Emmys 2017: 15 movie stars who stole the small screen this year

Carrie Fisher in Catastrophe. Photo credit: Ed Miller / As Per Contract.

12. Carrie Fisher

The project: Amazon’s Catastrophe

The character: Mia, the overbearing, surprisingly insightful mother of Rob (Rob Delaney). Mia is an eBay aficionado, a fan of Riverdance, and a person who is totally comfortable inviting herself to stay with a recently bereaved widow.

How she stole the small screen: In Catastrophe‘s third season finale, Mia crashes the funeral of Sharon’s father — annoying everyone in the process — but also ends up dropping some major truth bombs on her Big & Tall model of a son. When Rob confesses that he has been drinking again, Mia refuses to mince words: “You know how my jaw always clicks, you know, when I eat steak? It’s cuz your father broke it,” she reveals. She then tells Rob he needs to “put a plug in the jug” to ensure he never hits Sharon. “Your being drunk and her being as annoying as she is — you’re going to hit her.”

The scene is funny but (no pun intended) also sobering. We don’t know much about Rob’s dad and this is why: Mia left him as soon as she realized he was a threat to her and the family. Fisher plays the scene perfectly; she’s all tough love and concerned but puts out a vibe that can only be called “over it.” It’s a lovely swan song for the actress, who passed away last December.

Her past TV experience: Fisher made guest appearances on a lot of comedies in the past few years, including Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce, Family Guy, and The Big Bang Theory. But her best TV performance — besides Mia, of course — was as Rosemary Howard on 30 Rock. She played an unhinged, pioneering sketch writer who gives Liz a frightening glimpse into her future. Fisher also played herself on an episode of Sex and the City once.

Awards recognition: Fisher is nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series at this year’s Emmy Awards.