TIL Liza Minnelli only accepted the role of Lucille 2 on Arrested Development because she was asked in person by Ron Howard, who she had babysat when he was a child and she a teen

Minnelli joined the show in season 1 and played Lucille Austero, the fierce rival of Lucille Bluth, returning to the role again in seasons 2 and 4. While the producers had her in mind as a dream casting for the role of “Lucille 2”, it was Ron Howard who asked her to join the cast and managed to convince the multitalented Minnelli.

Even though she hadn’t seen the show, Minnelli quickly got to grips with the show’s style and became a welcome addition. She was another member of the cast who ended up appearing in far more episodes than initially expected, due to her character simply being too good to leave out.

https://screenrant.com/arrested-development-facts-things-only-die-hard-fans-know-about-the-series/