Marsha Warfield dishes on ‘Night Court’ & how returning to standup inspired her to come out in her 60s
Night Court for six seasons starting in 1986.Outside of Roz, Warfield is a veteran stand-up comic, and delivered memorable film and television performances throughout the ’80s and ’90s in shows like Cheers, Moesha, and Empty Nest, and films like Mask and Cadyshack II before effectively retiring in the 2000s.Subscribe to our newsletter for your front-row seat to all things entertainment with a sprinkle of everything else queer.But, more recently, she has stepped back into the spotlight—and come out publicly as gay—meaning its high-time we give her her flowers for being a trailblazing Black, LGBTQ+ voice in media.
Which is why we were especially thrilled to set her featured in Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution, Netflix‘s recent look at the legacy and activism of queer comedy, where she’s honored among many of her boundary-pushing peers.And, in a lovely instance of “art imitating life,” Warfield even reprised her most iconic role for NBC’s Night Court reboot, where characters new and old gathered to celebrate Roz’s marriage to the woman of her dreams—just a year after Warfield herself married the love of her life, Angie Maldonado!Back on the road performing stand-up all over the country, and with an unfiltered new weekly video podcast Midnight In The Marshaverse, Warfield is busier than ever.
But we still managed to snag some time with her and welcome the legend as the latest guest of our rapid-fire Q&A series, Dishin’ It.
In our conversation, Warfield reflects on revisiting Roz and the power of comedy, and she takes us on an emotional journey when she opens up about not coming out until hers 60s.Is there a piece of media—whether a movie, TV series, book, album, theater, video game, etc…—that has played an important role in your understanding of queerness and the queer community?
