List of Arrested Development characters
This is a list of the main and recurring fictional characters from the Fox television comedy series, Arrested Development.
Bluth family tree
- - - - : Adoption
| George Bluth Sr. | Lucille Bluth | Oscar Bluth | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eve Holt | George Oscar "G.O.B." Bluth | Tracy Bluth | Michael Bluth | Lindsay Bluth Fünke | Tobias Fünke | Byron "Buster" Bluth | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Steve Holt | Hel-loh "Annyong" Bluth | George Michael Bluth | Mae "Maeby" Fünke | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Main characters
This is a list of the show's main characters, all of whom are listed in the opening credits and appear in most episodes. They are listed in the order that they appear in the opening credits.
Michael Bluth
Michael Bluth (Born 12/14/1967) is the second oldest Bluth son, and the father of George Michael Bluth. Michael is portrayed by Jason Bateman.
Lindsay Bluth Fünke
Lindsay Bluth Fünke (Born in 1965) is the adopted daughter of George Sr. and Lucille, but is allegedly Michael's twin sister. Lindsay is portrayed by Portia de Rossi.
George Oscar "G.O.B." Bluth II
G.O.B. (pronounced [ʤoʊb] as in the Biblical figure Job) is the eldest Bluth son and the father of Steve Holt. He is a failed professional magician. G.O.B. is portrayed by Will Arnett.
George Michael Bluth
George Michael Bluth (Born 3/02/1990) is the young teenage son of Michael Bluth. He is a student, and is in love with his cousin Maeby. George Michael is portrayed by Michael Cera, and in flashback sequences by Christian Lavery.
Maeby Fünke
Mae "Maeby" Fünke (Born 9/22/1990) is the teenage daughter of Lindsay and Tobias. She does not demonstrate much of a scholarly acumen and has a penchant for acting out. Maeby is portrayed by Alia Shawkat.
Byron "Buster" Bluth
Byron "Buster" Bluth is the youngest son of George Sr. and Lucille, though it is later revealed that his biological father is actually George Sr.'s identical twin brother Oscar. He is a career student and a member of the United States Army. Buster is portrayed by Tony Hale.
Tobias Fünke
Dr. Tobias Fünke is the husband of Lindsay Bluth and the father of Maeby Fünke. He is a psychiatrist and a struggling actor, notable for expressing strong homosexual tendencies. He also spends time trying to join the Blue Man Group, often appearing in blue spots in the background. Tobias is portrayed by David Cross.
George Bluth Sr.
George Bluth, Sr. is the head of the Bluth family, imprisoned after he is charged with a number of white collar crimes. George Sr. is portrayed by Jeffrey Tambor.
Lucille Bluth
Lucille Bluth is the matriarch of the Bluth family. She is not a highly sympathetic mother and has a drinking problem. Lucille is portrayed by Jessica Walter.
Recurring Characters
This is a list of the show's recurring characters (characters that have appeared in multiple episodes, but are not part of the central cast). At the end of each character's description is listed the episodes on the show in which they appeared, in descending order of episode count.
Oscar Bluth
Oscar Bluth is George Sr.'s identical twin. He is also portrayed by Jeffrey Tambor.
Oscar can be distinguished from George by his flowing hair, due to lack of stress in his life. He is a frequent user of marijuana. He served as a "croc spotter" on a swift boat in the Vietnam War (yelling out "Croc!" whenever he saw a crocodile), and once wrote a song for David Cassidy, "All You Need Are Smiles", that made Joan Baez call him "the shallowest man in the world." It was often hinted that he is probably the biological father of Buster in season 2. Eventually, it is revealed that he is Buster's father.
Oscar resides most often in a trailer outside Camp Pendleton. He owns a couple hundred acres of lemon groves and sells lemonade to the troops when their maneuvers pass by. He sold the land to Michael, who was unaware that the government had an easement on it so they could drive their tanks through it. Lucille took advantage of Oscar's feelings for her and convinced him to buy the land back.
According to Michael, Oscar has lived on handouts all his life. According to his brother, he has never had to work for a living, leading to his full head of shoulder-length hair that Lucille finds irresistible. Oscar's persistence with Lucille - whom he met when she was working a USO tour - led to a rekindling of their once torrid romance. This has disturbed Lucille's youngest biological son, Buster, who discovered the adulterous pair in flagrante delicto multiple times.
After George Sr. escaped confinement, Oscar was arrested because police assumed he was George. The police also impounded Oscar's trailer and left him even more indignant than usual. Lucille, who at the point was resisting the fire Oscar possessed for her, allowed him to come and live with her and Buster. Buster had decided that his mother was right. He did need a male role model. Oscar's presence allowed Buster to develop the many talents he'd discovered with Lucille. He lovingly brushed Oscar's hair, a ritual once preserved for Lucille alone. In return, Buster was treated to several uncomfortable silences upon witnessing Oscar's penchant for living loose and literally, "letting it all hang out."
Oscar's shameless exhibitionism was a product of the proximity he shared with his dream woman. Once confined to a single residence, the illicit pair revived the past, leaving Buster with no role model and no safety net.
