After previously providing background voices on “Family Guy” for 14 seasons, “Virgin River” star Alexandra Breckenridge was finally animated into an episode of the Fox comedy this year as herself — and she had no idea.
The big moment came in the February 22 episode of “Family Guy,” during which Meg tasted a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks for the first time. Her visions were suddenly awash with all things PSL-related, from mermaids to Temu to — you guessed it — “Virgin River.” As part of her caffeinated journey, Meg swam past a picture of Mel and Jack embracing, recreating a shot from Season 4.
Watch Mel and Jack’s animated debut in the “Family Guy” scene below:
TVLine asked Breckenridge about the full-circle “Family Guy” moment during a recent interview about all things “Virgin River,” and it turned out to be the first she’d heard of it. “When did this come out?!” she asked while processing the sight of herself animated into the show for the first time.
“I have a friend who I just saw recently who’s a producer on the show, and he did not mention this to me at all!” Breckenridge told us in disbelief. “I saw him, like, less than a month ago, a couple weeks ago. I can’t believe he said nothing to me. I literally went to his house!”
Even though “Family Guy” was essentially calling “Virgin River” basic, Breckenridge takes no offense at the jab. After all, having voiced countless celebrities on “Family Guy” over the years, Breckenridge knows what a big deal it is to get on the show’s radar.
“I guess that means we’ve made it into some kind of iconic, referenceable category, right?” she tells TVLine.
What is Alexandra Breckenridge’s history with Family Guy?
Prior to her extended stay in Virgin River, Alexandra Breckenridge landed memorable roles on huge shows like “American Horror Story,” “This Is Us,” “True Blood,” and “The Walking Dead.” But the show on which Breckenridge appeared the most was “Family Guy,” where you can hear her voice in more than 60 episodes that aired between 2005 and 2018.
During her time in the “Family Guy” booth, Breckenridge provided the voices of countless Quahog residents, and even a few celebrities. Some of her more memorable roles include Channel 5 lotto announcer Nikki (just think “spooky ghost mouth!”), Stewie’s neglectful pre-school teacher Miss Emily, and even Meg’s friend Patty in multiple episodes. Breckenridge’s celebrity impersonations ranged from Christina Aguilera to Renee Zellweger.
Though she’s no longer lending her voice to “Family Guy,” Breckenridge still has a soft spot for the show in her heart — and in her wardrobe.
“They gave me this robe one year as a ‘Family Guy’ wrap gift, and it has a naked Peter on the side of it, which is funny in and of itself, just him and his butt from behind,” Breckenridge tells TVLine. “My son is always like, ‘Why are you wearing a naked cartoon man?'”
“Virgin River” fans, did you catch that joke on “Family Guy”? (Is there even a big crossover audience there?) Drop a comment with your thoughts below.