EXCLUSIVE: Lecy Goranson, Tiya Sircar and Anne Dudek: Women of Spring’s TV Lineup

This Spring, women are ruling the medium of television. They’re portraying layered, complex characters on sitcoms that range from vintage reboots to progressive family dynamics, and the dark yet humorous things we do to succeed in the workplace.
Three standouts include actress Lecy Goranson, who steps back into her role as Becky Conner on an ABC Network reboot of the iconic working-class sitcom, Roseanne; Tiya Sircar, who plays Zach Braff’s professionally-driven and supportive wife Rooni on the new ABC sitcom, Alex, Inc.; and Anne Dudek, who plays the brazen, passive-aggressive, Kate, on Comedy Central’s new breakout hit, Corporate.
I had a chance to sit down with each of these talented ladies to get their take on the evolution of the American sitcom, and how female television characters have come a long way.
Catching Up with Roseanne’s Lecy Goranson

Allison Kugel: When you stepped off the Roseanne set for the last time in 1997, did you ever think, in a million years, that you’d be playing Becky Conner all these years later?
Lecy Goranson: No (laughs), I didn’t! Being back has made me realize the time I missed when I was away. It’s an interesting feeling that hit me, that the show continued without me. Everyone was still together after I left. I had a lot of mixed feelings about it. Not regret, but I thought, “Wow. I really love these people and I made a move, but it’s been such a blessing to be reconnected with everyone.”
Allison Kugel: You’re referring to your character Becky being re-cast with actress Sara Chalke during the fifth season of Roseanne. There are three characters in television that were famously re-cast during the height of a show’s success. You’ve got the two Darrens from Bewitched, the two Lionels from The Jeffersons and the two Beckys from Roseanne. I’m sure you’ve talked with Sarah Chalke at length about her taking over your role all those years ago. What was it like for Sara to step into your shoes halfway through the series run?
Lecy Goranson: I never really had a chance to talk to her until we were on Amy Schumer together. We went out to dinner and it was interesting to hear what she had to say, which was a lot! Anyone who gets a job like that, it’s very exciting, especially if you’re a small-town girl from Canada, which she was. I was talking with some of the other actors about what it might feel like to be a guest star on our show. For me, I know all these people and I’ve worked with them for years, but I still feel like I really have to bring my A-game. There’s a heightened feeling of responsibility in working with such amazing people. I can only imagine how intimidating that was for her, beyond the sheer joy of having a job like that. Stepping into a character that was already established, it was challenging for her. But she stepped into an environment where there were a lot of loving people, and talented people to help her bring her game up.
Allison Kugel: Twenty years later, what are you now bringing to the role of Becky Conner on this Roseanne reboot?
Lecy Goranson: I’ve been doing theatre for so many years. Like any skill, you build muscle by repetition. I’ve also had the privilege of working with great actors in the New York theatre community. The character of Becky is really strong, grounded and wise. It’s interesting re-approaching a character in this way, with all of my own life experiences. And I feel it when I am there; I feel my age! I’ve been around the block, but I think back to my former self as a child and I think, “What was it like?” It’s hard for me to remember a lot of it. There is a part of youth that is so unconscious, and there’s such a beautiful thing about that in retrospect. That unconsciousness gives you a lot of bold confidence.
Allison Kugel: Tell me about growing up with Roseanne Barr and John Goodman as your TV parents and spending countless hours with them as you were growing up.
Lecy Goranson: I’ve always felt really close to John. Our personalities are similar, and I have always felt very connected to him. I hate to use the term “genius” because people throw it around, but they both do have a genius for the work. Roseanne, the way her mind thinks comically, is really advanced. And John is such an incredible actor. His genius is in being so present in every moment and tweaking the script in his own way. He is one of the most present actors I have ever been around. The two of them together are just like a couple of big kids, encouraging each other to go further. They are a great team, and they bring out the best in each other.
Allison Kugel: How did a Roseanne reboot come together?
Lecy Goranson: It had a lot to do with Sara. I also know that Roseanne was thinking about doing it for a long time, independently. Michael and Roseanne had been talking about it. It all came together, and Sara took on the role of Executive Producer. When Sara reached out to everyone, we all said, “Let’s do it!”
Allison Kugel: Why should people tune in to watch the Roseanne reboot?
Lecy Goranson: Because it’s the best show on TV, of course!
Tiya Sircar is Zach Braff’s Better Half on ABC’s Alex, Inc.

