AlthoughThe ConnersandRoseannerarely mention her specific age, Laurie Metcalf’s iconic sitcom heroine Jackie Harris has gone through a lot of life stages between the two shows. Laurie Metcalf is one of the most celebrated comedic actors of her generation, with an Academy Award nomination and three Golden Globe nominations to her name. While she has impressed in everything fromLady BirdtoScream 2toJFK, Metcalf’s four well-deserved Prime-time Emmy Awards highlight the most memorable role of her career.
Metcalf began playingRoseanne’s high-strung sister Jackie in 1988 and soon became the sitcom’s breakout star. Even amongThe Conners’ large cast of characters, Jackie remains a truly great sitcom creation. WhileRoseanne’s death beforeThe Connersbegancould have derailed Jackie’s story, the tragedy instead offered Metcalf an opportunity to humanize a character who was previously known primarily for their over-the-top, goofy personality. Throughout Roseanne’s original run, its 2017 revival, and its spinoffThe Conners, Metcalf consistently found the heart and humanity in Jackie’s ridiculous antics.
How Old Jackie Was In Roseanne
Jackie Is Three Years Younger Than Her Sister Roseanne
Jackie’s age is never directly stated in the original nine-season run ofRoseanne, although it can be discerned from context. TheRoseannefandomWikilists Jackie’s birthdate as June 11, 2025, and this aligns closely with Metcalf’s own age when filming. Born in 1955, Metcalf was 33 when she began playing Jackie. Her co-star, Roseanne Barr, was born in 1952, making her three years older than Metcalf. Roseanne is canonically three years older than Jackie, meaningJackie was around 32 years old whenRoseannebegan.
Ames McNamara
Mark Conner-Healy
By the time season 9 wrapped up nine years later, Jackie was roughly 41 and Roseanne was around 44 years old. Of course, the infamousRoseanneseason 9 complicates matters somewhat. WhileThe Connersseason 7’s new charactersmight be divisive, nothing in the spinoff’s final outing has earned as much opprobrium as this much-maligned outing.Roseanneseason 9 inexplicably began with the Conner family winning over $100 million in the lottery and disregarding their working-class struggles overnight.
Both Metcalf and Barr were around three years younger than their respective characters.
The rest of season 9 was so zany, outlandish, and cartoonish that the show’s 2017 revival ended up retconning all its events. This means that Jackie’s 41st year, which saw her come out as gay and join Roseanne on a train journey that was hijacked by terrorists, never happened. To complicate matters further, it is worth noting that Jackie’s marriage to Fred was also retconned, as was the existence of their son, Andy. This means that a good chunk of seasons 6, 7, and 8 can be disregarded alongside season 9, so viewers don’t necessarily know Jackie’s entire life story.
How Old Jackie Was In The Roseanne Revival
Jackie Is Around 60 Years Old In 2017’s Roseanne Revival
By the timeRoseannereturned in 2017, retconning the entirety of season 9 and great chunks of seasons 6-8 in the process, Jackie was around two decades older.Jackie is roughly 60 inRoseanneseason 10, beforeRoseanne’s death inThe Connersseason 1. As was the case in the original series, both Metcalf and Barr were around three years younger than their respective characters. The revival’s Jackie shared the character’s resilience, humor, and verve, but was a lot more cartoonish and absurd.
Roseanne’s death humanized Jackie, making her a more sympathetic and tragic figure.
This changed significantly with the death of Roseanne and the arrival ofThe Conners. There were a fewRoseannestorylines that took Jackie seriously, including her devastating abusive relationship with Fisher. However, her character was broader, sillier, and more unhinged than the sardonic, cynical Roseanne. Roseanne’s death humanized Jackie, making her a more sympathetic and tragic figure. WhileThe Connerscentered Darleneas its stand-in for Roseanne after her death, the spinoff relied on Jackie to maintain an emotional link with the heroine of the original series.
How Old Is Jackie In The Conners
Jackie Is Around 67 By The Conners Season 7
Jackie is 61 inThe Connersseason 1 and, by season 7, she is approximately 67 years old. This explains why Jackie chose to retire instead of continuing to run the Lanford Lunchbox at the beginning of season 6, since she has spent decades working and has more than earned a break. Inevitably, Jackie’s advancing age did nothing to slow her down, and she soon started meddling in Louise’s school board campaign due to boredom.
Where Is Harris In The Conners Season 7, Episode 1?
Emma Kenney’s Harris is a pivotal character in Roseanne’s spinoff, so why was Darlene’s daughter missing from The Conners season 7, episode 1?
Now,The Connersseason 7 is giving Jackieher best arc in years as she returns to the police force. Goaded by a dismissive police officer played by Metcalf’s real-life daughter Zoe Perry, Jackie attempts to rejoin the force in season 7 and brings her usual excessive brio to this challenge. Only time will tell ifThe Connersheroine is successful but, ifRoseanneand its revival taught viewers anything, it is to never bet against Jackie Harris regardless of the odds stacked against her.