In the second season finale, to clear up his legal difficulties and punish his brother for cuckolding him, George Sr. shaves Oscar's head and turns him in. The stress of being imprisoned and mistaken for George Sr. has caused Oscar's hair to not grow back. This, paired with the fact that his fingerprints were burned off (by the family Cornballer), prevents him from establishing his true identity.
To try to convince the world of his true identity, Oscar set up www.imoscar.com, a blog of sorts that details his life in prison while continually asserting that he is, in fact, Oscar. A real-life version of the site was maintained by Fox Broadcasting.
In the third season, Oscar manages to get out of prison when George Sr. is placed under house arrest and leaves town. He returns occasionally, but these visits are usually ended when George Sr. knocks him out and switches places so he can escape again.
Appears In: Whistler's Mother, Not Without My Daughter, The One Where Michael Leaves, The One Where They Build a House, ¡Amigos!, Good Grief, Sad Sack, Afternoon Delight, Switch Hitter, Queen for a Day, Burning Love, Out on a Limb, Hand to God, Sword of Destiny, Meat the Veals, Spring Breakout, Righteous Brothers, The Cabin Show, Prison Break-In, Development Arrested
Barry Zuckerkorn
Barry Zuckerkorn is the phlegmatic attorney for the Bluth family. He is played by Henry Winkler.
Zuckerkorn represents George Sr., the family patriarch, who has been arrested and charged with defrauding investors. Zuckerkorn often appears languid and distracted in his handling of the case. He does not seem particularly apt in the courtroom and multiple references have been made to him being a bad lawyer.
He is inevitably ill-prepared, which he usually blames on long meetings the night before. In fact, most of his nights are spent hanging out at rest stops, a behavior that is frequently mentioned and accompanied by a fast cut to an establishing shot of a dark, shady rest-stop facility.
His sexual leanings are ambiguous although it appears that he may prefer the company of male transvestite hookers and may be homosexual or a tranny chaser. Like Tobias Fünke, Barry makes many colorful references that seem to allude to his exclusive attraction to men. They aren't explicit enough, however, to be conclusive. He however often makes mildly negative references and comments about "the homosexuals" even though he admits them to be wrong. He has been with the Bluths for a long time and was kept only because Lucille considers him to be "part of the family." He is also, according to many, supposed to be "very good" (a descriptor he uses himself). His reputation is stronger with the elder Bluths than with the children.
Despite his parents' dependence on Barry, Michael Bluth fired him on the first episode of the third season, which ended his law career, as the Bluths were his only clients. Since then, he has been acting as a transvestite prostitute, and Lindsay seeing her husband Tobias retaining Barry's "services" has prompted her to seek a divorce. Zuckerkorn was replaced as the Bluth's attorney by Bob Loblaw.
Appears In: In God We Trust, Beef Consommé, Altar Egos, Justice Is Blind, Not Without My Daughter, Let 'Em Eat Cake, The One Where Michael Leaves, Good Grief, Sad Sack, Queen for a Day, Out on a Limb, Hand to God, Motherboy XXX, Righteous Brothers, The Cabin Show
John Beard
John Beard is the Fox 6 news anchor that often covers the Bluth family's problems on the news. John Beard is a real life news anchor (for Fox 11 in Los Angeles), who plays himself on the show.
Appears In: Pilot, Extended Pilot, Top Banana, Key Decisions, Public Relations, Missing Kitty, Let 'Em Eat Cake, The One Where Michael Leaves, The One Where They Build a House, Sad Sack, Burning Love, Sword of Destiny, The Cabin Show, For British Eyes Only, Mr. F, S.O.B.s
Ann Veal
Ann Veal (full name Ann Paul Veal, as shown on her yearbook page in the episode "Sad Sack") is the on-again, off-again girlfriend of George Michael Bluth. Her first appearance was in the episode "Let 'Em Eat Cake," where she was played by Alessandra Toreson. In every subsequent appearance, she has been portrayed by Mae Whitman.
She comes from an extremely religious family, and her father is a pastor. Ann's mother is often confused as being her sister. In "Meet The Veals", Ann's mother kisses Michael Bluth, which she believes to be making love to him. The kiss leads to a brawl between Michael and her husband at the end of the episode.
None of the Bluths besides George Michael can remember Ann’s name. Michael refers to her variously (and always accidentally) as “Bland," “Egg,” "Annabel," "Yam," "Plant," "Plain," "Ann Hog," and "Her?", and abandons her in Mexico accidentally. Maeby Fünke takes pleasure out of referring to Ann as “Bland” when talking to George Michael (her jealousy being the first sign that she too has feelings for her cousin). George Michael tells his family that Ann is really funny when he is forced to defend his love interest.
Ann is attracted to George Michael’s Star Wars kid-like lightsaber demonstration, which led to reconciliation after a breakup midway through the second season. George Michael wanted to get pre-engaged to Ann at the end of the second season, lost his resolve at the last moment, and was then asked by Ann to teach her his secular ways.
Ann's strict conservatism is a foil for Maeby's commitment to rebellion. Ann leads the protest at Maeby's premiere of the English remake of "Dangerous Cousins," originally a French movie about a sexual relationship between two cousins.
Ann moved on from George Michael after coming in third place in an "Inner Beauty" pageant. G.O.B., who admitted a penchant for third place pageant winners, later revealed that he was dating a Christian girl, which, in the third season finale, turned out to be Ann.
