One Degree Of Separation: 50 Riotous Years as Mr. Roseanne Barr

by Bill Pentland

After thirty-five years of constantly being told he should “write a book,” Bill Pentland finally realized that now was the time to put to paper his fifty-year sojourn with Roseanne. From their early days in a Rocky Mountain log cabin (with a two-seater outhouse), Bill and Roseanne eventually ended up in the Denver suburb of Lakewood, Colorado. They had three kids in rapid succession; Bill went to work for the post office, and eventually, Roseanne broke into the Denver comedy scene. In 1985, she did a Johnny Carson spot, and everything suddenly changed for the young family.
The naïve clan moved to Hollywood and was soon gobbled up whole by the proverbial “overnight success.” Now, when a performer seeks fame, that may be a great payoff for them (if they can handle it, ) but for the others who were happy where they were, the adjustment is like being strapped to a Saturn V rocket and watching your world and all you know disappear beneath you. Ahead is the moon, but you won’t be walking on it – some other guy will. Bill weaves a cautionary tale here of what it’s like to go from being Joe Six-Pack to being courted by the biggest names in TV production with the success of the sitcom “Roseanne,” only to fall back down again when he became “in the way.”
This is a unique story, and it deserves a voice. Many who enter this tornado often fail to come out the other side, but Bill somehow did. He was one degree of separation from hundreds of mind-bending Hollywood occurrences yet managed to keep his head. He never wanted fame, so he didn’t mind when it was gone. It was simply a life full of the crazy diversions you will find on these pages.

359 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 30, 2024