Night Court launched in the 2023 TV schedule to bring some new laughs to NBC, with sitcom veterans Melissa Rauch and John Larroquette in the lead roles. Between her experience on The Big Bang Theory and his role on the original Night Court, they came to court with some well-honed comedy chops already. Stephnie Weir, another skilled comedic actor, recently joined the sitcom as a guest star, and she shared with CinemaBlend a sweet story about reuniting with Rauch and a funny story of meeting Larroquette. And those stories leave me wanting to see Weir reprise her role as Remecca!
Stephnie Weir came to Night Court with plenty of comedy experience herself, notably including acting and writing for MADtv. It was via her writing that she first met and worked with Melissa Rauch, back before she landed her life-changing role of Bernadette on The Big Bang Theory. Weir shared:
I actually wrote a pilot years ago that Melissa was in, and so I had this connection with her. And oddly enough, she had just gotten cast on Big Bang and was playing Bernadette and I was new mother and my daughter's name was Bernadette, and so we just kept having these little overlaps. It was really funny, because when we rejoined up on the set and it had been years since we spoke to each other and we all had the same memories. It was really fun.
While the pilot that Stephnie Weir wrote years ago ultimately didn’t turn into a new series starring Melissa Rauch, they still managed to work together thanks to Night Court. Abby Stone may not have been thrilled about having Remecca in the building after the podcaster started digging into some dirty laundry, but it sounds like the actresses enjoyed getting to spend time together. Weir continued:
It was just really sweet. She was just starting out, and she told me a such a sweet story that when she was cast in the pilot that I wrote, she was literally kind of like, 'I don't know if this is gonna work out, this whole acting thing.' And then all of a sudden, everything just started clicking for her. I knew right away when I met her. She's just a doll as a human being and just a terrific actress, and just one of those people that you really long to work for or work with, just because she's a good human.
If there’s anything that Melissa Rauch and her Night Court character have in common, it seems that it's being a “good human.” Who could really argue that Abby isn’t a sweetheart, even in the face of Dan’s less-than-enthusiastic contributions in the courtroom? Rauch of course went on from Weir's pilot to be credited in more than 200 episodes of The Big Bang Theory before becoming the leading lady of NBC’s newest hit sitcom, so it’s a good thing that she didn’t quit acting!
Unlike her previous experience with Rauch, however, Stephnie Weir didn’t already know John Larroquette before coming to Night Court. Larroquette is of course the main tie between the original show and the revival, and she confirmed that she was familiar with the original before coming on to playing Remecca. Weir explained what it was like to work with him, and it was a very different experience than reuniting with Rauch. The actress said:
When you're in that position, and you're a guest star, you're totally like, 'Alright, I'm not gonna [tell you] how much I love you and what a big fan I am,' because I want to be a co-worker, not a fan. You're on a show, watching someone work and get their lines ready, and you don't want to be in their business, and then at one point, he was just like, 'We've met before, haven't we?' And that was just my in. I was like, 'No, absolutely never met before. I'm a big fan.'
Fortunately, Stephnie Weir ended up getting an “in” with John Larroquette without actually introducing herself to him as a huge fan. Apparently, Larroquette asking if they’d met before was the perfect icebreaker! Weir went on to explain one way that he truly stands out as a comedic actor, and that she was able to witness firsthand:
It was wonderful to watch him work because he's also a great improviser. He really plays well on his feet and improvising in front of a live audience is difficult because you have to know your parameters, how to stay true to what's happening and on script and move the story along and same time bring something new, and he's excellent at it.
So, in light of the fun stories about Melissa Rauch and John Larroquette, could fans see Stephnie Weir return as Remecca? Well, the night court team managed to dig up some dirt from her radio days, so it seems unlikely that Remecca will have a hugely popular podcast to bring her back. When asked if she’d be interested in coming back to Night Court if the opportunity arose, Weir wasted no time in saying “Of course” and “absolutely.” So, if the writers come up with a reason for Remecca to return, Weir is up for it!
For now, you can always revisit Stephnie Weir’s guest appearance with Night Court streaming via a Peacock Premium subscription. New episodes of Night Court air on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. The hit sitcom has already been renewed for a sixth season, so fans can enjoy the new episodes without any need to worry that the end is nigh!
