Sara Gilbert

Sara Rebecca Abeles was born on January 29, 1975, in Santa Monica, California. Her interest in acting developed at a young age, reportedly after witnessing her siblings, Melissa and Jonathan Gilbert, receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. By 1984, she had adopted the Gilbert family name and, after early appearances in commercials and the TV movie “Calamity Jane,” she secured a breakout role at the age of 13. This was as Darlene Conner on the critically acclaimed sitcom “Roseanne,” a role that would define much of her early career and showcase her distinct acting style.

Gilbert remained a main cast member on “Roseanne” for its full nine-year original run (1988-1997). During this period, she also pursued higher education, graduating with honors from Yale University in 1997 with a degree in art, specializing in photography. Her commitment to both her education and acting career saw the show’s producers adjusting schedules to accommodate her studies. After the initial run of “Roseanne,” Gilbert continued to build a diverse filmography, appearing in movies such as “Poison Ivy” (1992) and “Riding in Cars with Boys” (2001), and guest-starring in various television series including “ER” and “The Big Bang Theory.”

In 2010, Gilbert co-created, produced, and co-hosted the CBS daytime talk show “The Talk,” for which she received a Daytime Emmy Award in 2016. She reprised her role as Darlene Conner in the highly anticipated “Roseanne” revival in 2018, also serving as an executive producer. Following the revival’s cancellation, she continued her role as Darlene and executive producer on the spin-off series “The Conners” (2018-2025). Her career demonstrates a consistent presence in and significant contributions to the entertainment industry, both as an actress and a creative professional behind the camera.