Night Court's Marsha Warfield Reveals How She Really Feels About Roz Coming Out - Exclusive
During the Season 1 finale of the 2023 "Night Court" revival, a familiar face returned: Marsha Warfield as Roz. The brusque bailiff from the original series — which ran for nine seasons from 1984 to 1992 on NBC — wound up in court facing off against fellow alum-turned-contemporary character Dan Fielding, portrayed by John Larroquette. It was an exciting moment for loyal "Night Court" fans, who have helped make the modern-day revival a hit once again for NBC, which airs the Melissa Rauch-led show on Tuesday nights.
But the sensational cameo didn't stop there. Roz also appeared on the recently aired Season 2 premiere of "Night Court," where it was revealed that the former bailiff was engaged to a woman. For many, that personal tidbit may have come as a surprise — and it was also a surprise to Warfield, who exclusively spoke to Looper about how she felt about the reveal when she first read the script. "I thought it was bold, but not surprising or intimidating at all," she said. "I liked that it was understated. It's a fact that's important to the plot, but it's not what the show [revolves around]. I thought it was great, and I was like, 'Hey, they like me.'"
Warfield was surprised by the 'bold' revelation
In the original "Night Court" series — which Marsha Warfield joined during Season 4 — Roz was always vexed by bad luck when it came to dating men, so having her come out over 30 years later may not seem like much of a leap. It may also seem like a natural progression for the character based on Warfield's own personal life; she publicly revealed that she is gay in 2017. But when it came to resurrecting Roz for the "Night Court" revival, the 69-year-old actor-comedian was not expecting such an on-screen revelation.
"I had nothing to do with [the storyline]," said Warfield. "I found out when I read the script, and I was pleasantly surprised and happy to do it."
While Roz's coming out episode seemed to once again bid farewell to the beloved character, even Warfield herself doesn't definitively know where her story ends when it comes to the series. "I have no idea where the show is going or whether I'll be asked to be part of it again," she said. "If I am, I'll be more than happy to return. If not, I'm more than happy to say, 'I wish you all the best, and thank you for the lovely evening.'"
"Night Court" airs on NBC on Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT and streams the next day on Peacock.