Whatever Happened To Sara Gilbert?

Back in the 1990s, Sara Gilbert was the perfect embodiment of the typical teenager. Sullen, sarcastic, and strong-minded, her performance as daughter Darlene Conner in the classic comedy "Roseanne" deservedly earned two consecutive Emmy Award nominations, as well as the admiration of any youngster who's screamed at their parents, "You just don't understand."

Of course, more than 25 years after the show's 1997 original cancelation, Gilbert is no longer the stroppy adolescent. She's a mother of one (and stepmother of two), a divorcee, and a power player in the worlds of both daytime television and prime-time sitcoms. And as shown in the ill-fated "Roseanne" revival and far less turbulent spinoff "The Conners," her most famous character is all grown-up now, too.

From behind-the-scenes endeavors and big-screen returns to chat show revelations and celebrity friendships, here's a look at exactly what the sitcom favorite has been up to in recent years.

From "High Fidelity" to "Riding in Cars with Boys," Sara Gilbert appeared to be building up quite a neat filmography in the early part of the 21st century. But following a small cameo in 2004's "Laws of Attraction," the actor went AWOL from the big screen.

In fact, it was only in 2023's "80 for Brady," the sports comedy about four lifelong friends on a jaunt to see New England Patriots star Tom Brady, that Gilbert added another movie credit to her resume. The Californian played the daughter of Lily Tomlin's Lou in the box office hit, and speaking to Major Film Events about the role, she expressed how lucky she felt to be part of its talented cast.

"When I heard about the movie, I didn't care what the part was. I just heard these huge names, these icons, I can't think of anyone better to be in a movie with ..." Referring to the likes of Tomlin, Jane Fonda, and Sally Field, Gilbert added, "It's so unreal to be with this group of women. If you were going to do a movie with one of them, you'd be beside yourself."

In 2018, Roseanne Barr was called out by many of her "Roseanne" co-stars for an anti-Muslim, racist comment she made about Barack Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett on X, formerly known as Twitter. Several years later, the comedian still appears to hold a grudge against one of these former castmates in particular.

Sara Gilbert, who played Barr's daughter Darlene in the eponymous sitcom and then again in the spinoff "The Conners," condemned her on-screen mother at the time, tweeting, "Roseanne's recent comments about Valerie Jarrett, and so much more, are abhorrent and do not reflect the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show. I am disappointed in her actions to say the least." She also spoke out about the controversy while co-hosting "The Talk," prompting Barr to issue a foul-mouthed warning.

During an interview on SiriusXM's "The Megyn Kelly Show," Barr recalled, "It wasn't enough that she stabbed me in the back and did what she did to me there, but then she would go on her talk show every day and talk about how shocked she was at my racism on top of it ... I called her up, and I said, just like this, 'You better shut your blankin' mouth about me. I'm telling you, you better shut your effing mouth.' And then, she did."

Sara Gilbert not only reprised her iconic role of Darlene Conner in the 2018 revival of the classic sitcom "Roseanne." She was also instrumental in its inception. In fact, it was an interview with former castmate John Goodman on her chat show creation "The Talk" that sowed the seeds for the comedic comeback.

Speaking to Gold Derby in 2020, Gilbert explained, "We did this little sketch in front of the audience as our characters. We did one take and it just felt so natural, like the relationship was right there still. And I walked to my dressing room and I was emotional. I just thought, 'Wow we have to do something with this and I feel like it's the right time and the right place.'"

Of course, things went slightly awry when its outspoken lead, Roseanne Barr, made one highly problematic tweet too many, forcing ABC to cancel the show after just a single season. "It was a hard time because we were making something that we loved and no one thought that it was going to go that way," Gilbert added. "We didn't expect that turn of events, so it hard to go through on a lot of levels." But soon after, the network commissioned "The Conners," a Barr-less spinoff which the Californian both appeared in and executive produced.

Daytime chat show "The Talk" was essentially Sara Gilbert's baby. The star best known as Darlene Conner on "Roseanne" not only regularly appeared on its panel alongside the likes of Sharon Osbourne, Leah Remini, and Julie Chen Moonves to discuss the issues of the day, but she also created it. But in 2019, after nine years on air, the multi-talent decided it was time to let someone else take the reins.

