open-minded. Despite the mommy issues, Jackie had her head screwed on pretty straight when compared to the other characters. Then time went by and we got "Wacky Jacky." Ugh.

Edited December 1, 2020 by Winston Wolfe

[qtpye]

12 hours ago, Winston Wolfe said:

Nope. Jackie was somewhat of a catch way-back-when. Cute as a button, with those killer dimples and incredible legs. Ambitious and open-minded. Despite the mommy issues, Jackie had her head screwed on pretty straight when compared to the other characters. Then time went by and we got "Wacky Jacky." Ugh.

I remember thinking that young Jackie was so cool. I thought her life had endless possibilities while Roseanne was saddled with a family to care for and Jackie was never pathetic.

Later, she became nothing but pathetic.

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

On 11/30/2020 at 12:06 PM, UYI said:

Yes! I remember liking Jackie in the original series. Was she always this insane? Because I don’t remember that.

Jackie was pretty cool early on during the Original Recipe Roseanne show. However, when Roseanne and Jackie started looking back at their childhood and revealing some of the stuff that went on (including physical violence from their dad and the whole affair thing, plus Old Beverly got crazier and crazier), I always felt Jackie was cracking open and becoming a little more (trying to be delicate here) open about the emotional damage she endured from her family. Plus then she had (non-existent) Andy and that brought up all kinds of deep stuff (I will never forget the episode where Jackie wanted to know what was wrong with her that Bev didn't treat her as nice as she did Andy - broke my heart). Plus Nana Mary was basically an alcoholic (but a fun one!!!) So lots of skeletons and if you're a Roseanne junkie and watch the original show in the background every Saturday on TV Land, you get the gist that Jackie was becoming moderately unhinged. I'm pretty sure that's where her wackiness started coming from - plus then the last couple of seasons, she was just cray-cray. 

 

[UYI]

30 minutes ago, ItsHelloPattiagain said:

Jackie was pretty cool early on during the Original Recipe Roseanne show. However, when Roseanne and Jackie started looking back at their childhood and revealing some of the stuff that went on (including physical violence from their dad and the whole affair thing, plus Old Beverly got crazier and crazier), I always felt Jackie was cracking open and becoming a little more (trying to be delicate here) open about the emotional damage she endured from her family. Plus then she had (non-existent) Andy and that brought up all kinds of deep stuff (I will never forget the episode where Jackie wanted to know what was wrong with her that Bev didn't treat her as nice as she did Andy - broke my heart). Plus Nana Mary was basically an alcoholic (but a fun one!!!) So lots of skeletons and if you're a Roseanne junkie and watch the original show in the background every Saturday on TV Land, you get the gist that Jackie was becoming moderately unhinged. I'm pretty sure that's where her wackiness started coming from - plus then the last couple of seasons, she was just cray-cray. 

 

Just so you know, it was @chediavolo who asked about Jackie, not me. I just responded to their question earlier. :) 

[CrystalBlue]

On 12/2/2020 at 2:58 PM, ItsHelloPattiagain said:

Jackie was pretty cool early on during the Original Recipe Roseanne show. However, when Roseanne and Jackie started looking back at their childhood and revealing some of the stuff that went on (including physical violence from their dad and the whole affair thing, plus Old Beverly got crazier and crazier), I always felt Jackie was cracking open and becoming a little more (trying to be delicate here) open about the emotional damage she endured from her family. Plus then she had (non-existent) Andy and that brought up all kinds of deep stuff (I will never forget the episode where Jackie wanted to know what was wrong with her that Bev didn't treat her as nice as she did Andy - broke my heart). Plus Nana Mary was basically an alcoholic (but a fun one!!!) So lots of skeletons and if you're a Roseanne junkie and watch the original show in the background every Saturday on TV Land, you get the gist that Jackie was becoming moderately unhinged. I'm pretty sure that's where her wackiness started coming from - plus then the last couple of seasons, she was just cray-cray. 

 

This brings me right back into the Roseanne show years.  You've hit it right on here.

Edited December 4, 2020 by CrystalBlue
Realized I spelled Rosie's name wrong and corrected it.

[One Tough Cookie]

I think Laurie Metcalf's  overacting is ruining the show. Sh'es way too hyper and overbearing for me. and in spite of her being a life coach?  If anyone was searching for one she is a terrible example.

[CrystalBlue]

1 hour ago, One Tough Cookie said:

I think Laurie Metcalf's  overacting is ruining the show. Sh'es way too hyper and overbearing for me. and in spite of her being a life coach?  If anyone was searching for one she is a terrible example.

Of course Jackie being Lanford's Leading Life Coach (or whatever she calls herself) is a terrible example, but that's supposed to be funny.  The Conners is still a comedy, right?  (Hard to tell sometimes these days.)

[andidante]

Jackie was my favorite character in the original Rosanne. Now I can barely watch her!

[peacheslatour]

24 minutes ago, andidante said:

Jackie was my favorite character in the original Rosanne. Now I can barely watch her!

I know how you feel. I was watching Lobo Cop the other day. She is almost unrecognizable now and I don't mean how she looks. Her whole personality is different.

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

On 2/21/2021 at 6:25 PM, andidante said:

Jackie was my favorite character in the original Rosanne. Now I can barely watch her!

