Mayor Eric Garcetti will guest star on Tuesday evening’s episode of “black-ish” airing at 9:30 p.m. on ABC, continuing a tradition of Los Angeles mayors appearing as themselves on television comedies that began in 1953.
The nearly minute-long scene set at the black-tie fundraising gala for the hospital Dr. Rainbow Johnson (Tracee Ellis Ross) works at begins with her husband Dre (Anthony Anderson) telling her, “one of the actors from `Mad Men’ is coming over.”
She then corrects him, telling him it is Garcetti.
“He looks taller in person,” Dre says.
Garcetti then tells Rainbow Johnson “we are so glad to finally get you” on the prestigious California Board of Medicine.
She then introduces Garcetti to her husband, with the mayor responding, “Nice to meet to you Jay.”
Before Dre can correct Garcetti, the mayor introduces a “platinum donor to the board,” Brent Campbell who’s “with the Dodgers.”
“We should get you to a game sometime. How’re your moves? We might get on the Dance Cam. I can floss,” Garcetti says, demonstrating the step.
Garcetti then asks Dre if he is also in the medical profession. He then explains he’s a senior vice president “at one of the top advertising firms here in Southern California.”
Garcetti replies, “Oh, well, I guess we need those too.”
Garcetti has the longest list of acting credits among Los Angeles mayors. Since taking office in 2013, he reprised his role as Mayor Ramon Quintero on a 2016 episode of the TNT police procedural “Major Crimes,” which he originated in 2010 on “The Closer,” when he was a city councilman. He also played the role in a 2011 episode of “The Closer” and a 2012 episode of “Major Crimes.” (“Major Crimes” was a spinoff of “The Closer.” Garcetti’s father, former Los Angeles County District Attorney Gil Garcetti, was a producer of both series.)
Garcetti played a security guard outside the office of Los Angeles’ mayor on the 2016 premiere of the TBS police procedural parody “Angie Tribeca” and sports agent Brian Mobley on a 2017 episode of the CBS crime drama “S.W.A.T.”
Garcetti was the announcer for a 2004 episode of the short-lived ABC police drama “10-8: Officers on Duty.” He also appeared in a 2010 episode of the ABC daytime drama “All My Children” in a scene with David Canary (Adam Chandler), in which they talk about the initiatives they’re taking together to make Chandler Enterprises more environmentally friendly.
Fletcher Bowron was the first Los Angeles mayor to portray himself on a television comedy, appearing on a 1953 episode of “The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show” on CBS.
Sam Yorty appeared on CBS’ comedy “Here’s Lucy” in 1972; Tom Bradley on a 1988 episode of Fox’s and Showtime’s “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show”; Richard Riordan on a 1999 episode of ABC’s “It’s Like, You Know…”; and Antonio Villaraigosa on a 2005 episode of ABC’s “George Lopez.”