Jon Stewart Joins Live Facts of Life Cast in Mystery Role — Who’ll He Play?
And now for your moment of nostalgic zen: Jon Stewart is joining Live In Front of a Studio Audience, TVLine has learned.
The Daily Show‘s former host will take part in the Facts of Life half of the upcoming special, which also will reenact an episode of Diff’rent Strokes. But what role will he play? That’s the big question; right now, ABC is only saying that Stewart will appear in a “surprise” role during the broadcast, which is slated for Tuesday, Dec. 7, at 8/7c.
The rest of the Peekskill crew will include Jennifer Aniston (Friends) as Blair, Kathryn Hahn (WandaVision) as Jo, Allison Tolman (Fargo) as Natalie, Gabrielle Union (L.A.’s Finest) as Tootie and Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale) as Mrs. Garrett.
Meanwhile, the Diff’rent Strokes cast will include John Lithgow (3rd Rock From the Sun) as Mr. Drummond, Kevin Hart (True Story) as Arnold, Damon Wayans (My Wife and Kids) as Willis and Dowd, who’ll play Mrs. Garrett in both parts of the special.
The network isn’t saying which Facts of Life and Diff’rent Strokes episodes will be reenacted during the event, so it’s not immediately clear whom Stewart might play. But that won’t stop us from guessing! We’re thinking that the Facts of Life episode will be from the show’s early run (when the girls were at Eastland and Mrs. Garrett was their house mother) versus from a later season (when the girls were grown-up and worked at Edna’s Edibles with Mrs. Garrett); if that’s true, then it will preclude Stewart from playing handyman George Burnett, a part originated by George Clooney in Season 7. Perhaps Stewart will take on the role of Eastland School headmaster Steven Bradley, which was played in Facts of Life Season 1 by John Lawlor? Or Charles Parker, who later replaced Bradley as headmaster and who was played by Roger Perry?
Stewart left The Daily Show in 2015. He currently hosts The Problem With Jon Stewart on Apple TV+.
What are your thoughts regarding Stewart’s Live in Front of a Studio Audience part? Hit the comments with your best guess!
Well, it won’t be the s1 headmaster because Jo wasn’t apart of the story yet. It’s either Mr. Parker or Jo’s dad. I think they were the most featured male roles early on.
What if it’s George Clooney’s role from the later seasons? Or the little Astin? I forget his first name. Seems like the Different Strokes episode doesn’t include Dana Plato’s character.
There were a handful of first season episodes of Different Strokes that Kimberly (Dana Plato) doesn’t appear in – so I’d guess they are using one of those.
I could see him playing the role of either Blair’s or Jo’s father.
Joe’s father…that would be interesting – but can anyone top Al Rocco?
In a surprise twist and very special episode he will play Mrs. Garrett.
Could Stewart be playing that guy that was always pining after Jo in the earlier seasons? She was always rejecting him and finding him annoying. I forget his name.
Mr. Drummond from Different Strokes.
Does Lithgow have to be Mr. Drummond on this? I realize he’s going to be a different version but unless it’s a crossover they don’t have to use the same actors.
Pippa; John Stewart will be playing Pippa.
Facts of life episode will probably be the first repisode with Jo.
Different strokes will be the one with the social worker saying Black kids belong with Black parents.
I can’t see it being the first episode with Jo because that was a two parter. The social worker one makes a lot since Kimberly wasn’t in that episode and there has been no mention of someone playing her.
I wish on the first episode that it would’ve been Jon Stewart as the headmaster with the bigger cast of girls and somehow work Jo into that first season episode. I’m not sure what episode it’s going to be for The Facts of Life.
I’m still guessing that it will be George Clooney. How could they pass that up? They’ll make it work.
What about Kimberly?
Who was playing Dink?
Jon Stewart is playing Carl Price. Took me a moment to realize also see past the headgear.