Appears In:
- Alessandra Toreson - Let 'Em Eat Cake
- Mae Whitman - The One Where They Build a House, ¡Amigos!, Good Grief, Afternoon Delight, Switch Hitter, Burning Love, Out on a Limb, The Immaculate Election, Meat the Veals, Righteous Brothers, Notapusy, Development Arrested
Hel-loh "Annyong" Bluth
Hel-loh Bluth is the accidentally adopted Korean son of Lucille and George Sr. He is portrayed by Justin Lee.
Hel-loh is, according to himself, the Korean word for "One day," a name given to him by his grandfather, whose frozen banana cart was stolen by George Sr. and used as inspiration for the banana stand that launched the Bluth empire; his grandfather vowed to one day get even for his stolen banana stand and ensuing deportation. Lucille adopted him midway through the first season. Apparently knowing no English, the youth always greeted his adoptive family by saying "annyong," the Korean word for "hello." When they repeated the word, so did he. This caused Lucille to assume that her new son's name was "Annyong." As the show progressed, Annyong became an articulate member of the household who often found himself in disagreement with his new brother, Buster. He also developed a crush on Maeby in the Season One finale after she kissed him to make George Michael jealous. He was apparently sent to the Milford Academy by Lucille, who was attempting to teach him a lesson (but later forgot what about). Annyong later was found out to be hiding in the walls of Lucille's penthouse apartment. In the third season finale it was revealed that Hel-loh (who finally reveals his name after his usual greeting of "Annyong", prompting ironic confusion among the Bluths) orchestrated the second SEC raid on the family as revenge for him and his grandfather.
Appears In: Shock And Aww, Staff Infection, Justice Is Blind, Missing Kitty, Best Man for the GOB, Not Without My Daughter, Let 'Em Eat Cake, The One Where Michael Leaves, ¡Amigos!, Mr. F, Development Arrested
Steve Holt
Steve Holt is a senior (taking the year for the third time, as evidenced by his appearance in three yearbooks) and football star at the high school George Michael and Maeby attend, who often shouts his name, "STEVE HOLT!", while pumping his fists in the air. He is portrayed by Justin Grant Wade.
Described as a "moron jock" by George Michael and "basically a young G.O.B." by Michael, Steve Holt has portrayed Beatrice in the school's play production of Much Ado About Nothing, gone on dates with Lindsay (until Maeby deceivingly convinced him that Lindsay was a transsexual), and was student body president for four years (he declined a fifth term in order to concentrate on finding his real father). His campaign posters often read "Volt for Steve Holt".
In the Season 2 episode "The Immaculate Election," it was revealed that Steve Holt is the illegitimate son of G.O.B. and Eve Holt, the product of one of G.O.B.'s many one-night stands in high school. Before realizing that she was supposedly a blood-relation, Steve had a brief relationship with his cousin, Maeby, which resulted in his being given a roofie to avoid any kind of intimacy. Since learning of his parentage, he has bonded with both his father, and "Uncle Mike". He has worked as a gift-basket delivery-boy, a Bluth Banana Stand employee, and cameraman for his father's magic act.
Appears In: Bringing Up Buster, Shock And Aww, Sad Sack, Burning Love, The Immaculate Election, The Cabin Show, For British Eyes Only, Forget-Me-Now, Notapusy, Making a Stand
Kitty Sanchez
Kitty Sanchez is George Bluth Sr.'s fiercely loyal and independent assistant. Kitty is portrayed by Judy Greer.
Kitty maintained a long term affair with George Sr. and a fevered yet brief liaison with G.O.B., despite the fact he is disgusted by her. After George Sr. was imprisoned, Kitty stayed on to work for Michael.
Despite her intense loyalty to George Sr., she did not demonstrate the same toward Michael. He tried to fire her, but Kitty and Michael's father both insisted he didn't have that power. Michael attempted to rehire Kitty, but her obstinacy forced him to immediately fire her again. Kitty subsequently vanished with potentially damaging information, considering her sexual history with her boss. In actuality, she did not disappear, but was working with the police in an effort to gain control of the Bluth company. After arranging a meeting with Michael, she inadvertently admitted that she had proof that George Sr. had built homes overseas without paying taxes. Michael downplayed the importance of the revelation and Kitty dropped out of sight.
Kitty re-emerged in Let 'Em Eat Cake to rescue George Sr. from the hospital. They escaped to Mexico together but were separated again when he was pronounced dead. Kitty caught up with him in Spring Breakout and blackmailed him into staying with her. Michael and G.O.B. managed to rescue their father while Lucille had a showdown with her rival. The Bluth matriarch put her years of alcohol abuse to good use by besting Kitty in a drinking contest. Seemingly defeated, the hung over mistress returned to her hotel room to discover the Bluth's had inadvertently left behind the ransom she'd been asking for: 250cc’s of "George Sr." in a cooler.
Kitty returned later, claiming she had reformed, gotten into AA, and even has a famous sponsor. She won't say who it is, but she drops some pretty obvious hints of it being an ex-Night Court star; ("It's not Bull. It's not Harry Anderson. And he's white."), a reference to actor John Larroquette as show creator Mitchell Hurwitz was once a writer for The John Larroquette Show. At the end of Season 2 she and Tobias, the state of his marriage still up in the air, had jetted off to Reno, Nevada so he could pursue a plum spot in the Blue Man Group. As we learn in Season 3, the part has already been taken by George Bluth who then proceeds to steal Kitty from his son-in-law as well. A final reference to Kitty is made when Tobias masquerades as her in an effort to win back Lindsay's affection.
