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Marsha Warfield Opens Up About Returning to Night Court as Roz
"It was a lot of fun," Warfield said in an interview with NBC Insider.
The Season 1 finale of the new Night Court resolved several cliffhangers. While Abby (Melissa Rauch) managed to escape her charges and get her job back on the bench, we also saw Dan Fielding (John Larroquette) in his new role as a Judge in Louisiana. And in the very last moment of the episode, we got a surprise appearance from a beloved character in the original Night Court.
"Another fight at a bachelorette party in the French Quarter," Dan said with a sigh while at the Judge's bench. "OK, bailiff, bring in the bride to be..."
When he looked up from his set, he recognized the face greeting him immediately. "Roz?!" Dan exclaimed in disbelief as the live studio audience went wild. Yes, it was the one and only former hard-headed bailiff Roz Russell from the OG '80s Night Court, played by Marsha Warfield.
"Fielding? They made you a Judge?" an equally-surprised Roz responded.
"Take me back to jail," she instructed, shaking her head.
"She loves me," Dan said with a smug grin.
There's no doubt that everyone involved was excited to see Warfield reprise her role as Roz in the new Night Court. In an interview with NBC Insider, below, Warfield herself opened up about the experience. Read on.
NBC Insider: We've missed Roz so much! What have you missed the most about playing her?
Marsha Warfield: It's nice to come back, you know? It's like going back to your high school reunion and seeing everybody, being able to recognize them, at 40, 50 years later.
What was it like reconnecting with John Larroquette?
Very, very comfortable. It's everything you want in a role. On the one hand, it's comfortable. On the other hand, you're working with the guy. This is the guy. And he's the person I watch the most on the set, doing the show, and so having a chance to sit down and do those special episodes that were one-on-one between Roz and Dan was really kinda fun. It was a lot of fun.
In what ways would you say your character Roz has changed between the OG show and this one?
She's old. She’s changed, like, you know, old people. She's still Roz. She still has the same personality, the same nonsense identity. But she's been around the block a few times and lived a little life and is no longer doing the same things. She's no longer a bailiff.
What are your thoughts on the little predicament your character has gotten herself into?
Oh, it's typical. It's typical Roz. She did what Roz would do in a situation where there was an incident at a bachelor party she happened to be in, no matter who the bride was.
What are your thoughts on how the new Night Court carries on the original show's legacy?
It's its own show. It's its own entity. Dan is no longer a randy young man chasing skirts and prosecuting people, gleefully. He's now a bleeding heart defender, on the other side of the aisle, an older man with a life behind him, and it's a whole different show. Melissa is her own Judge. She's how you imagine a daughter would be. She would have a lot of her father's influence, but she's her own person and she's her own Judge.
It's not a remake. They're taking it in their own way, and I say, "Great!" Go for it. They still maintain the Night Court quirkiness as well as the Night Court heart. I think a lot of people don't realize how much heart is in that show, and always was, you know? There was always room to care about stuff. And so they still care about stuff.
