Roseanne's late bloomer.

With the number of gay and lesbian characters increasing on television, the addition of one more to the roster may seem incidental. Bat not if you're Bev Harris, the hard-to-please grandmother on Roseanne. "At first I thought it was so silly," says veteran actor Estelle Parsons of her character's coming-out on the show's Thanksgiving episode. "Why on earth should my character become a lesbian? And who on earth would care?"

Much to Parsons's surprise, viewers did care. In fact, she adds, "Somebody told me that her mother actually did the same thing. And I thought, Wow ... well, it's real life." Of course, the sitcom's unflinching portrayal of real life--specifically, the Conner family's constant financial struggles--has always been what its star, Roseanne, was hailed for. That is, until last year.

As the series entered its final season this past fall, viewers watched Roseanne immerse herself in a series of fantasy-based situations, from winning the lottery to imagining herself as Barbara Eden in the classic TV series I Dream of Jeannie. The result? A massive drop in the ratings. By the time Bev revealed attraction to women, the announcement might have seemed like another gimmick to get through the season. But, Parsons says, her character's coming-out process began more than a year ago.

"At the beginning of 1996, Rosie asked me if I'd mind being gay, and I said no, that was OK." Parsons also notes she wasn't the least bit apprehensive. "Why would I be?" she asks. After all, this isn't the first time she's portrayed a lesbian. In the 1968 film Rachel, Rachel, Parsons played the role of Calla, a "spinster" teacher and frustrated lesbian who develops a crush on the film's star, Joanne Woodward, planting kisses on Woodward's face and lips.

"I don't know whether that sort of thing has had an effect on my career, but I don't think that much in terms of career," says Parsons, whose role as Calla garnered her an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress (to go with her 1967 Best Supporting Actress award for the film Bonnie and Clyde). "If I see material that seems very challenging or has interesting characters, those are the people I like to bring to life."

At this stage of her career, Parsons, 69, says her biggest challenge is to keep Roseanne's audience laughing. "The only thing I was worried about in this whole coming-out thing is that I wouldn't be as funny as a character anymore," she notes. "To discover one's sexuality at such a late stage of one's life must be terribly freeing, but I don't think Bev's at all comfortable with whats going on yet."

Besides, Bev might not even be a lesbian. Parsons says that in the episode that followed Bev's Thanksgiving disclosure, the producers cut out a scene in which Bev travels back from a trip to visit her mother (played by Shelley Winters). Driving Bev home, the show's gay couple (portrayed by Martin Mull and Fred Willard) ask when she first knew she was a lesbian. "Wait a minute, boys," she counters. "All I know is that Fm attracted to some women. That doesn't necessarily mean I'm gay."

Whether or not Bev turns out to be a lesbian, Parsons says her character's journey toward self-discovery is worthwhile. "What I've always loved about Bev is that she was always searching, always making some effort to make life more palatable--something other than quiet desperation," says the actor. And what can viewers take away from this plot twist? "You should never stop searching for a life that will suit you," Parsons says. "If it happens at an older age, all the better. Whenever it happens, you have to be grateful."