As the entertainment world and audiences across the globe continue to mourn the tragic passing of actress, writer and mental-health activist Carrie Fisher, news has begun to be released concerning the status of the various projects that she had been working on prior to her death by heart attack. It's already been confirmed that Fisher completed her role in the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VIII, meaning filmgoers will get to see her play (General) Leia one more time in full.
Fisher's overall screen and pop-culture presence had increased substantially over the last decade both thanks to the revival of the Star Wars franchise and her candid memoirs and public speaking engagements. However, she had also become a recurring part of the Family Guy cast as the voice of Angela, Peter Griffin's boss at the reconfigured Pawtucket Patriot Brewery. It has now been confirmed that Fisher will be seen (or, rather, heard) at least two more times as Angela on Family Guy.
Though not appearing in every episode, Angela had come to play a key role in either the main or secondary plots of multiple Family Guy storylines. While typically framed as either a villain or the butt of the show's (typically excessive) jokes in regards to the character's supposed unattractiveness, she was also one of the most prominent female characters in the Family Guy canon outside of the principal regular cast. Seth MacFarlane, the creator of the series and voice of Peter, said of the actress' contributions (h/t to Variety):
“Carrie Fisher was smart, funny, talented, surprising, and always a hell of a fun time to be around, Family Guy will miss her immensely.”
Angela first appeared in the 2005 episode Jungle Love, and was subsequently featured prominently in such Family Guy episodes as Whistle While Your Wife Works, Baby You Knock Me Out, Vestigial Peter and Peter-Assment, along with the two-episode crossover event Simpsons Guy. In addition, Fisher participated in the last of the series' three double-length parodies of the Star Wars movies (It's A Trap!, a retelling of Return of The Jedi) as the voice of the Rebellion leader Mon Mothma.
No details have been provided as to which upcoming episodes Angela is set to appear in or what will become of the character now that her voice actress has passed. Family Guy initially set out to have the title character change jobs with some frequency (he was originally an assembly line worker at a toy factory and then a fishing boat captain) but has kept him employed at the Brewery for the last 15 years of episodes.
Family Guy continues with 'Passenger Fatty-Seven' on January 8th, 2017 on FOX.
Source: Variety