Gilbert delivered this news on air, telling audiences that her commitments on both "The Talk" and "The Conners" had been detrimental to her family life — she has three kids, Levi Hank, Sawyer Jane, and Rhodes Emilio — and that something had to give: "I loved it and felt totally empowered, but also if I'm being honest about it, I think my life was slightly out of balance. I wasn't able to spend as much time with my three kids as I'd like, or take time for myself."

Speaking to "The Big Ticket" podcast in 2020, Gilbert admitted (via Variety) that although she was happy with her decision, she was showing withdrawal symptoms: "I loved seeing those women every day and connecting with them, and the producers and the crew and staff. It was just such a great environment, such a friendly place to go every day. So I do miss that."

As well as returning to the world of Roseanne in the spinoff "The Conners," Sara Gilbert continued to show off her comic timing in two other sitcoms. First, she played sarcastic obituary writer Cheryl in "Living Biblically," the one-season wonder about a film critic who decided to live his life by the Bible. Then she landed the role of Professor Judd in the third and penultimate season of Netflix's underrated "Atypical."

Perhaps explaining her casting in the latter, Gilbert told Deadline that she likes to choose projects that both tickle the funny bone and pull on the heartstrings: "I think I'm really drawn to projects that are a blend of comedy and drama. Projects that, if it's a comedy, are still very emotional and poignant, and if it's a drama, it's still extremely funny. I like that world in between, because I think that's what life is like."

Gilbert also starred alongside Laverne Cox in the fourth episode of YouTube's sci-fi comic anthology "Weird City," with the actors playing a couple whose relationships and lives are threatened by a malevolent smart home.

At one point, Sara Gilbert and Linda Perry looked like they might challenge Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi as Hollywood's ultimate lesbian power couple. But in 2019, five years after they walked down the aisle together, the actor and hitmaker sadly revealed they were heading for the divorce courts.

According to People, Gilbert had filed for divorce proceedings, having cited irreconcilable differences. But the pair appear to have kept things amicable since. They came to a joint legal custody agreement over their son Rhodes Emilio, and in 2020, Perry told Page Six that although her marriage to "The Conners" star is over, her relationship with her isn't.

"You have to look at life as life, and things happen," the 4 Non Blondes singer said. "I'm still on an incredible adventure with Sara. I love her. I adore her. We have a beautiful child together. So that journey's not ended, it's evolved into something else."

In 2021, Sara Gilbert appeared via Zoom on "The Drew Barrymore Show," where the pair reminisced about their time working together on 1992's "Poison Ivy." If you've watched the erotic thriller, then you'll already know that the pair lock lips in one scene. But you might not know that the rehearsal was the first time that the "Roseanne" star had ever kissed a member of the same sex.

Gilbert revealed all in a bit named Drew or False, where she had to state two lies and a truth. The Californian then disclosed, "The true one is C, my first girl kiss was with Drew. And now I'm not one to kiss and tell ... Look, now I'm like going to blush."

Barrymore then explained how she and Gilbert prepared for their cinematic smooch in a trailer: "We were like, 'Oh, I guess we should practice, because we wanted it to look good on screen.' We had so much fun." And the love-in continued when the host asked "The Talk" creator for advice on hosting a chat show. Gilbert replied, "You're doing such an amazing job. I think it's the perfect job for you because the people who do the best at it are authentic, and you are so you, you couldn't really be any other way."

With Roseanne's spinoff "The Conners" becoming one of the jewels in the ABC crown, its home network has been keen to ensure that its major players stay on board. And in 2021, they did so by offering its three most established stars a bumper pay packet.

Alongside co-stars Laurie Metcalf and John Goodman, Sara Gilbert was reportedly offered a whopping $400,000 per episode to continue playing Darlene Conner in the hit sitcom. According to Deadline, the deal spanned the entirety of the fourth season run. And with 20 episodes filmed, that essentially made Gilbert and co. millionaires eight times over. In fact, Celebrity Net Worth claims that the Californian now has a remarkable $30 million to her name!