The one constant in meetings between Michael and Kitty is that she reveals her breasts to him, usually with the comment, "Take a good look, 'cuz it's the last time" or "say goodbye to these, Michael."
Appears In: Charity Drive, Visiting Ours, Missing Kitty, Not Without My Daughter, Let 'Em Eat Cake, The One Where They Build a House, ¡Amigos!, Spring Breakout, Righteous Brothers, The Cabin Show
Lupe
Lupe is Lucille Bluth's Hispanic housekeeper, played by BW Gonzalez.
Lucille is frequently abusive towards her. Lupe, and at one time the rest of her family, have been tricked into working for other members of the Bluth family (specifically Lindsay) on a number of occasions. In the second season, Lucille fires Lupe when she catches her in bed with Buster, comforting him about the loss of his hand. Lupe is replaced by a robotic vacuum cleaner (specifically a Roomba), which is also caught in bed with Buster.
Lupe returns as the family housekeeper without explanation in Season Three, and appears very briefly as one of the women posing as Lucille and Lindsay in rehab.
Lupe is the sister of Luz (played by Lillian Hurst), Lucille's original maid who was fired for supposedly taking a day off to take her daughter to the hospital.
Appears In: Charity Drive, In God We Trust, Public Relations, Marta Complex, Staff Infection, Missing Kitty, Best Man for the GOB, ¡Amigos!, The Immaculate Election, For British Eyes Only, Exit Strategy
Lucille Austero
Lucille Austero, often referred to as "Lucille Two", is the friend, neighbor, and social rival of Lucille Bluth. She is portrayed by Liza Minnelli.
Lucille Austero lives across the hall from Lucille and Buster Bluth in the Balboa Towers. In Season 1, she and Buster ended up dating after an incident at a country club auction when Buster bid on the wrong Lucille. Their relationship was looked down upon by the other Bluths. Her chronic case of vertigo often caused some difficulty for the klutzy Buster.
In Season 2, she became the majority share holder of the Bluth company after the family members sold their shares. To ensure the company's safety, Michael hooked G.O.B. and Lucille up. Buster at the time was dating Starla, the Bluth Company receptionist. After learning his older brother was dating his ex-girlfriend, Buster left Starla to pursue Lucille. Eventually, Lucille was disgusted with them and left both of them for Stan Sitwell, who runs Sitwell Housing, a rival company of the Bluth Company.
Appears In: Key Decisions, Charity Drive, My Mother, The Car, In God We Trust, Storming the Castle, Pier Pressure, Marta Complex, Queen for a Day, Burning Love, Ready, Aim, Marry Me
Marta Estrella
Marta Estrella is the Colombian soap opera star that G.O.B. dates in season one. In her first two appearances, Marta was played by Leonor Varela (pictured); and she was played by Patricia Velasquez for all following episodes. She has two sons: Amable (played by Oliver Patrick Sandino) and Cortesio (played by Casey Sandino). Marta is attractive, moral, and holds family to be very important. Although Marta was dating G.O.B., she and Michael Bluth soon develop feelings for each other. Marta eventually chooses Michael over G.O.B., but she ends up leaving both of them after she catches them fighting. Following the running theme of finding humour in non-English languages, "estrella" translates to English as "star" (a possible reference to Marta's profession as a Latin daytime soap opera actress), and "amable" and "cortesio" may be puns on the words "amiable" and "courteous". In addition, Michael overhears Marta using the word "hermano" in conversation and believes that she plans to leave both him and G.O.B. for a third man named Hermano, not realizing that "hermano" is the Spanish word for "brother," and that she is referring to Michael, G.O.B.'s brother.
Appears In:
- Leonor Varela - Bringing Up Buster, Key Decisions
- Patricia Velasquez - In God We Trust, My Mother, The Car, Storming the Castle, Marta Complex, Beef Consommé
Unknown Third Actress Forget-Me-Now
Starla
Starla is the Bluth company secretary that G.O.B. hires as his "business model" in season two after seeing her at a boat show. She is played by Mo Collins. Starla often proves to be quite incompetent as a secretary, and she claims to have once had an affair with musician Quincy Jones, a claim backed up with the display of several of his gold records along the walls of Starla's house. On trying to gain entrance to his grounds, however, she is supposedly attacked by guard dogs, and is subsequently treated for rabies. Near the end of season 2, Buster and Starla have a brief relationship.
Appears In: The One Where They Build a House, ¡Amigos!, Switch Hitter, Queen for a Day, Ready, Aim, Marry Me, Sword of Destiny
Mort Meyers
Mort Meyers is a studio executive that works with Maeby. He is played by Jeff Garlin. Although he does have a wife, Mort often hits on Maeby, believing that she is older than she really is.
