Posted at 8:20 a.m. Friday, Oct. 3

Read my review of "Easy Money."

It’s been a few years since Laurie Metcalf has been a regular on a TV show, but the “Roseanne” alum was ready to try it again.

“I love getting back to it,” Metcalf told me during a recent phone interview. “I’ll always love the theater first and foremost ... But this is a wonderful group and I’m really flattered they asked me to be a part of this.”

“This” is the CW dramedy “Easy Money,” which debuts at 8 p.m. Sunday. Metcalf plays Bobette Buffkin, a scrappy, no-nonsense woman who runs a payday loan company.

The dark comedy centers on Bobette’s middle child, Morgan (Jeff Hephner), who has never quite fit into the family despite the fact that he’s obviously Bobette’s favorite. Morgan questions the family business, and he’s searching for why he feels so unsettled

Bobette is Metcalf’s first role on series TV since the sitcom “Roseanne” ended in 1997. The founding member of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company has appeared on stage, in films and on TV—most memorably in her four-episode role as Caroline Bigsby on “Desperate Housewives.”

According to Metcalf, Bobette is a “self-made woman who dotes on her family”—and she’s based on a real person named Bobette. The real Bobette is a cousin to the show’s creators, husband-and-wife team Diane Frolov and Andy Schneider. She runs a payday loan company in Las Vegas, Metcalf said, “has red hair and [laughs], she dresses great.”

“She is a great consultant,” Metcalf said.

Metcalf and I talked about her Chicago days at Steppenwolf, working on “Roseanne” and her new series, “Easy Money.” Keep reading below.

Jeff Hephner and Laurie Metcalf play son and mother on "Easy Money."

Have you ever taken out a payday loan, maybe during your Steppenwolf days?
No, I was able to weirdly scrimp by on theater pay, which is pretty remarkable in hindsight. I never even thought that much about those [payday loan] places. It’s all different types of people who use them for all different reasons.

Do you consider “Easy Money” a comedy or drama?
I think right now it’s playing straight down the middle. I see it more as a comedy only in the fact that the scenes that I get to do with the family I find a lot of humor in. But the through-line of Morgan’s search is definitely dramatic.

After being on “Roseanne” for 9 years and doing theater after, what made you come back to TV?
I love it. I love working in an ensemble like that. With the same people over and over again, you bond really quickly. I love getting back to it.

What attracted you to the show?
I never expected this family to look the way they do, to be as rich as they are. I didn’t expect them to be as tight as they are, or as funny or quirky as they are. I think the setting is kind of unique—the use of the desert and the mini-malls and the expanse of concrete. It could be a section of any city in the country.

I love the fact that the family has its McMansion yet they eat take-out food every night. And she’s a very fierce mother. She’s very protective of her kids, especially Morgan, who she has a stronger bond with than the other two, I think.

What do you miss about Chicago?
I love the weather. I love the seasons. I miss that group [from Steppenwolf] that I work with all the time. Theater in general in Chicago is great. [There’s] great food, the Lakefront, museums and everything. I become like an ultimate tourist again every time I come back because I want to go to the same spots over and over again and see them like it’s for the first time. It’s gorgeous.

Will we see you back in Chicago on the Steppenwolf stage?
I hope so. I hope so real soon. I don’t have anything specific planned right now, but I try and get back there as much as I can.

Do you ever talk to Roseanne?
I saw her about two and a half days ago. We were at a photo shoot that’s going to be in Entertainment Weekly, I think. It was really fun. All of us were laughing so hard we had tears running down our faces. We were reminiscing about episodes, catching up with every body. That doesn’t happen all that often. I see [old castmates] occasionally, but this was great.

Do you miss the show and your castmates?
I miss them. It was a great opportunity, a wonderful job. It was enjoyable for the whole nine years. Those kinds of jobs don’t happen all that often so it was extremely lucky to be on one that was so successful and so well-liked and received. It was just a fluke for me of being in the right place at the right time and ending up being a huge part of my life.

How was playing Caroline Bigsby on “Desperate Housewives”?
When [creator] Marc Cherry told me what was going to happen in [my] fourth [episode] I was surprised and flattered that they would let me play a character that had such a funny arc. It was unexpected and a lot of fun.

How is it being a red head in the new show?
Oh, it’s good. They tried to use my own hair for a while and that wasn’t working so I have a very nice wig now that I can rely on.

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This show looks like it will get cancelled after a week.

Curt's reply: It's been on for several weeks now, Cash, but thanks for commenting.

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