Unlike the industry standard, which usually offers cast members six-year deals, the stars of "The Conners" were placed on annual deals, giving Gilbert, Goodman, and Metcalf plenty of leverage when it came to having those crucial talks. 

Although she's occasionally pictured by the paps — see the time she went hiking in Los Angeles with longtime celebrity pal Alicia Silverstone or hopped on her beloved electric motorbike to run some errands — Sara Gilbert has largely managed to keep her personal life to herself in recent years. And as she explained to Variety, her departure from daytime chat show "The Talk" has been integral to her new-found privacy.

"The Conners" star said, "There is some relief and thinking like, 'Wow, if I go through anything in my personal life now, I don't have to talk about it.' That's been a stretch for me, because I've never been a very public person. I think I put myself on the show to try to push the boundaries like that and grow spiritually and psychologically, but I'm okay with letting that piece of it go."

Gilbert's absence from "The Talk" means that fans haven't been able to get the lowdown from her 2020 split with Linda Perry. While the 4 Non Blondes singer has occasionally approached the subject in interviews, her ex-wife has been able to keep schtum.

As well as continuing to play Darlene in the successful "Roseanne" spinoff "The Conners," — its sixth season will premiere in 2024 — Sara Gilbert appears to have several other projects in the pipeline, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.

In 2023, the Californian was announced as the executive producer of "The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh," an immigration sitcom based on the real-life experiences of Vijal Patel, who moved with his family from India to the United States. But that's not her only affiliation with a true story.

Two years earlier, Gilbert was named alongside the likes of Rob Huebel, Lyiq Bent, and Tate Donovan in the cast for "Verbatim," an HBO Max anthology whose first season would center on the 2019 college admissions scandal in which "Desperate Housewives" star Felicity Huffman was sent to jail. It wasn't announced which part the Emmy Award nominee signed up to play, and we're still none the wiser. As of yet, the series hasn't made it to air.

Having previously created the daytime TV institution "The Talk," Sara Gilbert continued to establish herself as a power player in 2019 when she launched her own production company. The Californian teamed up with Tom Werner, best known for producing 230 episodes of the "Roseanne" sitcom she starred in, to form the imaginatively titled Sara + Tom. And she couldn't have been more excited to get going.

Speaking to Variety about her latest behind-the-scenes move, Gilbert gushed, "I am thrilled to be working with someone as kind and brilliant as Tom. When I was a kid, he was the guy behind the scenes making it all happen. It's truly a dream to call him my partner, and I look forward to making impactful, funny, and moving content together."

Luckily, the feeling appeared to be mutual, with Werner adding, "Sara is one of the most creative people I have ever worked with. I have admired her and loved her since she came into my office and crushed the reading of the role of Darlene in "Roseanne." She is as creative a talent behind the camera as in front of it. I'm grateful that she is partnering with me to create new content, and I hope the next three decades together is as fruitful as the last three."

Sara Gilbert was considered so cool back in her early "Roseanne" days that she was reportedly allowed to become the only female member of Hollywood's coolest friendship group: the P**** Posse. According to various reports, the Californian regularly joined the likes of Tobey Maguire, David Blaine, and, of course, its de facto leader, Leonardo DiCaprio, in their various 1990s shenanigans. And she still appears to be close friends with the latter.

In 2023, Gilbert was snapped watching Daniil Medvedev take on Novak Djokovic in the Men's US Open final at Flushing Meadows in the row in front of DiCaprio. Some eagle-eyed fans believed that she got annoyed with her A-lister pal at one point for talking through the game. But it obviously wasn't too much of a drama as just two months later, she happily accepted an invitation to attend the "Titanic" star's 49th birthday bash in Beverly Hills.

It's not known exactly how unlikely friends Gilbert and DiCaprio first connected. But the most likely theory is that they started hanging out after the latter made an uncredited cameo as a classmate of Darlene Conner in a 1991 episode of "Roseanne."