Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
HOLLYWOOD Q&A
Q: I saw President Biden featured in an old episode of “Law & Order: SVU.” Has he been on any other TV series?
A: U.S. President Joe Biden is, of course, a familiar face on news and documentary programs. But he’s also dabbled in scripted shows — albeit always playing himself, and years before he was president.
The “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” episode you mention is in fact his most recent gig, airing in 2016, back when he was vice president. He did a cameo as himself, praising the show’s team for their success in powering through a backlog of untested rape kits. Working to support victims of sexual abuse had long been a political focus for Biden, and so this was him bringing his real-world politics into fictional TV.
The same can be said of his previous scripted role, which was a recurring gig in the political sitcom “Parks and Recreation.” He appeared in two episodes — one in 2012 to offer some words of civic optimism to the show’s main character, Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler, “Saturday Night Live”), and again in the series finale three years later.
In 2004, he appeared in an episode of “Tanner on Tanner,” the Sundance TV mockumentary series created by legendary film director Robert Altman (“Gosford Park,” 2001) and “Doonesbury” comic strip creator Garry Trudeau. The series was a followup to the groundbreaking 1988 series “Tanner ‘88.”
But, Biden’s first scripted gig came way back in the ‘90s, when he was Sen. Biden, in a couple of episodes of the beloved children’s game series “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?”
He appeared in a 1992 episode to deliver a clue to the kids about Wyoming and its history of women’s rights. And he turned up again in 1993, doing a bit with the show’s host, Greg Lee, saying he had proposed a Congressional resolution naming Lee best detective of the year.
Q: I can’t believe “FBI: International” [spoilers deleted — see below if you’re caught up on the latest season].
A: The thing “FBI: International” did, which was removed from the question to avoid spoiling a major Season 3 event, is write off Agent Jamie Kellett.
As action shows like this go, it was a pretty gentle sendoff: Kellett said she was transferring to the D.C. office to “go back home” and deal with the grief from her sister’s death.
The fact that she didn’t die leaves it open for Kellett to return, either in cameos or on a full-time basis.
In the meantime, Heida Reed (“One Day,” 2011), who played Kellett since “FBI: International’s” 2021 debut, has not announced her next move.
The day after her final episode aired, she posted a simple goodbye on Instagram. “Thank you so much to the fans for letting Jamie into your hearts. Agent Kellett out!”
We don’t even know if Reed will keep plying her trade in English-language television — her previous gig was in her native Iceland (and Icelandic), starring in a show called “Stella Blomkvist.”
I say “English-language” because, though “FBI: International” was an American show, it was actually filmed in Hungary, where the show was set. And her other most recent gig was the British series “Poldark.” So even if she continues to work in English, it’s not clear if the result will be easily seen in North America.
So, bad news overall for fans of Agent Kellett. But as I said, the door remains open for her return. And in the meantime, the show goes on: that was just the first episode, so there’s plenty more of Season 3 to come.
Q: I haven’t seen the actor who played Phil on “Modern Family” since the show ended. Where did he go?
A: After “Modern Family” ended in 2020, Ty Burrell immediately went into the sound booth. That is to say that his next project was a voice gig, as the dad in the NBC animated sitcom “Duncanville” (hence why you haven’t “seen” him).
That show ended in 2022, though, and Burrell hasn’t been seen or heard since.
That could change soon, though. He’s reportedly working on another sitcom, called “Forgive and Forget,” that’s been optioned by ABC.
There are a lot of “mights” here, though. It was only announced (on Deadline.com) that ABC might buy the show — there was no actual filming being done. And that announcement happened a year ago, so it might be dead in the water at this point.
And if it is still being made, Burrell only might appear on the show — when the announcement was made, Burrell was listed as an executive producer.
But the premise — about an adult man whose aging father is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, forcing them to move in together again — seems right up Burrell’s street. Both “Modern Family” and “Duncanville” played in the same field, wringing heartwarming laughs out of often uncomfortable family dynamics.