Ames McNamara plays Mark Conner-Healy onThe Connersand his character may be the most important person on network television right now. WhenThe Connersmoved forward in 2018 after theRoseannedebacle, it was unclear how the series would fare without the Emmy-winning original series' titular character. Fortunately, and maybe surprisingly,The Connershas become an exceptional family sitcom,often rivaling the original in quality. Most of the main cast return with a few new characters in the next generation of Conners.
Crucially,John Goodman returns to one of his funniest roles, Dan Conner, the patriarch of the Conner family. Dan, as always, is easy-going yet hardworking, blue-collar and traditional but exceptionally open to change. He’s one of the most well-rounded TV dads and, inThe Conners, he gets to be a well-rounded grandfather to a gaggle of kids and teens, including Mark. Mark, the son of David (Johnny Galecki) and Darlene (Sara Gilbert), is an intelligent, polite, sensitive, and proudly effeminate young man who has been an important character in LGBTQ+ representation on network TV.
The Conners Season 7: Everything You Need To Know
The sitcom The Conners was originally slated to end after season 6, but it returned for a franchise-capping seventh season in 2025.
Ames McNamara’s Mark Conner-Healy Has Done A Lot For LGBTQ+ Representation
Mark Is A Proud LGBTQ Character And His Family Happily Accepts Him
When Mark is first introduced, he’s shown to enjoy wearing dresses and painting his nails, all activities accepted by his family, particularly by his mother, Darlene.In season 2, episode 2, “A Kiss is a Kiss”, Mark officially comes out as gayafter a photo of him and his boyfriend Austin (Jack Fisher) goes viral. An interesting and modern twist on this is that, for the most part, no one is concerned with Mark and Austin’s sexuality. The issue is that PDA is not allowed in their school.
Austin’s grandmother denies her grandson is gay during the meeting with the principal and Darlene informs her how much damage she could do to her son if she doesn’t find it in herself to accept Austin.
When Darlene asks her son why he didn’t tell her, he doesn’t say he was afraid; he just did not realize he was gay until he and Austin were together. However, it’s Austin who must deal with homophobia in his own family. Austin’s grandmother denies her grandson is gay during the meeting with the principal and Darlene informs her how much damage she could do to her son if she doesn’t find it in herself to accept Austin.
Ames McNamara has found tremendous value in playing Mark, saying in an interview withYEM,
“I really enjoy playing Mark, and it’s not only for who he is but his family and his relationship with his family. But I think it’s really cool that there’s someone like Mark on TV for kids to relate to and I just think it’s good to show all sorts of people on TV, because TV should reflect real life and in real life, everyone’s all different. But I love playing Mark because I just think he’s a really interesting person, and he’s also a constantly evolving person like everyone is. And I’ve really liked getting to see him grow throughout the seasons.”
While streaming services have definitely increased thevisibility of LGBTQ+ characters with showsfeaturing characters who identify as such, network television has somewhat lagged behind.The Conners, particularly with the inclusion of Mark, are an important pillar of representation. This is a network family sitcom that everyone can watch.To have an LGBTQ+ character front and center without even really commenting on it, save for a few episodes, is a crucial step forwardin wider acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community.
Roseannealso did a lot for LGBTQ+ representation, at least relative to the era, showing Roseanne kissing another woman (season 6, Episode 18, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”) and also featuring the first same-sex wedding on American television that involved a recurring character (season 8, episode 11, “December Bride”). Each was met with controversy.
John Goodman Taught Ames McNamara About Physical Acting On The Set Of The Conners
McNamara Has Grown Up Learning From The Best
Dan and Mark have an excellent relationship onThe Connersand so do Goodman and McNamara in real life. In an interview withCinemaBlend, when asked if he learned anything from the Emmy-winning veteran Goodman, (while Goodman sat next to him), McNamara responded,
“Wow, that’s a tricky one. I mean, honestly, there’s a lot of things. I would say, John, I’ve learned a lot by watching your physicality and the way you - your character’s physicality is something that I think I’ve always observed and learned from, in terms of finding that for my own, for myself. I don’t know if that makes sense. but watching the way you move or, you know, even if it’s just sitting in a chair, that’s one specific thing. But that’s a tricky question. It’s hard to pick one thing.”
Physical presence as an actor is crucial, and it can be easy to pick out an actor who is going through the motions, considering each one like a robot, versus an actor who is confident in their character and how they move.Goodman has incredible physical presence in all his rolesand McNamara has certainly improved over the seasons. But Goodman says the young actor still has a few things to learn, and that, “He might not know that until later.”. Hopefully, Goodman will continue teaching McNamara asThe Connerscontinues.
Ames Is The Kind Of Positive Character The Conners Needs
Mark Is An Essential Ingredient For The Roseanne Spinoff
Mark is an incredibly important character when it comes to LGBTQ+ representation inThe Conners.While representation is an essential ingredient for any TV show, regardless of genre,The Connershad an extra layer of scrutiny upon it compared to most.The Connersis a spin-off ofRoseanne,as fans know, and this meant that it had to be especially mindful when it came to portraying a diverse range of characters.The reason for this is simple - the comments made by Roseanne Barr in 2018.
Roseanne Barr was the star ofRoseanne,and while she always courted controversy, even at the height of her fame, she was fired by ABC in 2018 due to a series of offensive Tweets. It was decided her titular character would be killed off-screenafter the events ofRoseanneseason 9, and the planned season 10 revival was retooled into what fans now know and love asThe Conners.
The Connershad to carefully handle how it would move on from the firing of Roseanne Barr, as it needed to distance itself from the actor who, at one point, was the center of the in-show universe.Barr’s comments caused public outcry, especially due to the views she espoused towards minorities. Kililng off Roseanne was a strong step towards ensuring viewers know Barr had nothing to do with theRoseannespinoff. However, there needed to be strong subtextual statements made in the show’s tone that made the fact it didn’t agree with Barr’s political leanings.
This is why Ames McNamara’s Mark Conner-Healy is so important to the initial and continued success ofThe Conners.Even before he came out, Marks' family were always incredibly supportive of him and how he chose to express his identity. When he did come out, it allowedThe Connersto showcase the family’s views on homosexuality and disgust at the thought of intolerance.By extension, this also enforced that the show and its creative team and cast didn’t agree with the likes of Barr and her supporters, despite her significance to the foundations of the story ofThe Connersdue to her being the lead inRoseanne.
There’s plenty to love about Mark Conner-Healy, and the character is far more than his sexuality. While it’s endearing and uplifting to see howThe Connershandles this side of his narrative arc and character, it’s always important to remember that this is only one aspect of who his is, what he means to the show and the rest of his family, and the part he plays in the various storylines. However, the inclusion of Mark and the loving supportive way he’s treated by his family also helped cementThe Connersas being completely separate from the controversial politics of Roseanne Barr.
The Conners
Cast
The Conners is a continuation of the Roseanne series, focusing on the iconic family members Dan, Jackie, Darlene, Becky, and D.J. Released in 2018, the series explores the family’s challenges with parenthood, dating, unexpected pregnancy, financial pressures, aging, and in-laws within working-class America.
