MICHAEL Fishman currently starts as DJ Conner in The Conners, but some viewers might not know the ABC show is actually a spin-off from an old sitcom called Roseanne.
Roseanne originally aired between 1988 and 1997, with a brief revival in 2018, and Michael was joined by a stellar cast including Roseanne Barr, Tom Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, and Johnny Galecki.
The side-splitting series followed the working-class Conners family, who were struggling to get by on a limited household income.
Michael’s character, DJ, was the youngest of the Conners siblings – a naive and boisterous kid who constantly bickered with his older sisters.
Fast forward to the present day and, in the wake of their matriarch’s death, the Conners clan continue to face the struggles of daily life.
The 40-year-old is now all grown up and looks absolutely nothing like the adorable, freckle-faced kid viewers of a certain age will remember.
Although fans with a sharp eye will see the similarity if they look close enough and past the grey streaks in his hair – it’s all in the eyes and cheeks!
Today, Michael even has two kids of his own, Aaron and Isabelle, who he shares with ex-wife Jennifer Briner.
However, he tragically lost his teenage son Larry, who he’d been in the process of adopting from the foster care system, to an overdose in June 2020.
Shortly after the loss, the grieving star opened up about it on the Tamron Hall Show, saying: “I feel like I came to Larry maybe later than I wish I could”.
He added: “A couple years ago, I probably would have never shared this, to be honest with you.
“The really important part is that you’re brave enough to admit when you struggle and that you need help or that you aren’t strong”.
