With ‘Night Court’ Back, Where’s the Rest of the Original Cast?
Order in the Night Court! The NBC sitcom has concluded its second new season after coming back more than 30 years after the original series finished off its docket. But the new Night Court has an almost entirely new cast: The only holdover from the ’80s version was John Larroquette, who won four back-to-back Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Emmy Awards for his performance as Dan Fielding.
Like the original, the new Night Court follows a judge who “presides over the night shift of a Manhattan arraignment court and tries to bring order to its crew of oddballs and cynics,” as NBC explains. This time, however, that judge is Abby Stone (Melissa Rauch), daughter of Harry Stone, the magistrate from the original, played by Harry Anderson.
Anderson died in 2018, and many of the other Night Court costars have also passed away, including Richard Moll, Charles Robinson, Markie Post, Selma Diamond, Florence Halop, S. Marc Jordan, and Paula Kelly. But we do have updates for other actors from the first Night Court — which ran for nine seasons between 1984 and 1992 — minus Mike Finneran, who dropped out of the spotlight in the mid-1990s.
Night Court, Seasons 1 & 2, Available now, Peacock
Marsha Warfield (Rosalind “Roz” Russell)
Warfield retired from acting in the late 1990s but recently returned to the screen in the Fox series 9-1-1, in which she recurs as Toni Wilson, mother of Henrietta (Aisha Hinds). She reprised her role as Roz in the Night Court reboot’s Season 1 finale, as well as the Season 2 premiere and finale.
The Season 2 finale saw Roz get married to her fiancée, Loretta (Indira G. Wilson) in a ceremony and reception hosted in the Night Court courtroom at which Christine Sullivan’s (Markie Post) sister, Katie (Gigi Rice), was present (shown above)! Rice played Larroquette’s love interest in The John Larroquette Show.
Brent Spiner (Bob Wheeler) & Annie O'Donnell (June Wheeler)
Spiner and O’Donnell played the forever unlucky Wheelers in the original Night Court. They came back for more in Season 2 Episode 11, confirming to the court that the Wheelers are just as unlucky as ever.
Before coming back for this Night Court guest spot, Spiner played Commander Data in multiple Star Trek titles (the most recent being Star Trek: Picard). His longest Star Trek stint was in The Next Generation, and he’s also appeared in other series such as Ray Donovan.
O’Donnell has continued as a character actor, with guest star spots in episodes of Not Dead Yet, Lessons in Chemistry, Fresh Off the Boat, Mike & Molly, The Big Bang Theory, and more.
Joleen Lutz (Lisette Hocheiser)
Lutz, seen here in the 2003 movie Gacy, has become an interpretive naturalist and a docent at the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens — where she once led an adults-only presentation on “animal mating, dating, and cohabitating” called Sex and the City Zoo.
William Utay (Phil Sanders & Will Sanders)
Utay started playing Dr. Wilhelm Rolf on Days of Our Lives in 1995 and kept the part until 2022, when Richard Wharton took over the role. The actor also appeared in a 2017 episode of Modern Family, playing The Great Majesto.
Ellen Foley (Billie Young)
Foley’s most recent TV role came back in 2011, when she appeared in an episode of Body of Proof. She has, however, kept up her music career: Her album Fighting Words came out in 2021. Her website says she was meant to go on tour in Netherlands starting in January 2023, but it was postponed due to illness.
Denice Kumagai (Quon Le Robinson)
Kumagai now works as an ADR loop group coordinator in Hollywood, as her IMDb profile shows. She’s also a founding member of the Cold Tofu improv group. (She’s pictured above with fellow Cold Tofu troupe member Judy Momii at the East West Players’ 47th Annual Visionary Awards in 2013.) Kumagai’s latest voice over credit was in Tyler Perry’s 2022 film A Jazzman’s Blues.
