FOX’s Call Me Kat has added Emmy Award winner Vicki Lawrence (Mama’s Family, Eunice) to the third season cast to play Phil’s mother, played by late actor Leslie Jordan, Lurlene Crumple, no-nonsense woman who fills in as the cafe’s baker while Phil is on vacation, via Deadline. Lawrence had previously co-starred alongside Jordan in The Cool Kids, a series that follows three friends at a retirement center as their comfortable existence is rattled by a newcomer to the community.
Call Me Kat’s executive producer Maria Ferrar shared with Deadline that “Leslie’s death absolutely affected the storylines. We can exclusively confirm that Phil’s ,other will be featured in an episode that we’re shooting right now. We cast Leslie’s friend Vicki Lawrence in the role.”
Executive producer Jim Patterson also revealed to Deadline that “The first person we thought to play his mom— who is a character in and of herself— was Vicki Lawrence. They had that Cool Kids connection and she’s amazing and so funny. We mentioned it and, God bless her, she didn’t hesitate; she said yes right away. We know the spirit of Phil will certainly be with her. It’s going to be fun to have that character doing some of the same in-jokes we did when Phil was there.”
Jordan’s final appearance on Call Me Kat will be in the eighth episode of Season 3 titled “Call Me Fancy Puffenstuff” and is set to air on Dec. 1, according to Deadline