Appears In: Switch Hitter, Queen for a Day, Sword of Destiny, Righteous Brothers, Mr. F, Making a Stand, Development Arrested
Wayne Jarvis
Wayne Jarvis is a lawyer who can describe himself in one word: "professional". Jarvis is played by John Michael Higgins. Michael tries to hire Wayne to replace Barry Zuckerkorn but Wayne refuses once Michael and Lindsay try to use him to get back at their mother. Later Wayne becomes the prosecutor of the Bluth Company, when confronted with an accusation of a conflict of interest he replies "PATRIOT Act, read it".
Appears In: In God We Trust, Sad Sack, Righteous Brothers, Fakin' It, Exit Strategy
Wife of G.O.B.
The Wife of G.O.B. (her name is never revealed and a running joke is that G.O.B. doesn't know it) is a certified seal salesperson who married G.O.B. as part of an evening of escalating dares (meant to be a one night stand). She is portrayed by Amy Poehler, who in real life is married to Will Arnett, who plays G.O.B. She traffics in trained seals (selling sick ones to Third World countries) and convinces G.O.B. to wear bright, colorful sweaters. Possibly the only fan of Dr. Funke's 100% Natural Good-Time Family Band Solution, she saw their show in the late '90s and was comforted by the fact that they sang about every side effect she was going through. When she realizes she is in love with Tobias, she ends her marriage to G.O.B. and leaves to join the United States Army. She frequently takes photos while smoking and pointing at crotches, a clear parody of Lynndie England, a central figure in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. She is last seen in season one in the third last episode and isn't seen again until the 13th episode of season two in her last appearance. She comes back to break up with G.O.B. and to reclaim the seals that she 'gave' to G.O.B. but is told that he doesn't have them because he set them free. One of the freed seals bites off Buster's hand.
Appears In: Altar Egos, Justice Is Blind, Best Man for the GOB, Whistler's Mother, Motherboy XXX
Rita Leeds
Rita Leeds is a British woman to whom Michael Bluth is attracted. She is played by Charlize Theron.
Rita first appeared in the second episode of Season 3, "For British Eyes Only."
There are a number of somewhat subtle indications that she may be a "stupid person" throughout episodes 2 and 3 of season 3; however, Michael does not seem to have noticed. Some of these indications might be the fact she goes to pre-school and also carries around a duck backpack.
Rita wears a bracelet that says "MR F", and unintentionally implies to Michael that Mr. F is her uncle Trevor, whom Michael believes is stalking him. Meanwhile, the Bluth Company also notifies him of a suspected mole, apparently going by the name of "Mr. F." After some confusion, Michael eventually accuses Tobias Fünke of being Mr. F. Later on, it is revealed that MR F is an abbreviation for "mentally-retarded female," and that Tobias actually was a mole — though he himself thought it was an audition.
In Episode 5 of season 3, Rita was confirmed to be mentally retarded. She also was given a proposal of marriage by Michael Bluth.
In Episode 6, Michael, upon discovering Leeds' mental retardation, ends his relationship with her. In the same episode, it is also revealed Rita's parents were cousins.
It is later revealed that Rita finds a job at a competing movie-studio from Maeby's, producing a project called "The Ocean Walker" (she thinks that people can walk to England, and walked across a pool not knowing that Gob had rigged the pool with clear platforms for one of his illusions), although the film's development status is arrested.
Appears In: For British Eyes Only, Forget-Me-Now, Notapusy, Mr. F, The Ocean Walker
Uncle Trevor
Uncle Trevor is a British man and the uncle of Rita Leeds. He is played by Dave Thomas. He helped raise Rita, whose parents were cousins, which he implied might be a cause for her retardation.
Uncle Trevor first appeared in the second episode of season 3, For British Eyes Only, in which he is first seen in a convertible swerving into the Bluth's staircar, threatening Michael with regard to his prior interaction with Rita. Michael misinterprets the threat, thinking it has to do with the search for information regarding his father, and that Trevor has been stalking him, also suspecting he might be the elusive Mr. F.
He is last seen in The Ocean Walker, the sixth episode of season 3. In this episode, after learning of Rita's intention to attend a "sleepover" with Michael, he visits the Bluth residence and informs them of Rita's "millions" and her ownership of Wee Britain. He later leaves for England with Rita at the end of the episode.
He also appears to be a fan of cricket, having apparently collected cricket magazines and even being in possession of a cricket bat, which was also seen in the cover of his secret magazine, Bumpaddle.
Appears In: For British Eyes Only, Forget-Me-Now, Notapusy, Mr. F, The Ocean Walker
Larry Mittleman
Larry Mittleman, played by Bob Einstein (Super Dave Osborne), is a professional surrogate, hired by George Sr. to act as his eyes and ears so that he can continue influencing the family's dealings while under house arrest. "The Surrogate", as Larry is called, is always on the job, wearing a suit and tie at all times, with a baseball cap displaying the word "Surrogate". The cap carries a small camera and microphone, which transmit audio and video feeds in real-time to George Sr's computer and/or television. George Sr. has a voice feed back to the surrogate, so that he can tell Larry what to do, what to say on his behalf, where to go, etc.
Larry is a consummate professional, never allowing his own persona to come through except on rare occasion, such as when he sometimes inserts comments to the effect of 'This surrogate is great!' amidst George Sr.'s actual words. Larry does occasionally misinterpret George Sr.'s instructions, usually with amusing consequences.
