Why Judy Greer Said It Was ‘Freeing’ Playing Kitty Sanchez in ‘Arrested Development’
Sometimes forgotten amongst the remarkable and renowned cast of the hit show Arrested Development, Judy Greer portrayed the eclectic Kitty Sanchez. Here’s why the comedy classic, which premiered in 2003 on Fox before its later Netflix revival, was a “freeing” experience for the character actor.
Judy Greer said it was ‘very freeing’ playing Kitty Sanchez in ‘Arrested Development’
Kitty Sanchez was one of the many characters who popped up on Arrested Development over the show’s five-season run. Played by Greer, Kitty Sanchez was quite the fireball.
Kitty, George Bluth Sr.’s former personal assistant, found herself briefly romantically involved with her boss. This led her to uncover top-secret information regarding the family business. Which ultimately meant Greer’s character often got away with a lot.
Though she and George Bluth Sr. were very close, the rest of the Bluths couldn’t seem to stand her. This makes sense, given Greer’s character had some wild tendencies. Like the time she kidnapped George Bluth Sr. in an attempt to get a baby out of him. Nevertheless, Kitty was a huge hit with viewers despite the character’s eccentric nature.
Fans of Arrested Development enjoyed watching Greer in the show. From Kitty’s love for flashing to her wonky lazy eye, the character was indeed one-of-a-kind.
Greer, a popular and well-established actor in Hollywood, often gets questioned about what it was like to play such a unique role. As one user in a Reddit thread put it, “I think your hilarious and beautiful, so I’ve always wondered how it felt to play someone who was supposed to be unattractive on screen (kitty)? Does it mess with your self esteem?”
The actor replied matter-of-factly. “nah. it’s very freeing actually,” she wrote.
Judy Greer has played multiple characters named ‘Kitty’
Though she wasn’t a main character in Arrested Development, Greer’s presence through Kitty Sanchez made quite an impression. Oddly enough, this is not the first time the actor has played someone named Kitty.
Just when Arrested Development took off, Greer scored the role of Kitty Walker in the suspenseful film The Village. Then, down the line, in 2020, Greer again took the screen as Kitty, but this time in Uncle Frank, an Amazon Original Film. It most certainly seems like a strange coincidence for such a peculiar name.
Speaking to the AV Club, Greer couldn’t explain the connection. But she did express an interest in exploring it. “I kind of want to meet a real Kitty to see if I’m doing it right.”
A closer look at Judy Greer’s acting career
Kitty Sanchez is definitely one of Greer’s most acclaimed roles, but it is by no means the only one.
Moviegoers know Greer as Lucy Wyman from 13 Going on 30. The classic romantic-comedy often crops back up in popular culture. In the same vein, 27 Dresses is another one of Greer’s well-loved roles from the time. In more recent years, she appeared in Ant-Man as Scott Lang’s ex-wife, Maggie.
TV viewers also probably remember Greer as Ingrid “Fatty Magoo” Nelson from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Two and a Half Men, Portlandia, Married, Masters of Sex, and Casual are just a few other series audiences have been able to enjoy watching the actor in.
