John Goodman Knew He ‘Had the Job’ on Classic Sitcom ‘Roseanne’ After Auditioning With Roseanne Barr

John Goodman admits his early acting days were “frightening” — but there was one job he knew he had in the bag: His role as Dan Conner on Roseanne.

“I went straight from school to New York City 50 years ago this summer,” he told People while looking back on his career in a story published on July 18. “I had to go because if I didn’t, I would kick myself in the rear end for the rest of my life. So, it was just a matter of saying that I tried.”

Despite being fresh out of college, the Big Lebowski star, 73, always “kind of knew” he could succeed as an actor.

“I gravitated toward whatever was offered and tried to make the best of that,” he added.

When he went to audition for a lead role in the ‘80s sitcom Roseanne, Goodman shared that he had a unique experience.

“I went in to read with Roseanne [Barr] the first time, and I never do this, but I walked out of there knowing I had the job,” he continued. “It was just too good of a fit.”

The 10 Cloverfield Lane actor previously reflected on their on-screen and off-screen chemistry as colleagues to The Hollywood Reporter, noting that he and Barr, 72, “hit it off from jump street.”

“She made me laugh, and I made her laugh, and wow, it was so much fun,” he recalled of filming the classic family show, which originally aired from 1986 to 1997. “We’d get so many viewers for the show back then — 20, 30 million people. Things are so different now, but it was a special time.”

The show returned decades later with a reboot in 2018, but that same year, Barr was fired after writing a racist tweet about former Barack Obama aide Valerie Jarrett. The show was rebranded to The Conners and wrapped up in April.

Despite their prior relationship as costars, Goodman said he hasn’t spoken to Barr for “about seven or eight years” now, adding that he had doubts she’d even want to “talk” to him again.

Goodman also revealed that he hadn’t expected the reboot to run as long as it did – especially after Barr was booted from the show.

“I thought it’d be a one-off thing, and then we got picked up and Roseanne got fired. I thought that was it,” he explained. “As soon as they dismissed the cast, I picked up Righteous Gemstones. Then we got to do the show again as The Conners. I didn’t know how long it would last, but I sure enjoyed it while I was there.”