So sad to see Jessica go. Although many remember her best as the mean-ass matriarch from Arrested Development, she will always be the crazy, racist head of ISIS (Archer) and decades earlier, the obsessed fan in Play Misty for Me. Good thing she didn’t get typecast after trying to kill Clint Eastwood in the latter. With the former, the spy parody wasn’t her first time voice acting, Jessica had worked on a Land Before Time movie, The Pirates of Darkwater and a little cult fave called Dinosaurs, she was the mom (Fran). When I get around to re-watching Babylon 5, I need to pay more attention to her role as a senator probably lecturing Commander Sinclair. Oddly, Jessica never appeared on the numerous Star Trek franchises. Another movie I love and gotta’ re-watch, probably to torment Jennifer is The Flamingo Kid, the fictional bio of sitcom legend Gary Marshall.
She had a helluva’ career. Lead, support, star in an ongoing series, one-time guest, ensemble, soap opera, sitcom, drama, thriller, procedural, prestige flick, after-school special and even crap (an Eighties Twitter feed plugged the anniversary of Going Ape! being released, a post-Taxi vehicle for Danny DeVito and Tony Danza). Several times on The Love Boat covers multiple categories I just listed. I wonder why Jessica skipped Fantasy Island, both Saturday-night hits probably had the same casting directors.
Thank you Jessica for your incredible body of work! You definitely perfected the stereotype of WASPs I have in my mind. I hope many current and future actresses follow your example so they too can continue to work, I agree with the criticism of Hollywood’s unhealthy obsession with false youth.