 The role of Mimi Bobeck went to Kathy Kinney . The actress was originally intended to be a one episode guest star , but became a series regular when Helford noticed during editing of the pilot that the funniest scenes were those featuring Mimi . Kinney was hired for a further seven episodes , but eventually appeared in every episode . Robin <unk> , writing for The Sun @-@ Herald , branded Mimi " a moving visual assault with a personality to match " because of her painted @-@ on eyebrows , bright eyeshadow and gaudy clothes . After relocating from Chicago , Ian Gomez spent a year auditioning for various shows , before being cast in the recurring role of Larry Almada in 1995 . Other actors who appear in the pilot are Alaina Reed Hall , David St. James , Lauren Katz , Vic Helford and Natasha Silver . 