Larry appeared at the beginning of season three, and stayed on for several episodes before being fired remotely in front of a mirror by George Sr. after a very poor judgement call regarding what was meant to have been a sotto voce comment, or perhaps unspoken altogether. He reappeared in "SOB's" as a surrogate for a business associate of George Sr.
Appears In: Forget-Me-Now, Notapusy, Mr. F, The Ocean Walker, S.O.B.s
Trisha Thoon
Trisha Thoon is the field reporter for Fox 6 news throughout season one. She is played by Stacey Grenrock-Woods and often covers stories pertaining to the Bluth family.
Appears In: Pilot, Key Decisions, Public Relations, Let 'Em Eat Cake, Extended Pilot
White Power Bill
White Power Bill was a massive, bald, racist inmate with George Bluth Sr. at the Orange County Prison. White Power Bill was portrayed by David Reynolds. White Power Bill is based upon an acquaintance of Mitchell Hurwitz, Harold Blum.
White Power Bill was incensed when confronted with George's jailhouse conversion to Judaism. He was particularly upset at George's gesture of giving Little Justice, an inmate of the prison, a kippah for protection and giving him the new name, David Ben-Avram. He responds by hitting Little Justice with a pipe, knocking off his kippa. George, diplomatically, stated that "...both of our religions have a lot to offer. There’s the Jewish notion of heaven, and that it can be obtained here on earth, and there is your belief in the cleansing power of the pipe."
When G.O.B. incarcerated himself in Orange County Prison (to break out as his greatest trick) he performed an "illusion" on Bill and pulled a quarter out of Bill's ear, thus giving him his new nickname: "Dirty Ears" Bill. Bill became furious and later stabbed G.O.B. (right after he was finally able to have a game of catch with his father in a prison yard), yelling "White Power," which got the necessary response of, "...I'm white..." from G.O.B.
Upon meeting Tobias, Bill referred to him as a "little kike." Tobias, oblivious ("I haven't been called a tyke in many years!"), was at the prison researching the role of "Frightened Inmate #2" in a prison drama. He led Bill in a counseling session that culminated in Bill's suicide after Tobias suggested that Bill's inner rage stemmed from a hatred of himself; Bill jumped from the cell-block landing and died. His last words were "I hate White Power Bill..."
Appears In: Key Decisions, Staff Infection, Missing Kitty
Maggie Lizer
Maggie Lizer is a prosecuting attorney who is considered to be the most feared in all of Orange County. She is portrayed by actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Michael Bluth first meets Maggie in a bar where most of the lawyers hang out after work. After she mistakes him for an attorney, he says his name is Chareth Cutestory and that he practices maritime law, a reference to a role Michael held in a school musical. Maggie and Michael end back at her place after drinking at the bar. He spends the night and wakes up rather perplexed as how to proceed. Once he realizes she is blind, he decides to continue seeing her out of guilt.
Maggie turns out to be prosecuting the government's case against the Bluth family. She was feared for her ability to win sympathy from everyone in the courtroom. It is later revealed that she is not in fact blind, and that she knew who Michael was but could not reveal this to him. So, she gave him what she described as "a summary of everything the government has against the Bluths so far." In actuality, it was a mere wish list, and she was, in her own words, "manipulating [him]."
As it turned out, Maggie was taken off the case. Her role over two episodes was mainly to provide a love interest for Michael, who had never had a one night-stand and had been off the shelf ever since his wife's passing.
Maggie returned for two episodes in season 2, eight months pregnant--eight months after her relationship with Michael. She later admitted she was faking the pregnancy. Ironically, it is implied that she actually became pregnant by Michael after one last "never again" fling before they parted for good. It is unknown what happens to their child.
In reference to her continual dishonesty, Lizer's self-appointed nickname is Maggie Lizer-assoff (as in, "lies her ass off").
Appears In: Altar Egos, Justice Is Blind, Out on a Limb, Hand to God
Stan Sitwell
Stan Sitwell is a real estate tycoon who runs the company Sitwell Enterprises, which competes with the Bluth Company. He is played by Ed Begley, Jr.
He has a disease that prevents him from growing hair on his body, Alopecia universalis. His daughter, Sally Sitwell (played by Christine Taylor) was once a love interest of Michael's. Stan Sitwell begins dating Lucille Austero. His outlandish wigs and fake facial hair is a bit of an inside joke, since in real life Ed Begley Jr. is known for his mane of thick blonde hair.
Appears In: Switch Hitter, Queen for a Day, Burning Love, Ready, Aim, Marry Me, Development Arrested
Franklin Delano Bluth
Franklin Delano Bluth is G.O.B.'s black puppet.
The character is first introduced in the season 2 episode Meat the Veals, in a flashback to a Bluth family gathering years before. In an effort to hip-up his act, G.O.B. briefly introduced the puppet in a poorly executed ventriloquist act (G.O.B.'s mouth moves every time Franklin speaks). Franklin is a fiery-tempered, adulterous, obscenity-spewing, street-wise puppet.
G.O.B. discarded Franklin up in the attic, most likely due to the severe beating G.O.B. received in a night club in Torrance after performing a show with Franklin. During Meat the Veals, G.O.B. digs up his old friend and uses Franklin in a kidnapping plot with George Sr. G.O.B. soaks Franklin's lips with ether, so that a kiss will incapacitate his mother, and any witnesses. Franklin is again soaked in ether two episodes later in Righteous Brothers in order to incapacitate George Sr.
