In an age when sitcoms liked tackling tough issues or spewing family values, one show eschewed both and focused solely on eliciting laughs with the some of the silliest jokes a live action sitcom could conceivably tell. That prime time sitcom was Night Court.
From 1984 to 1992, audiences tuned in once a week to laugh their butts off to any of the cartoonish characters, whether that be the sleazy and lecherous Dan Fielding, the judge who never takes his job seriously Harold T. Stone, or the gullible and naive Christine Sullivan. To honor this wonderful cast, the following list will present ten facts you never knew about the actors on Night Court.
John Larroquette Narrated The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Before becoming the overly zealous lawyer looking to get into everyone’s pants, John Larroquette did a favor to director Tobe Hooper by narrating the introduction to his little horror film, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. He introduces the movie by reading the opening crawl. The movie was filmed on a shoestring budget, but became a huge hit and a seminal entry into the horror genre. Just goes to show: one never knows when a small project will blow up and hit the big time.
Harry Anderson Was A Real Magician
The central character, Harry T. Stone, loved to play gags and fool around even when working. It made one wonder how he became a judge in the first place. He one day explains he got the job because he was the only one home to accept the offer when they called for a new judge.
One thing the character and actor, Harry Anderson, have in common is their mutual affinity for magic. Anderson studied the craft seriously and made a living off it before becoming an actor.
Richard Moll’s Bald Head
Bull Shannon is notable for his towering height and shaved head. The character wasn’t meant to have a clean scalp, but Richard Moll came into the audition with no hair after having cut it all off for a prior film roll. After the producers saw this and dug the look, they asked him to keep that style for the character. Anybody with any appreciation for their hair would find this difficult, but an actor must make great sacrifices for their work.
Markie Post Worked On Game Shows
Before becoming an actress, Markie worked behind the scenes on game shows. Her first job was working on Split Second before moving up to associate producer duties on Double Dare. She also contributed to Family Feud.
It wasn’t until 1979 when she got her first on screen role in a television movie called Frankie and Annete: The Second Time Around. We’re sure Markie was great at her job behind the scenes, but she exudes such a blinding radiance that not putting her in front of the camera was nothing short of a crime.
Two Bailiffs Left The Show Due To Terminal Illness
Bull Shannon went through two Bailiff partners before ending up with the no nonsense Roz Russell. The two actresses prior to her had short tenures on the show. Selma Diamond left the show after falling ill to Lung Cancer.
Florence Halop was the first replacement and was similarly elderly and small. Sadly, the actress succumbed to the very same illness. To change things up and perhaps avoid any notion of a Night Court curse, producers cast a younger comedian, Marsha Warfield for the spot. Marsha stayed for the remainder of the series.
Yakov Smirnoff
The Ukrainian comedian was all the rage in the 1980s and made several guest appearances on the show. In it, he played a role not dissimilar to his real life, with both having emigrated from the Soviet Union. His status declined significantly after the USSR collapsed, and while he still performs, his focus has turned to other endeavors. In the mid aughts, he earned a degree in psychology and started teaching in universities. He also gives self-help seminars. If laughter is the best medicine, then who better to help people with their lives than a comedian?
Mel Torme
Harry Stone was a huge Mel Torme fan, and the producers managed to get him a guest starring spot on several episodes. Most people may not be familiar with the name or performer, but they have undoubtedly heard his compositions. His most famous song is “The Christmas Song” which most recognize by the opening line “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.” While that’s his most famous song, he has more than two hundred other compositions under his belt, and that’s not even getting into his unparalleled skills as a performer.
John Larroquette And The Emmys
Dan Fielding was a hit with audiences, and the award seasons showed this. For his role as the narcissistic lawyer, John won four Emmys in a row. After the fourth victory, however, he asked for his name to be taken out of the running. His first reason was him not wanting to be typecast. The second was his personal feeling that the show and writing wasn’t as good as it was after creator Reinhold Weedge had left.
Harry Anderson Made Several Appearances On SNL
Before becoming the world’s most lovable Judge, Harry Anderson became familiar to audiences through his sparse appearances as a guest comedian on Saturday Night Live. He would utilize his magic skills combined with his childish sense of humor to delight audiences
Watching them reveals just how close he was to the character he played on Night Court. Magic is considered square, but most would kill to be to rock a room the way Harry did on SNL.
Ellen Foley
Ellen Foley was only on the show’s second season as the public defender. She also served as a Harry’s romantic interest, though nothing serious really developed. Ellen left after the second season and Markie Post came in for the remainder of the series.
Ellen made other television and film appearances, but she’s more remarkable for her angelic singing voice and Broadway performances. Most notably, she is the female voice on Meatloaf’s landmark rock album Bat Out of Hell.