Karen Austin (Lana Wagner)
Austin continued acting after Night Court, notably sharing the screen with Amber Heard and Johnny Depp in the 2011 movie The Rum Diary, as seen here. Her TV career, meanwhile, includes guest-starring parts in Battlestar Galactica, CSI: Miami, and The Closer. Her most recent credit is playing Mrs. White in an episode of the Table Read Podcast in 2023.
Conversation26 Comments
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S
I don’t remember many of the minor characters; just the main stars. I have my box set to record tonight, and I’m looking forward to it. If you read this and plan on recording; remember there are two episodes tonight.
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G
And I’m so glad John Larroquette is coming back as an original! He cracks me up! Love him too!!
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O
Bring back Brent Spiner as Bob Wheeler
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P
I hope they can get Brent Spiner back.
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G
I used to watch this show all the time in my younger days. Wasent there a bailiff who was bald? I can’t remember his name. Anyway now in my older years I watch a show called Naked and Afraid on Discovery channel on Sunday nights. There was a guy on this show his name was Shane. He is bald and he always reminded me of that bald guy on Night Court! Is he still alive? Loved him!
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S
He’s pictured in this article only he has hair in the photo. His name was “Bull”.
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G
Yes! hahahaha. I remember now. Thanks.
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L
Richard Moll...I was surprised to see so much hair in the photo! Always assumed he shaved his head due to balding type issues, but I guess it was a fashion choice.
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G
Oh yea! Now I saw him! Thanks so much!
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L
Just didn't recognize him b/c of all that hair! lol
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R
He auditioned with a bald head because he was shooting a film that required it and they loved it so much they decided to have him remain bald the entire series.
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L
I did not know that! My TIL for today!
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G
His name was Bull
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O
yep sadly Richard Moll passed away not to long after these posts, in october of 2023 i think at age 80. Still, old Bull lived to a nice old age and he will be missed.
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C
I’m of the opinion you should leave well enough alone along with many people who have expressed similar sentiments. Thst said, one series thst was able to successfully parlay an original success story into sister series is law and order. The original with Ben stone as lead prosecutor will always be the best but with every succession of changes, the show still managed to have legs. I can’t speak for the latter seasons but some of the replacements were enjoyable actors and characters. I really like criminal intent with Vincent dnofrio and Chris Noth but it too suffered malaise in thr late stages of the series. As for night court reboot I think you either love it or hate it and you all have your own reasons for how you feel and I’ll leave it at it.
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B
Saw the remake for a few minutes but turned it off. Terrible, unfunny and lousy cast except for John laroquette
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C
Oh please! Some things should just be left alone. Put a fork in it already! You can’t reproduce an original series! It is just that simple. It isn’t the same, even with some of the original characters. Since they have all grown older, the chemistry just can’t be duplicated like the original!
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G
“Things were so much better back in my day. You could punch a woman in public and nxxxxxs knew their place.” —Bernie Burawski
Relax, Grandpa. Nobody is trying to steal your old memories. Go sit in a corner and wait out the clock.
🤣
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G
Where is Bumper Robinson? He played a young boy that the judge adopted.
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O
Night Court was great and should have been left alone. The reboot will be a cash grab by people trying to squeeze money from the success of the old show. You know it's Armageddon when Cheers comes back.
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G
Did you actually watch it or are you just being judgemental
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P
The original will always be the best. Night Court 2.0 won’t last more than 2 seasons.
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G
I felt exactly the same way, until I watched it. It’s not perfect; but with John Larroquette back as Dan Fielding, only as a reluctant public defender instead of a prosecutor, it’s pretty good. Without John though, it would surely crash & burn quickly.
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C
I don't see the show going to far, it wasn't very good. I couldn't watch the whole show, it hurt.
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G
On what planet is ONE SOLITARY ACTOR considered a "Cast"?
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G
Wanted to watch the program, but TV was down. Will try to watch next week. I agree w/Bun Ho, how can one person be the cast. They should have tried harder to get Richard Moll and Marsha Warfield. Christine and Harry and the court assistant are deceased. Can't wait to give it a try.
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