Jessica Walter Died at Age 80, but the Spirit of Lucille Bluth Lives on — Here's a Look at Some of Her Best Moments

When the Migos wrote “Bad and Bougie,” I’m pretty sure they had Arrested Development’s Lucille Bluth in mind. Played by the late Jessica Walter, Lucille was the unconventional matriarch we didn’t know that we needed, and now that she’s gone, we’re reflecting on some of her best moments on Arrested Development.  

The Play Misty for Me actress, whose cause of death was unspecified, died in her bed at 80 years old on March 25, but the spirit of Lucille still lives on.

Here were a few of Lucille Bluth’s best quotes.

In Episode 11 of Season 1, Lucille was turned away from the upscale restaurant of her choice and forced to have dinner with her daughter, Lindsay (Portia de Rossi), at Klimpy’s where Lucille later ordered the "Ike and Tina Tuna." 

When a waitress asked whether Lucille preferred a “plate or platter,” Lucille answered, “I don’t understand the question, and I won’t respond to it.”

When an associate questions Lucille’s sobriety at a meeting, she responds, “I’d have to get up pretty early to be drunk by one o’clock."

The Arrested Development narrator later reveals that Lucille had, indeed, gotten up early and taken a pain pill for a hangover despite the bottle’s warning label, which she mistook as a winking face. 

One of Lucille's most hilariously cringe-worthy moments was when she gave her adopted Korean child $1 to go to the movies and see "a Star War."

When Lucille tells her housekeeper, Luz (Lillian Hurst), to avoid staining her coat because it “costs more than her house,” Michael (Jason Bateman) chastises his mother for her behavior. Lucille later assures Michael that her comment wasn’t insensitive because Luz “doesn’t even have a house."

While Lucille was always the reserved, rich auntie we all aspire to be, she also told her share of dirty jokes. When she visited Michael and his father in prison, she told her son, “Oh honey, I wanna cry so bad, but I don’t think I can spare the moisture.”

Her meeting with Michael was followed by a conjugal visit with her husband, who she told, “I'm so glad I didn't cry.”

Arrested Development’s infamous Banana Gate episode is just one reminder of why we fell in love with Jessica Walter in the first place. In this scene, Lucille, who is convinced that a banana costs about $10, proves how out of touch the Bluth family actually is.

Co-executive producer John Levenstein told Mel Magazine, “They’re all irresponsible with money and out-of-touch about what it means to work. We gave the $10 banana joke to Lucille because it made the most sense for her.”

He added, "But I could hear any of them saying it. Like a group scene where they all know Lucille is wrong about the cost of a banana and start guessing equally clueless prices in different directions.” 

If you told anyone else that they had been a trending topic on late-night TV, they would at least be flattered. But after learning that she was featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, she remained unbothered.

It’s five o’clock somewhere, and whether it was a.m. or p.m., Lucille was always in the mood for vodka. 

Being fabulous doesn’t just happen — it’s a lifestyle. And this was a mantra that Lucille knew well. 

Biggie Smalls said, “More money, more problems,” and this was evident for the Bluth family after losing everything. Regardless of this fact, Lucille refused to give up her life of luxury. 

Thank you, Jessica, for the words of wisdom and an incredible lifetime of work.