Lifetime TV’s newest reality show Roseanne’s Nuts featuring the one and only Roseanne Barr, her thirty-something son Jake from her first marriage, and her boyfriend of nine years Johnny all living together on a Hawaiian macadamia nut farm, also includes a quirky eccentric sidekick by the name of Greg Cipes.’ Greg, who is no stranger to show biz, does major cartoon voice-overs and can currently be seen on General Hospital causing drama as the complicated, devious drug dealer JT. In real life he’s an actor/musician living in LA who met Roseanne through her good friend Lisa Marie Presley and that’s how Cipes got the gig of resident hippie living in a tent strumming guitar in Roseanne’s nutty backyard trying to offer her some kind of soothing spiritual calm and of course, humor.
Spoke to Greg and asked him, who is Greg? “On the show my character is a personification of who I am. Ultimately I am a multi-dimensional person with many layers and levels and characters within me but the day to day Greg is similar to what we find on the show but just a character of me really.” The show is not all reality it’s semi-scripted and we get to really play with the characters a lot.” I do it all. I do television, cartoons, cutting my next album right now. My band is ‘Cipes And The People.’ Roseanne’s Nut’s has helped a lot to bring my music to a lot of people because I play a lot of my original music on the show.”
Cipes, who released an album back in 2007, told me he is currently working on a new album with Lisa Marie’s 20 year old son Benjamin and describes his sound as rock-n-roll reggae. “We met because he was a fan of my music and I played his 16th birthday party 4 years ago and we then started doing music together. He’s co-writer, plays bass and sings on my next album and he’s really good, really good. A prodigy really, he is absolutely the incarnation of Elvis.”
Wow I said. Are you freaking out that you’re working with Elvis Presley’s grandson? “It’s a blessing, we have a great time.” Wow again I said, Cipes is cool as a cucumber, maybe he can mellow me out.
Roseanne’s new show on Lifetime TV is cool and funny and although Roseanne has seemed to become woven into the fabric of mellow yellow Hawaii, she still loses her temper now and again and freaks out at Jake and Johnny reminding them that the old Roseanne is still within reach, albeit a mellow reach.
Lastly, I asked, How’s it been working with Roseanne? “One of the most profound, inspirational and magical experiences of my life, truly. She not only is one of my best friends but one of my teachers spiritually. Love just being around her it’s really lifted up my life.” She’s been through hell and knows what heaven’s all about.”
I guess he’s lucky to be a part of the new Roseanne. Do check out Roseanne’s Nuts.