See Vicki Lawrence Join the Cast as Phil’s Mom in Winter Premiere (PHOTOS)

Call Me Kat‘s winter premiere, “Call Me Philliam,” welcomes comedy legend Vicki Lawrence, who steps in to play Phil’s (the late Leslie Jordan) mother, and Fox has unveiled several sneak peek photos from the installment airing on Thursday, January 5.

While no episode logline is available currently, the images offer some insight into Lawrence’s role and how she’ll fit in with the rest of the cast members including Mayim Bialik along with Swoosie Kurtz, Kyla Pratt, Cheyenne Jackson, and Julian Gant. Ahead of the winter finale episode, “Call Me Chrismukkah,” which aired December 8, Bialik told TV Insider what fans might be able to anticipate from Lawrence’s appearance.

“She’s a legendary icon and literally one of the three women I credit with my training as a comedian. Her, Lucille Ball, and Carol Burnett were kind of my big three growing up,” Bialik mused. As for Lawrence’s role as Phil’s mother, the actress made it clear, “we don’t want to try and replicate Phil, because you can’t. Just like Leslie Jordan, there is no replicating that character or person. But we wanted someone who had enough of the feel-good aspects of Leslie’s character and enough of that sharpness and fun Leslie brought to his character. ”

“She is her own woman,” Bialik continued. “We age her up, but she’s not the destitute woman that sometimes Phil’s character would describe her.” While Lawrence is roughly five years older than Leslie Jordan was when he died earlier this year, the pair have a special connection as they previously costarred in Fox’s other comedy series The Cool Kids alongside David Alan Grier and Martin Mull.

While we await the arrival of Call Me Kat‘s episode, “Call Me Philliam,” get a peek at Lawrence’s appearance with the images below, and stay tuned for the show’s return in the first week of 2023 on Fox.

Call Me Kat, Season 3, Returns Thursday, January 5, 2023, 9:30/8:30c, Fox