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Jackie

Marjorie

"Jackie" Harris

Husband: Fred (divorced)

Children: Andy Harris

Mother: Bev Harris

Father: Al Harris

Sister: Roseanne Conner

Brother-in-Law: Dan Conner

Neices: Becky and Darlene Conner-Healy

Nephews: D.J. and Jerry

Nephew-in-Laws: Mark and David Healy

Great-Neice: Harris Healy

Grandmother: Nana Mary


Background[]

Jackie Harris was born on June 16, 1955 to Al and Bev Harris. She was born with the name Marjorie, but Roseanne couldn't pronounce it and kept calling her "My Jackie," and Bev thought it was adorable so she changed her name to Jackie. Jackie went to Lanford High with her sister and was the first to see Dan. She stated that she should have grabbed him up when she had the chance but she decided to let Roseanne have him. Over the years, Jackie met and dated many men but never fell in love with any of them. Jackie has always had trouble with love and envys her sister because she has the "perfect life."

Life[]

Jackie is Roseanne's younger sister by three years. In the episode "Labor Day," it is revealed that Jackie's real name may have originally been Marjorie, as her mother reveals that Roseanne couldn't pronounce it, and wound up calling her "My Jackie", thus leading to Jackie's name (although her mother immediately follows this with "or was it Mary Jane?"). Jackie is an intelligent, warm, highly sensitive underachiever with chronic low self-esteem. Roseanne seems to be in charge of Jackie's life, which is a frequent cause of conflict between the two; however, Jackie sometimes enjoys having Roseanne mother her, especially when Jackie feels vulnerable.Jackie's character seems to become more animated and colorful as the series progresses. Jackie holds numerous jobs: working in the Wellman Plastics factory for several years until the walkout, then becoming a police officer until she is injured on the job, and later a truck driver, then opening the Lanford Lunch Box with Roseanne and Nancy (her mother is a silent partner). Jackie often comes up with seemingly off-the-wall "crazy" ideas, but it turns out that many of her unconventional ideas actually work. Her romantic relationships are frequently unstable, including one where she dates a man named Fisher and becomes the victim of domestic violence. However, she eventually marries Dan's co-worker Fred, who impregnated her after a one-night stand. Jackie gives birth to their son, Andy, two months before she marries Fred. At one point Jackie, unhappy with the self-absorbed couch potato Fred, starts going out with another couple, which then becomes one man. Dan sees her, warns her about Fred's possible reaction, but later accidentally blurts it out to Fred. Fred returns home upset, accuses Jackie of "adultery" and refuses to speak to her. Roseanne, with Bev's help, has Fred realize that his accusations against Jackie are unjustified, and he goes back. However, at this point Jackie is realizing that she's happier being single. The marriage proves to be short-lived because Jackie finds Fred boring, petty, and self-centered and they fall out of love. Jackie is crushed by the divorce at first, but moves on to become a successful single mom to Andy. Despite Jackie's apparent flightiness in the early episodes, Jackie is actually the backbone of the Conner/Harris family in many ways, as Roseanne admits in the last episode. In the final episode, it is also revealed that the character of Jackie had been a lesbian the entire time, and that Roseanne knew but had simply always pictured Jackie with a man.

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