Then G.O.B. records a music CD with Franklin called "Franklin Comes Alive," a spoof of Frampton Comes Alive by Peter Frampton. G.O.B. hoped that the CD would "break down racial barriers and maybe be a crossover hit." The song tracks include "It Ain't Easy Bein' White, It Ain't Easy Bein' Brown," and G.O.B.'s cover of Bryan Adams' song "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" which G.O.B. performed especially for Michael. Unfortunately Franklin's musical career is cut short during Righteous Brothers when a laundry accident results in Franklin getting bleached. Franklin says, in what is now a stiff, slightly British accent, "You've ruined the act, G.O.B.," and as G.O.B. later tells Michael, Franklin has become "all puckered and white."
Franklin returns in some season 3 episodes, most prominently in Fakin' It, after he is re-dyed and rested; as a publicity stunt, G.O.B. manages to get Franklin on the witness list for George Sr.'s trial. (A deleted scene reveals that G.O.B. legally adopted Franklin as his son to achieve this.) G.O.B. also finds a way to give Franklin a voice without moving his lips by using voice promos from a magazine advertising for "Mock Trial with J. Reinhold". At the end of the episode, Franklin's dramatic testimonial on the witness stand effectively ends the prosecution's case against the Bluths. Franklin also appears in the next episode Family Ties as "Frank", a pimp whom Nellie works for.
Franklin is a portrayal of the 1950s-1970s stereotype of blacks. As part of the political satire, Franklin also wears a "George Bush doesn't care about black puppets" t-shirt in Fakin' It, a reference to Kanye West's "George Bush doesn't care about black people" remark.
Franklin looks very much like a Muppet Jim Henson might have created. While the name Franklin Delano Bluth borrows from the 32nd President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt, but the reason for this is because in the 1970s Sesame Street introduced what some claimed to be an "insultingly stereotypical African-American" puppet named Roosevelt Franklin (though the puppet's actual intended ethnicity was ambiguous and its 'skin' was purple); the character was eventually dropped from the show's line-up. Franklin could also be another tribute to the Peanuts cartoons, as this show also featured an African American character named Franklin. It is also probable Franklin is inspired at least in some way by Chuck's dummy Bob on the television show Soap shown on ABC from 1977 to 1981.
It is unclear whether Franklin has his own persona or if his puppet handler (whether G.O.B., Buster, or George Sr.) simply provide Franklin with his foul-mouth personality. No matter who is controlling him, Franklin often curses and uses racial slurs to describe others in the Bluth Family. Also worth noting is that when characters mention Franklin, they refer to him as a person rather than a puppet, e.g. "Why's Franklin here?" instead of "Why did you bring Franklin?"
Appears In: Meat the Veals, Spring Breakout, Righteous Brothers, Forget-Me-Now, Prison Break-In, Fakin' It, Family Ties
Mr. Bananagrabber
Mr. Bananagrabber is a Hamburglar-inspired character invented by G.O.B..
Mr. Bananagrabber was conceived by G.O.B. after his brother, Michael Bluth, told him that he could not have a free Bluth Banana. Dejected, G.O.B. decides to get a candy apple at one of the other shops on the boardwalk. When G.O.B. bites into the candy apple, it breaks his tooth and G.O.B. develops a whistle anytime he says a word with an "s" in it (a key characteristic of Bananagrabber). G.O.B. and Michael then meet again, and Michael says G.O.B. can have a free Bluth Banana and in exchange, G.O.B. gives Michael the animation rights to Mr. Bananagrabber.
Michael Bluth discussing the Mr. Bananagrabber character: "I guess it would just be a guy who, you know, grabs bananas and runs. Or a banana that grabs things. I don't know. Why would a banana grab another banana? I mean those are the kind of questions I don't want to answer."
Mr. Bananagrabber's first appearance was in Charity Drive. At the end of the episode, we see the first incarnation of Mr. Bananagrabber as an animated character. The short animation clip seen was designed and animated by Evan Spiridellis, one half of the animation duo JibJab. Mr. Bananagrabber also appears briefly in the episodes Whistler's Mother, The Immaculate Election and Spring Breakout. Although images do not exist, a Mrs. and Baby-Bananagrabber are mentioned by G.O.B.
Like G.O.B., Mr. Bananagrabber rides around on a Segway human transporter, which is referred to as "G.O.B.'s scooter" on the show.
Bob Loblaw
Bob Loblaw is the new family attorney, replacing Barry Zuckerkorn. He is portrayed by Scott Baio.
Bob Loblaw first appeared in the third episode of Season 3, claiming this wasn't the first time he's been brought in to replace Barry, alluding to Baio's experience replacing Henry Winkler (Zuckerkorn) on 70s sitcom Happy Days. He is a no-nonsense attorney who is always in the company of his stenographer secretary who records all of his meetings.
He advertises his services with the slogan "You don't want double talk; you want Bob Loblaw". As is evidenced by this, his name is meant to sound like "blah-blah-blah".
Adding to the tongue twister-like aspect of the character's name, the third season episode S.O.B.s includes a newspaper headline that reads "Bob Loblaw Lobs Law Bomb" and later in the season the "Bob Loblaw Law Blog".
