Rosie O’Donnell.
Photo: Randy Holmes/Disney via Getty Images
Rosie O’Donnell returned to a talk-show desk last night for the first time since The Rosie O’Donnell Show went off the air in 2002, and, in the process, she reminded the world why that show was so successful. Jimmy Kimmel is currently on summer break, but Jimmy Kimmel Live! is soldiering on with a series of guest hosts, and O’Donnell, the latest, used her experience to reshape the show in her image. O’Donnell, who moved to Ireland after Donald Trump won a second term, was surprised at the offer. “Jimmy was never a fan of mine, and it was kind of an adversarial relationship — not that I was fighting back, but I was like, ‘Okay, one of the bro guys …,’” she told Variety. But she took the job, and thank goodness. It turns out that even though a lot has changed in 24 years (notably, O’Donnell no longer has to pretend to have a crush on Tom Cruise), she is still the same bighearted professional she always was. It feels good to have her back.
Her monologue opened with Trump material (she refers to him as “Mango Mussolini”), but her real strength came later, when she was describing her life in Ireland with her child, Clay. O’Donnell lovingly describes the way the local crossing guard didn’t believe she was the “famous actress” Rosie O’Donnell, and how the local pharmacist was so good at her job that O’Donnell thought she was flirting with her. Her descriptions of the people she’s interacting with are generous, and though the joke is always on her, she’s not putting herself down. In contrast to the flinty political nature of Kimmel’s monologues, watching O’Donnell describe a happy life feels like a warm hug. Just look at the way she paid tribute to Hayden Panettiere, who died this weekend at 36. “I’m just heartbroken over the passing of Hayden Panettiere last night. She was on my show many times as a little girl, and I got to know her as a grown woman,” O’Donnell said. “And she was so brave talking about mental health before people were really ready to hear about it, and very sad. My love to her family and friends, and she will be missed. Godspeed, Hayden.” Rosie O’Donnell still feels real.
The best moment in O’Donnell’s episode, though, was her interview with Ana Gasteyer. Gasteyer is currently starring in Schmigadoon! on Broadway, which is catnip for O’Donnell. She was always Broadway’s biggest ally and regularly brought theater stars on her show to highlight their work. (Watch Sutton Foster’s “Gimme Gimme” now, if you haven’t, and bask in O’Donnell’s enthusiasm for it.) Her conversation with Gasteyer was expectedly knowledgable: O’Donnell has seen the show, she gets the references, and she’s excited to talk. When Gasteyer plugs the cast album, O’Donnell responds, “Excellent, I will be getting that,” and you believe her! She even references how blown away she was the time first heard Gasteyer sing as Elphaba in Wicked.
You know … Kelly Clarkson’s show is ending its run. Any chance O’Donnell wants to come back from Ireland?
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