The Conners are about to get a visit from one of Dan's (John Goodman) old friends. Premiering back on September 21, Season 5 of the ABC hit sitcom keeps chugging along and now Lanford will see a new guest arrive in the form of Academy Award nominee William H. Macy. He's set to guest star as Smitty, a close buddy of Dan's from high school who'll swing by Lanford for a while to hang out with the Conners.
Macy will bring quite the pedigree with him to the Conner household, scoring a pair of Emmys for both writing and starring in Door to Door and an Academy Award nomination for 1996's Fargo. He originally broke onto the scene with 1991's Homicide before landing the starring role in The Coen Brothers' massive film which turned him into a superstar. Despite his massive presence on the big screen with subsequent roles in Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Jurassic Park III, and Wag the Dog, among others, 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. Among his credits on TV are Sports Nights, A Slight Case of Murder, Curious George, and, more recently, The Dropout.
Macy comes into the picture during a time of change for the Conner family. The end of Season 4 saw both Darlene (Sarah Gilbert) and Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) tie the knot with their respective beaus Ben (Jay R. Ferguson) and Neville (Nat Faxon), meaning they finally decide to move out of the Conner house. To save money, they go on a double honeymoon, leading to a chaotic, stressful getaway full of the hilarity the family is known for. The arrival of Macy as Smitty could pave the way for more Dan-centric stories with an old buddy around the house to joke around with.
Macy will join a cast starring Goodman, Metcalf, and Gilbert alongside Lecy Goranson, Michael Fishman, Emma Kenney, Ames McNamara, and Jayden Rey. A follow-up to the beloved original series Roseanne, The Conners is created by Matt Williams, who also conceived of the original series. Bruce Helford, Bruce Rasmussen, and Dave Caplan developed the series and served as executive producers alongside Gilbert, Tom Werner, and Tony Hernandez.
The Conners Season 5 is currently airing on ABC with episodes available to stream on Hulu after airing. Check out a promo for the hit sitcom below.