Danielle Harris Reflects on Her Long-Awaited Return to The Conners

Actress Danielle Harris might be most known for her work in the horror genre, having starred in multiple entries into the Halloween franchise, as well as having directed a number of her own projects, but ’90s sitcom fans likely remember Harris as Molly Tilden, appearing in multiple episodes of Roseanne as a rival of Darlene’s. Despite not becoming a core cast member on that original series, she left a major impact not only on audiences, but also on Sara Gilbert’s character in the series, as Molly’s seeming interest in Darlene’s boyfriend caused the character to admit her romantic interest in David. Nearly 30 years later, Harris returns to The Conners on Wednesday, April 7th for a pair of back-to-back episodes.

With her earliest acting efforts being in the horror genre, one would think starring in Roseanne would be a much easier task, with Harris recalling her initial experience filming in front of a live studio audience.

“Roseanne was my first ever sitcom, live-audience show that I’d ever done,” Harris confessed to ComicBook.com. “So it was a hardcore way to throw me into the fire back then. It was like the number one show on the air, and I had no comedic experience, except for film. It always held a special place in my heart and it’s pop culture, like, everyone knows Roseanne during that time in the ’90s, so it’s a trip. I just saw a little bit of some of the teasers that ABC’s been putting out and I saw the last time I had an argument with Darlene at the door and it’s so weird to see us looking older because it feels the same. It’s this weird experience. I did seven episodes back in the ’90s, so it’s been a trip. It was definitely a trip coming back.”

20 years after the series finale, Roseanne returned for one season starting in 2018, with Roseanne Barr’s exit from the series evolving the sitcom into The Conners. While Molly’s return might take some fans by surprise, it’s something Harris has been hoping for ever since she learned the show was making a return.

“As soon as I found out that Roseanne was coming back, period, whether it was called ‘Roseanne’ or ‘The Conners,’ I was like, ‘I hope one day they bring Molly back,’” the actress admitted. “Because it was just such a fun character to play and I know they were bringing people back here and there, so I’ve kept my eyes on it and I watched the show anyway. So I kept my eyes open and when I got the call that they wanted to put me on hold for some episodes, I was like, ‘Wait, wait. For what? Wait, what? For Molly? For me? Me, Molly? Like, they want me?’ So it was pretty exciting. It was definitely the most exciting news I got in a very long time.”

Not only have the characters of the series changed a lot over the years, so have the performers, with the upcoming appearance on The Conners marking a significant moment for Harris as a mother.

“I’m married, I’ve got kids, and this is going to be the first time in, like, easily almost three decades that I can sit down in my house, in my living room, and watch myself on TV with my family,” Harris pointed out. “I’ve been doing genre stuff for so long and things that are a little bit old for my kids to watch and it’s really nice, I’m so excited to be able to show this to my kids and be like, ‘Look, there’s mommy.’ And I’m not covered in blood and I’m not screaming, so they don’t have to be scared. I’m really excited, actually, to get the family together and watch it.”

Tune in to the two-episode The Conners event on Wednesday, April 7th at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.