Since I'm an armchair psychologist now, I think Jackie is starting to get a little of the Bevs these days. Remember how "out there" Bev was a lot of the time? How she got louder and more, how do I say it politely, "old lady-ish"? Like her filter was deteriorating? I see that happening to Jackie. It may be the way she's written (since Darlene and sometimes Becky seem to be the current focus of the show), or she may be modeled after somebody's kooky old single aunt who draws on her exciting earlier life.  Like it's hard to imagine how poor old decrepit Dan Conner was the football star and the hard-partying Harley rider back in the day. I think they are writing Jackie the same way. Perhaps they don't have the same affection for early Roseanne series Jackie that many of us do. 

[ThatsDarling]

On 2/19/2021 at 6:33 PM, One Tough Cookie said:

I think Laurie Metcalf's  overacting is ruining the show. Sh'es way too hyper and overbearing for me. and in spite of her being a life coach?  If anyone was searching for one she is a terrible example.

I've seen Laurie Metcalf in other recent projects, including several of her Tony-nominated stage performances, and consider her to be one of our most inventive, compelling, and versatile performers. 

If my only exposure to her was the role of Jackie Harris on The Conners, however, I would be singing a different tune. Admittedly, the writing for her character is weak, but her performance is too broad for my liking. When an actor goes as over the top as Metcalf often does here, the direction is also to blame; I think there is a collective misunderstanding of what made the character interesting on the original show, and what viewers find entertaining. 

[peacheslatour]

Quote

If my only exposure to her was the role of Jackie Harris on The Conners, however, I would be singing a different tune. Admittedly, the writing for her character is weak, but her performance is too broad for my liking. When an actor goes as over the top as Metcalf often does here, the direction is also to blame; I think there is a collective misunderstanding of what made the character interesting on the original show, and what viewers find entertaining. 

So much THIS. I agree, there is a fundamental misunderstanding about why Jackie was so beloved in the first place. And I can't believe Laurie Metcalf doesn't see it. It's like she has a blindspot about her character.

[JAYJAY1979]

Jackie season 1 to 3 in the original show was sarcastic, confident (especially in season 1), and had lots of passion and ambition.

I always thought the episode where Crystal got married was when Jackie started to change into the female version of the old school comic strip 'born loser'

[Bastet]

In a new thread I assume will be merged with this or another existing one, it was asked why Mark refers to Jackie as Aunt Jackie:

Quote

 

Mark calls Jackie "Aunt Jackie".

Why does he call her that?

Jackie is his Mom's Mom's Sister.

Wouldn't Grandma Jackie be more correct?

 

She's not his grandma, she's his great aunt. 

I called all my great aunts and uncles "Aunt" and "Uncle".  It would make sense for Mark to do the same; although I'm sure it happens, I've never heard anyone say "Great Aunt So-and-So", but have heard plenty of people say "Aunt So-and-So" or a special nickname for a great aunt.

Everyone else in the family - other than Dan, who just calls her Jackie - calls her Aunt Jackie, so it wouldn't be unusual for Harris, Mark, and Mary to follow suit.  Certainly more logical than "Grandma" which is wholly inaccurate and doesn't reflect the nature of their relationship (Jackie is much more a fun, crazy aunt who dispenses occasional good advice than a grandma type).

Also, we've heard Bev referred to as Grandma Bev in relation to the great-grandkids, so it isn't uncommon within the Conner family to leave off the "great".

Edited August 12, 2021 by Bastet

[Beccaa]

I love Laurie Metcalf period.

[chitowngirl]

Laurie Metcalf? Yes; Jackie Harris? Sometimes-when she’s not being Wacky Jackie. Jackie references when she used to be on the Police Force or when she was on the road as a Trucker. She makes it seem as if she did these jobs as long time things. Neither lasted long and was over 2 decades ago.

[Bastet]

12 minutes ago, chitowngirl said:

Jackie references when she used to be on the Police Force or when she was on the road as a Trucker. She makes it seem as if she did these jobs as long time things. Neither lasted long and was over 2 decades ago.

That's consistent with her characterization, though.  Her "when I was on the force" stories were the stuff of eye-rolling legend within the family in the original series, because even though it was a short-lived career, she never stopped talking about it during or after.  She loved being a cop, and she got into being a truck driver, too.  Her short stint in community theatre got blown out of proportion in her mind, too.  She does that.

If between the two bouts of running the restaurant she didn't have anything fulfilling (I don't remember what it was said she did during all the time between shows, and I think the only other thing she's done since they returned was her ridiculous life coach stint), she's absolutely the type who'd still talk about her "glory days" in an exaggerated way after all this time.

[Jaded]

I'm glad they toned Jackie down a bit from how they were writing her in the first couple of seasons of The Conners.  I'm not sure what she was like in the more current season of Rosanne that came before it because I was so offended with Rosanne herself at the time irl that I didn't want to see her on screen. I've yet to go back to try and watch that season.

[Beccaa]

On 2/7/2022 at 7:07 PM, Beccaa said:

I love Laurie Metcalf period.

She is an amazing actress, she can easily do comedy or drama but secretly I would have loved to see her in Misery on stage. I love seeing her depth in emotion in this scene. She teases her process for getting the most out of a writer’s words, saying that her first step to putting a spin on a line read is to take her math 6 tutor near me pages and rid them of punctuation. “It might spark me to break up a line where you wouldn’t expect. It’s just a little technical thing, but it makes me start on the road of thinking outside the box.” She advises actors to not overdo it, though.

[andidante]

I loved that movie!!

[januaryman]

http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2022/06/the-laurie-metcalf-pepsi-challenge.html

[One Tough Cookie]

While I despise her character on the show she does SUCH a great job on Big Bang as Mary Cooper she blows me away.

Also saw Louise on Big Bang as Penny's mom and she too, knocked it out of the park.

Conners needs better writers.

Are you listening, Darlene?