Rosie O’Donnell Reflects on Her Talk Show Guests

Years after “The Rosie O’Donnell Show” wrapped up, Rosie O’Donnell is sharing her thoughts about some of her notable guests. During an appearance on the “Sampan Tonight Show,” she mentioned Keanu Reeves, who first graced her stage back in 1997.

O’Donnell described Reeves as “very sweet” and noted how he looks great in all his films. However, she humorously pointed out his struggle with answering questions during his time on her show. “I’d ask, ‘So, Keanu, how are you doing?’ and he’d just say ‘good,'” she recalled. Live television doesn’t allow for retakes, and after a few minutes, O’Donnell felt the need to remind the actor, “This is a talk show. We need to talk!”

Despite the rocky start, she called him a “lovely person” and mentioned that he returned to her show in 2001, proving he could adapt. “He came back and got the hang of it,” she said.

Interestingly, representatives for Reeves have not yet commented on O’Donnell’s remarks.

O’Donnell didn’t hold back when discussing the guests she loved most. Martin Short and Barbra Streisand stood out as her favorites. In fact, she labeled Streisand her favorite guest overall, while saying Short was the best. She recounted how Short would burst onto the scene with his energy, remarking, “You come out and say, ‘How’s it going, Marty?’ and then it’s over for you.” His humor and charm clearly left an impression on her.

“He was the funniest guy, the nicest guy,” O’Donnell added, cementing Short’s status on her list of great guests.

“The Rosie O’Donnell Show” originally aired from 1996 to 2002 before she chose to take a step back to focus on her family. Years later, she tried her hand at another show, “The Rosie Show,” which unfortunately was canceled after one season in 2012 due to low ratings.