NBC's Night Court revival continues tonight with a brand new episode, entitled "Two Peas on a Pod." Stephnie Weir guest stars as a podcast host seeking to drum up publicity for her show by destroying the reputation of public defender Dan Fielding (John Larroquette). While he may seem like a wise, if somewhat egotistical, elder statesman on the new show, any viewers of the original Night Court know all about Dan's unscrupulous, womanizing, amoral past. But it was the 80s, and he'd like to think he's grown a lot since then.
Stephnie Weir is best known to a generation of comedy enthusiasts for her role in Fox's boundary-pushing sketch series, Mad TV, as well as the sadly short-lived FX series, The Comedians, in which she shared the screen with Billy Crystal and Josh Gad. Most recently, she appeared on several episodes of the Disney+ series, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers. Together with her husband, Rob Dassie, they perform improv as "WeirDass," doing shows all over the country and on the internet.
While promoting her appearance on Night Court, Stephnie Weir spoke to Screen Rant about her work on the show and her love of the traditional multicamera sitcom. She shared what it's like to be a guest star on a show with an ensemble cast and a built-in dynamic, as well as her thoughts on the new Night Court cast members. Finally, she revealed key moments from her youth that paved the way for her to develop a career in the comedy field.
Stephnie Weir on Trying to "Cancel" Dan Fielding in Night Court
Screen Rant: First question, did you watch Night Court when it was first on?
Stephnie Weir: I did, yeah! I remember the original Night Court, for sure I loved all the characters. Did you? Were you around?
Screen Rant: I watched it when it first went into TV Land syndication. I remember because the summer before I started high school, they had a big marathon, and I was hooked. My dad recorded a big chunk of the marathon on VHS tapes, and I watched it pretty much non-stop every day after school.
Stephnie Weir: That's awesome!
Screen Rant: You are hilarious in everything, but it was a delight to see you pop up in Night Court. We won't spoil anything from the episode, but I don't know how many actors can sit across the table from John Larroquette as Dan Fielding and stand their ground in front of that mountain of a man.
Stephnie Weir: I'm glad it came off that way. He's such a talent, but it's definitely intimidating to play with him and not get caught up in watching him. When he's in the moment, doing his thing, you get a little mesmerized! It was very special to get to play alongside him.
Screen Rant: Do you get time to work things out in rehearsal, or is he the kind of guy who comes out, does his lines, and then disappears back into the ether?
Stephnie Weir: I was just in the one episode, but he was very involved in rehearsals. He wanted to play, find it, and get the best out of it. He's a total team player! I would say, watching that whole cast kind of gel with each other and find their pacing together, and getting an inside view of that was really special. It's contagious to watch something that's gelling and working in an ensemble; that really feels like they're meshing. It doesn't always happen, so it was special to see.
Screen Rant: I had heard that John has an improvisational style, but so do you! You have an improv background, of course.
Stephnie Weir: It's the reason I love multicam so much. As long as you've got what they want you to capture, and you've been given permission to play, it's so much fun when you can find those little moments to play. It's like surfing. You catch a wave, and it feels like the audience is with you. It feels alive.
As a viewer, I think you can see it. I know when I'm watching someone play in the moment in multicam, I feel like I'm with them. It's kind of what's special about multicam. I've been craving a good multicam for a long time, so it's wonderful to see it being done so well, and to feel connected to the ensemble, and it seems fresh, and it's so fun.
Screen Rant: I'm thinking about your career and how much joy you've brought to so many people over the years. Was there moment that you realized this life was your destiny, if that's not too grandiose?
Stephnie Weir: When I was very young... I have an older brother and a younger sister. My younger sister is the most wonderful person. She's beautiful and she's super smart. She took all of it, so all that was left was funny, and that's my story. I latched on to 'funny.' But I found, as a child, I really had a good timing and a good sense of humor. I got pulled in to play charades with the adults, the big people, and none of the other kids were invited. I think I knew then that I wanted to perform.
And I would say, as an adult, I thought, "Okay, I might be able to do this," when I went to Junior College in Odessa College, and had a theater professor, Paula Thompson. She really pointed me out and said, "This is totally doable for you. You can leave West Texas, and you can make this happen." She really guided me and told me where to go and what to do, and that was the first time I thought, "Okay, maybe I can earn a living!"
Screen Rant: Your Night Court character is a podcaster, and you press the right buttons to make a bit of Dan Fielding's repressed narcissism come out. I feel this episode shows us the old Dan that he's kind of kept a lid on thus far.
Stephnie Weir: Yes, absolutely. She doesn't have pure intentions herself. It feels very "gotcha." What I loved about this was that, especially in this day and age, it's easy to "cancel" Dan. It's easy to feel like Dan fits a certain type that we've moved on from. But he's grown, and he has dimension, and he's trying to evolve past what he was. I thought it was a fun story for him, and for us to get a glimpse of that old-school, obnoxious guy that we love-to-hate.
Screen Rant: He has so much dimension, and to return to him all these years later and see how he's grown is truly fascinating. Night Court has always been an ensemble, of course, and the new show has a fantastic cast, as well. I got to interview Melissa before, and she and John have an immediate rapport.
Stephnie Weir: She is a delight. She's a wonderful human. When I heard the premise, I thought, "My gosh, this is such a brilliant way to approach this show." It really is built-in comedy. You're just rubbing your hands together, waiting to watch it happen.
Screen Rant: And the fact that he's a head-and-a-half taller is funny to see, just on a visual level.
Stephnie Weir: Exactly! But she stands her ground! They're both level players, and there's a mutual respect. I just love their dynamic.
Screen Rant: I'm always curious when a guest star pops up on a show like this. Is it something that you seek out because you like the old show and want to be involved, or does your agent just ring you up and say, "Hey, wanna be on Night Court?" What's that process like for you?
Stephnie Weir: In this particular instance, that's what happened. I got a call, and they said, "Hey, would you want to come and do this?" And I was very excited. I was familiar with the show and the 'new-boot,' and loved all the players involved. It's a multicam, and I love being in front of a live audience and playing. That's how that came about.
Being a guest star is not always an easy job. It's like you're starting a new school every time you go to a job, and there's already a dynamic in place. But this was so lovely! Everyone made it so easy to work and to play, and to find your best comedy. It's a great group.
Screen Rant: I hope they have you back at some point!
Stephnie Weir: Oh, thank you so much, I appreciate that!
Screen Rant: Can you talk a bit about what else you've got coming up, for people who want to see more of you and your brand of comedy?
Stephnie Weir: My husband and I have performed for years in the improv community, and we do have some comedy up on YouTube. My last name is Weir, and his last name is Dassie. It's called "WeirDass." We've been performing under that name for a long time. We didn't hyphenate just so our children wouldn't have to be Weir-Dassies. You can check out our material there, and I'm on Instagram at "stephniewithoutana," and we're doing a show in Austin. It looks like we'll be going to Montana, too. We do a lot of live improv shows, so you can come check us out there!
About Night Court
From executive producer and writer Dan Rubin (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”), “Night Court” is based on the original hit series that ran for nine seasons on NBC. Melissa Rauch and Winston Rauch executive produce through their After January Productions. Mona Garcea oversees for After January Productions and John Larroquette serves as a producer. “Night Court” is produced by Rauch’s After January Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.
Night Court airs Tuesdays on NBC and can be streamed the next day on Peacock. The original Night Court is also free to stream on Amazon Freevee.