Appears In: Forget-Me-Now, Notapusy, Mr. F, Making a Stand, The Ocean Walker
Carl Weathers
Actor Carl Weathers portrays himself as a thrifty, mooching Hollywood movie star whom Tobias hires to teach him his craft.
Tobias meets Carl Weathers on an air porter destined for LAX. Tobias once traveled to San Francisco to attend Carl Weathers' stage-fighting workshop. The actor failed to show because, as he informed Tobias, he was bumped from the flight. However, he discovered that they pay $300 to people that are inconvenienced in this manner. Carl Weathers called this "a crazy loophole in the system that the wrong guy discovered." Ever since then, Carl Weathers has been getting himself deliberately bumped from flights and subsequently cashing in.
Carl Weathers does not enjoy paying very much for anything. He is obsessed with thrift and "getting a stew going" out of leftover pieces of food. In addition, he acquires all of his cars from police auctions. He takes Tobias on as a client and is thereby introduced to the Bluth experience. Lucille Bluth uses Carl Weathers to get back at her youngest son, Buster, who has become involved romantically with her chief rival, Lucille Austero. She simply introduces Carl Weathers to Lucille A. and suggests that they should have dinner together with Buster. Buster, however, reminds his mother that he has class that day. Lucille suggests that Carl Weathers and Lucille II would just have to dine alone, in that case. When Buster finally decides to move in with Lucille II, he discovers her and Carl Weathers "getting a stew on" and is greatly disturbed.
Later, Weathers meets with Tobias at Burger King, and explains he is directing an episode of Scandalmakers and needs Tobias to sign over the rights for the story of his family. The whole scene satirizes product placement (Burger King is a major sponsor of both the real Arrested Development and fictitious Scandalmakers), with Weathers joyfully remarking that refills are totally free.
Appears In: Public Relations, Marta Complex, Motherboy XXX
Tony Wonder
Tony Wonder is a professional magician who commonly works at the Gothic Castle and is known for baking himself into a loaf of bread and emerging. He is played by Ben Stiller.
G.O.B. idolizes Wonder, and wishes to imitate the illusionist's most famous stunt by boiling himself into a bisque. Tony Wonder has a "W" for a goatee, and seems to specialize in illusions featuring food. He is also producing a DVD, which he dubbed "Use Your Allusion" after discovering his preferred title, Use Your Illusion, was unavailable due to copyright issues.
He also becomes quite taken by Buster's act during the "Sword of Destiny" illusion where Buster acted as the magician with G.O.B. as the assistant (on account of G.O.B.'s banishment from the Magician's Alliance).
Appears In: Good Grief, Sword of Destiny, S.O.B.s
J. Walter Weatherman
J. Walter Weatherman is a one armed man used by George Bluth to frighten his children into good behavior. J. Walter Weatherman is portrayed by Steve Ryan.
Weatherman, a former employee of George Sr.'s who lost his arm in a Bluth Company construction accident, is recruited by George Sr. to fake accidents and appear to have lost his arm as a result of the Bluth children's misbehavior. The lesson ends with J. Walter turning to the children and saying "and that's why you don't..." do whatever action George Sr. is trying to stop, such as not leaving notes and yelling. When Michael asks his father for him to teach George Michael a lesson, his father tells him that he "killed him when he left the door open with the air conditioner on." (a reference to an unseen 'lesson') Though this is shown to be untrue when George Sr. hires him back to (ironically) teach Michael a lesson about teaching his son lessons. Buster later uses the same trick on both Michael and George Sr. as well as G.O.B., using his fake hand.
Appears In: Pier Pressure, Motherboy XXX, Making a Stand
Ice
Ice is both a bounty hunter and a professional caterer played by Malik Yoba.
Ice is initially employed by G.O.B. to follow Michael, although a recurring joke is that G.O.B. views Ice as his friend. (Michael later pays Ice to spend the weekend with G.O.B.) Ice commits a series of blunders and is easily persuaded by money. He first follows Michael to Mexico while under the employment of G.O.B., and then is hired by Michael to find George Sr. Ice is given a blueprint with a picture of George Sr. on it, but is confused and tackles Tobias because he is wearing blue paint, and thus resembles the blue tint of the picture. Ice then returns to tracking Michael until Michael finally pays him to spend time with G.O.B. and resume the search for George Sr. In the following episode, Ice ascertains that George Sr. was killed by a prison guard in Mexico. Throughout these events, Ice consistently ignores or is oblivious to Lindsay’s attempts to attract him. At one point, Lindsay pretends to be talking to George Sr. on the phone so that Ice will follow her to get to George Sr., but this plan proves futile. When Ice notifies the family of George Sr.’s plight, he displays his party-planning talents by catering the event, and leaves a business card with them to help jumpstart his alternate career of party-planning, referred to as his “first love.”
Appears In: ¡Amigos!, Good Grief
Nellie
In "Family Ties", a third-season Arrested Development episode, Nellie is initially believed to be Michael's twin sister, but turns out to be a prostitute taken advantage of by George Sr. and pimped by G.O.B. and Franklin, his ventriloquist dummy.
Justine is the real-life sister of Arrested Development star Jason Bateman.