The one and only Jane Kaczmarek is guest-starring on the Jan. 28 episode of mixed-ish as Eleanor, Paul’s estranged mother. Paul (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) is shocked to hear from his mother who ends up coming to visit the family for Rainbow’s 13th birthday. Over the course of the episode, he learns more about why abandoned him. The episode is titled “True Colors.” In addition to Eleanor’s unexpected appearance, Rainbow (Arica Himmel) sees turning 13 as a huge turning point in her life and wants a big birthday party. However, Alicia (Tika Sumpter) wants to celebrate all the things Rainbow missed out on over the years while on the commune.
In our EXCLUSIVE photos, Eleanor shows up at the Johnson family household. She comes face-to-face with Paul, Alicia, and her grandkids. One photo shows Eleanor taking a photograph of the adorable Santamonica (Mykal-Michelle Harris), who is looking sassy as always. Another photo shows Paul and Eleanor having what looks like a tense conversation. There’s a lot to be said between this mother and son.
Jane is no stranger to sitcoms. She famously played Lois in the hit family sitcom Malcolm in the Middle with Bryan Cranston. Let’s hope we see Eleanor again on mixed-ish soon!
Additional guest stars in the Jan. 28 episode include Caitlin Kimball as Ms. Collins, Paulet Del Castillo as Micaela, Trinitee Stokes as Tamika, Isabel Myers as Rebecca, Luca Luhan as Bryce, and Meagan Fay as Rose. Mixed-ish airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on ABC. Episodes can also be viewed the next day on ABC.com, the ABC app, or Hulu.