Allison Kugel: Tell me about the new series Alex, Inc. in which you play Zach Braff’s wife, Rooni.
Tiya Sircar: It’s based on the real life and family of Alex Blumberg, who founded the podcast company, Gimlet Media. Zach plays Alex, who is in his late thirties, very successful in his career, he’s got a wife and two kids. He decides that he wants to quit his job and start a podcast company, so he can tell stories that he feels are meaningful. In real life, Alex Blumberg did exactly that. He quit his job at NPR, where he was producing successful podcasts like Planet Money and This American Life, and he sets out to start his own company. The very first independent podcast he produces on his own is him quitting his job, starting this new company and breaking the news to his wife. Our show follows that journey.
Allison Kugel: The show is inspired by Alex Blumberg’s real story, but you take some creative license.
Tiya Sircar: It’s loosely based on Alex Blumberg’s real life, but we follow our own creative path with it. The show is essentially about following your dreams, about family, and I play Rooni, Alex’s (played by Zach Braff) wife. Rooni is a successful public defender, so she has a career that she loves and is passionate about. Now Alex is doing his podcast company which he is super passionate about. But meanwhile, they have these two kids that they want to do right by. It’s a balancing act getting this company going and figuring out what that means for the family.
Allison Kugel: Alex, Inc. is tailor-made for a millennial audience. You’ve got the incubator where Alex works on his startup, and all these young people creating outside-the-box inventions. What’s your take on practicality versus following a dream?
Tiya Sircar: I am the child of Indian immigrants, both of whom have PHDs and are college professors, and I’m an actor in Hollywood. I’m not of the mind where it doesn’t matter what you care about, you’ve got to have a safe reliable job and do the 9 to 5. I obviously don’t subscribe to that. There’s nothing wrong with that, though, if that’s what you want to do. One of the things I love about our show is that there are so many films about young people who are just out of college and want to pursue their dreams. It’s rare, in my opinion, that we get to see someone who is in his late thirties, with a wife and children who he has to support, realizing that what he is doing is not fulfilling him in a way that he really wants. He knows what will and he goes after it. The moral of the story is that you don’t have to grow complacent. If there is something that you are passionate about, you don’t have to wait to try and pursue that dream.
Allison Kugel: I love the fact that television is showing so much diversity in families now, and Alex Inc. does portray a multiracial/multicultural family. Tell me how you feel about portraying a family that is part Caucasian, part south Asian with multiracial children, on prime-time television.
Tiya Sircar: I’m thrilled that there is this multicultural family on network, prime-time television. When I was growing up, I was acutely aware that I never actually saw anyone that looked like me on television. Probably the only south Asian character when I was a child was Apu on The Simpsons. The Simpsons is great, but that characterization is not exactly what we are going for in how we’re represented.
Allison Kugel: Why should people tune in to watch Alex Inc.?
Tiya Sircar: It’s hilarious but also has a lot of heart, and people will enjoy coming on a journey with this family.
Anne Dudek Takes on Corporate Culture for Comedy Central

Allison Kugel: Describe the Comedy Central series, Corporate, for those who haven’t yet tuned in.
Anne Dudek: Corporate centers around the lives and perspectives of two junior executives in training, Jake Weisman, and Matt Ingebretson, who also co-created the show. It’s a deeply cynical view of capitalistic, corporate culture. I play a higher up executive. It’s a workplace comedy unlike the traditional happy, cheery sitcom. It’s a darker view of how we relate to each other in the workplace.
Allison Kugel: What social and societal commentary is the show is trying to make?
Anne Dudek: We’re portraying people who are warped by the demands of trying to succeed, when the values are all about power and money at the expense of your soul. On one hand, it’s upsetting, but on the other hand it’s really funny, because of its absurdity. The humor is born out of how absurd our lives can become when these are the central values of our work life.
Allison Kugel: Have you ever had to hold an office job along the lines of what’s portrayed on the show?
Anne Dudek: One of the main triumphs of my life is that I haven’t experienced that 9 to 5 job that felt endlessly despairing. Though being an actor is a difficult life sometimes as well. I think anybody in the modern workforce has had an experience with being asked to be a certain way, to succeed, that feels inherently a little depressing.
Allison Kugel: What is the humor aspect that runs through each episode?
Anne Dudek: The dark, dry accuracy of some of these moments. It’s like pulling out these little sparkly diamonds from a necklace, setting them all together, and saying, “Look at how powerful this is.” Our show heightens what is absurd about corporate life, and what’s absurd is really funny.
Allison Kugel: You’ve appeared in so many films and television shows over the years. What role do people most often recognize you from?
Anne Dudek: White Chicks!
Allison Kugel: Oh my God, Yes (laughs)! I thought I was the only one! How do you feel about being so recognized for that movie?
Anne Dudek: That movie has stood the test of time in a way I never could have predicted. I’ll walk into a Starbucks, and someone’s like, “White Chicks! I love White Chicks!” And I just love that. I never would have thought that movie would have made the lasting impact it’s made.
Allison Kugel: Why should people tune in to watch Corporate on Comedy Central?
Anne Dudek: Because it’s extremely intelligent and provides real laughs. It’s a different kind of comedy from what is available out there right now, talking about our current culture.
> Allison Kugel
Allison Kugel is a syndicated entertainment and pop culture journalist, and author of the book, Journaling Fame: A memoir of a life unhinged and on the record. Follow her on Instagram @theallisonkugel.
Photo Credits are courtesy of ABC/Robert Trachtenberg, Comedy Central, ABC/Adam Rose, ABC/Bob D’Amico, ABC/Elizabeth Fischer.