Carrie Fisher takes her bow as the “awful” Mia in Catastrophe season three finale
The Star Wars actress loved playing Rob’s terrible Mum in the C4 comedy – and she doesn’t disappoint in this Tuesday's final episode
It’s the Catastrophe season three finale this Tuesday and, as seems to be traditional, a fairly bleak time is had by all. Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan's comedy is not called Catastrophe for nothing.
But there are some lighter moments to enjoy too, including the late Carrie Fisher's final performance as Mia, Rob’s Mum, who is as deliciously narcissistic and ghastly as we’ve come to expect when she travels to Ireland for the funeral of Sharon's Dad (pictured).
The episode also sees her surprise Rob Delaney’s Rob (and us) with some much needed home truths in a chat with her son about his escalating drinking.
“She liked playing the character Mia and she was able to let go a bit and have fun with it,” Horgan tells RadioTimes.com of her late friend. “She enjoyed the chance to play an awful person. We loved having her in the show. She puts in a wonderful performance [and] we’re really proud to have that to show people.”
Sharon Horgan talks Catastrophe, Carrie Fisher and playing the outsider
The pair approached the star to play the role of Rob's Mum after being dazzled by her brilliant speech when they watched her give a lifetime achievement award to Graham Norton at an awards ceremony for Attitude magazine.
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“Luckily she was in the market for playing Rob’s awful mother,” added Horgan. “We didn’t have her for very long in the first series and the second series. She flew in and did her bit over a day or two and, of course, we wanted to get to know her better.
"We idolised her but just didn't really have a chance to, and then in series three we wrote this bigger, chunkier part for her in episode six and got to spend time with her.
"She was part of the gang and we really feel very privileged and honoured. She was funny all the time and incredibly witty company and loved saying a**holey things to everyone but also was just a kind, lovely, supportive person."
Horgan has said that she and co-star Rob Delaney both consider the third series a tribute to the actress who died shortly after finishing work filming it.
“She had a heart attack on the plane after she’d wrapped with us. It was so raw because we’d just seen her, and she was a wonderful person, just great craic," Horgan said.
“The whole thing is a tribute to her. It was an honour to have had her in the show at all, but now it’s also a responsibility to do her proud.”
Added Delaney: “The stuff she does in this series is quite poignant. Thank God we were cognisant of the privilege of having her with us, so we always made sure we put our best foot forward whenever we wrote for her.”
Catastrophe series three ends this Tuesday 4 April at 10pm on Channel 4
