Ann Veal

Ann Paul Veal is a fictional character from the American television satirical sitcom Arrested Development. Portrayed by Mae Whitman for most of the series, after Alessandra Torresani in season one, she is the bland, religious girlfriend of George Michael Bluth. They have an on-again, off-again relationship that ends when Ann begins to date Gob, which culminates in Gob and Tony Wonder, her baby's father, unknowingly having sex. Whitman got the role for Ann through being friends with series regular Alia Shawkat, and her audition went successfully. Ann was meant to be replaced with a different actress upon each new appearance, but Whitman's performance was considered to be perfectly forgettable, and so she was kept on permanently. A big fan of Arrested Development, Whitman was not immediately asked to return for the series' fourth season revival, but was soon given a reoccurring role related to Gob. Ann has received critical acclaim in retrospective reviews of the series, and her relationship with Michael has been hailed as one of the series' best bits. The themes of her character and the Veal family overall have been explored by both authors and critics.