NIGHT COURT: Marsha Warfield Previews Roz’s Return in ‘Pension Tension’

Marsha Warfield returns to NIGHT COURT on Tuesday, February 18, as Roz temporarily returns as a bailiff…and things aren’t exactly harmonious.

Here, Warfield talks with Give Me My Remote about popping back into the NBC comedy, the dynamic between Roz and Julianne (Wendie Malick), and more.

What is the approach when the current NIGHT COURT team wants to bring you back to the series now? 
It’s always [that] they reach out to me. I mean, I haven’t lobbied for anything. I’m available when they call, but I don’t have anything to do with it. I mean, it’s a whole new show. It’s a whole new show with the whole new crew. But there are some holdovers. There are some people from the first series. And so it’s kind of like I’ve said before: It’s like going back to your prom fifty years later. [Laughs.] It’s familiar, but it’s totally different.

What has the audience’s reaction been like when you’re back? 
They’ve given me the kinds of storylines that people respond to…Roz getting married, that kind of stuff, was really sweet. And people’s reaction was very sweet. The fact that Roz married a woman, and it was not the joke of the show, was really nice and touching. And I had nothing to do with shaping that. They take care of me, as far as writing.

Even on the original show, I rarely had to say, “Hey, I don’t want to do that. Hey, that’s offensive.” I almost never, ever did that. Sometimes things might be a little tweaky, “Can we try this?” And they always said sure. And if there was something that they thought might be offensive or uncomfortable, they would come to me in advance and say, “We’re thinking about doing this. How do you feel about that?” But most of the time, I just said the words they gave me to say, and it worked out.

That’s incredible. What can you preview about what brings her back to the NIGHT COURT world this time?
She’s a consultant. [Laughs.] She’s there to support Gurgs…we’ve developed a relationship over the three seasons that’s very affectionate…an affectionate, loving advisor.

And Roz is back to work in this episode, too. What was that like for you? 
Well, I can’t really tell too much, but…when you think of NIGHT COURT, you think of exploding cakes and little people chasing people for who knows what reason. It’s hard to explain the madness that NIGHT COURT has always been. And this is in the tradition of NIGHT COURT. [Laughs.] But I get to be the senior advisor in the midst of the madness.

You also have a deliciously fun dynamic with Wendie Malick in the episode. What can you preview about  Roz and Julianne’s relationship?
I love Wendi’s character. That was her first season [as a series regular], so I just met her…And I wasn’t aware of how deliciously dark her character is. And so the confrontation between her and Roz was really fun, and she plays it perfectly. You can’t really ask for anything better.

After coming back a few times, how has your relationship with NIGHT COURT lead Melissa Rauch evolved as you’ve watched her find her place in the franchise’s legacy? 
I love Melissa. I have a podcast called Midnight in the Marshaverse; she did that. I make people get up at midnight [PT]…if they’re back east, it’s three o’clock in the morning when we tape the show. And she did it and was wonderful. We have become friends, you know? She really does have that kind of heart, that kind of just sparkles. 

And it’s a lot like the relationship I had with Harry [Anderson, who played Judge Harry Stone; Stone is the father of Rauch’s Abby]. Harry and I became friends. Harry took me to see Mel Tormé. We had a date! It was not, you know, romantic, but he wanted to go see Mel Tormé, and he asked me if I’d go with him, and I said sure. So we went out, had a ball, went out to dinner…he came over for dinner; he lived out of state and had to be in town to do the show. So it was very familial. And the relationship with Melissa has developed similarly. She’s a friend of mine.

That’s so lovely. For you, as someone who has now worked with [original and revival NIGHT COURT star] John Larroquette over the span of many decades, is there a difference for you when you’re playing Roz opposite him versus when you’re playing her opposite someone who’s new in the NIGHT COURT world? 
I don’t know how to compare them because everybody brings their own special sauce to how they do their craft. But with John, it’s just comfortable. He’s very giving and supportive, and it’s just comfortable. It’s like second nature. I don’t even think about it. I know his rhythm, and he knows mine. And..it picked up [with the revival]; to get there was no conversation or “How do you feel?” Nothing. It’s like in the scene when Roz got married and we danced, that’s pretty much been the relationship—we dance. [Laughs.]

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

NIGHT COURT, Tuesdays, 8:30/7:30c, NBC

RELATED:

• NIGHT COURT: What You Need to Know About the Season Premiere
• NIGHT COURT: Wendie Malick Previews Julianne’s Return as a Prosecutor and ‘Bad Chemistry’ with Dan
• NIGHT COURT: Annie O’Donnell Previews the Wheelers’ Return
• NIGHT COURT: Dan Rubin Previews the Return of the Wheelers and Melissa Fumero’s Guest Spot
• NIGHT COURT Exclusive Clip: Meet Wyatt, the New Clerk!
• NIGHT COURT: What You Need to Know About the Season Premiere
• NIGHT COURT Exclusive Photo: Abby Gets into the Holiday Spirit in a Special Christmas Episode

Follow @GiveMeMyRemote and @marisaroffman on Twitter for the latest TV news. Connect with other TV fans on GIVE ME MY REMOTE’s official Facebook page or our Instagram.

And be the first to see our exclusive videos by subscribing to our YouTube channel.

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases made through links/ads placed on the site.