Lisa Ann Walter looked back on her reaction upon learning that Talia Shire would play her mother in Abbott Elementary.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the actress, who played Melissa Schemmenti on the comedy sitcom, said she was “thrilled” when she found out that the Italian matriarch from The Godfather had been cast for the role, despite Bette Midler’s public attempt to nab it.
Walter, 61, recalled that when there was a scheduling conflict with Bette, the team mentioned a few other potential names, including Shire.
“Literally, tears burst into my eyes. Isn’t that bizarre?” she reminisced. “Quinta [Brunson] said, ‘We’re talking to Talia Shire,’ and tears just started pouring out. I said, ‘I don’t know why I did that. I feel ridiculous. But she’s royalty.’ And Quinta just said, ‘She is.'”
The actress and comedian also shared how, growing up, The Godfather and Rocky were Christmas staples in her family, making Shire’s casting especially meaningful.
Moreover, Walter revealed that she had never met Shire before; Abbott Elementary was their first time working together.
“As soon as I saw her at the studio, she was surrounded by all our wardrobe and hair and makeup people, and I didn’t wait for an introduction. I just marched right over, and she immediately said, ‘My girl, my daughter!’ Then she started bugging me—literally, she did it the whole time we worked together,” she remembered.
Walter and Shire worked together on the second of the two holiday-themed Abbott Elementary episodes, which aired back-to-back on Wednesday night.
