'I Feel Re-Famous': Rosie O'Donnell on Her Return to New York

**Rosie O'Donnell** (0:00)
Hello, Donnie, no, you're watching. Donnie, it's me, Rosie, showing up on ABC.
I want to do a little love song like, you got a crush. Donnie, it's too much. I hear you're leaving Melania for me.

**Kara Swisher** (0:29)
Hi, everyone, from New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network. This is On with Kara Swisher and I'm Kara Swisher. My guest today is the one and only Rosie O'Donnell. She's staging a limited run of her one-woman play in New York right now. It's called Common Knowledge and it's a deeply personal look at her recent move to Ireland, the challenges of parenting and the death of her mother just before she turned 11 years old. Of course, the show also touches on a decades long feud with President Donald Trump. Rosie was one of the very first people to challenge his image as a self-made billionaire back in 2006 when she was co-host of The View. She hasn't stopped since and I don't expect her to pull any punches when she guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel tonight later this month. But Rosie is a lot more than just a critic of Trump. She's won 11 Emmy Awards and one Tony Award. Her career spans comedy, daytime television, film and advocacy, as well as theater. She's never been afraid to say what she really thinks even when it comes at a personal cost and she's also had a lot of personal issues throughout her life that she talks about a lot. I think she's a really interesting character and she's more often changed over the years. But one of the things she is, is often right about people like Donald Trump, and she's willing to go out on a limb to talk about it. All right, let's get to my conversation with Rosie O'Donnell. Our expert question comes from retired soccer star, podcast host and activist Megan Rapinoe. Rosie is a legend, you won't want to miss our conversation so stick around.
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**SPEAKER_5** (3:14)
It is on.

**Kara Swisher** (3:16)
Rosie, thanks for coming on On.

**Rosie O'Donnell** (3:18)
My pleasure. Thank you for having me.

**SPEAKER_5** (3:19)
I'm so thrilled you're here in person.

**Rosie O'Donnell** (3:21)
Well, I was very far downtown.

**Kara Swisher** (3:23)
Yes, I know it's far down here, but it's nice. You can come visit. You can go see the stock exchange.

**Rosie O'Donnell** (3:27)
Exactly.

**Kara Swisher** (3:27)
If you feel like that, stuff like that. You can jump on the Staten Island Ferry if you feel like it.

**Rosie O'Donnell** (3:31)
You have to be the very tip of New York.

**Kara Swisher** (3:33)
The very tip of New York. Anyway, welcome back to the US after moving to Dublin earlier this year. You did an opposite statue of Liberty thing and went the other direction. Right.
I just curious, what's the first stop you wanted to make when you got back to New York other than seeing your kids and your new grandson? Congratulations.

**Rosie O'Donnell** (3:50)
I wanted to see Broadway. I mean, that's really my love of New York is wrapped up in that, and I've been to see so many shows since I got here a couple of weeks ago, and I've seen Jellicle Ball three times.

**Kara Swisher** (4:02)
I took my kids to it this weekend.

**Rosie O'Donnell** (4:04)
Wasn't it unbelievable?

**Kara Swisher** (4:05)
Unbelievable.

**Rosie O'Donnell** (4:06)
And it's a lesson in gay history and ballroom and perseverance and minority presence in the world.