Remembering Richard Moll: See the Original Cast of 'Night Court' Then and Now
Night Court cast
America loses another icon of '80s Must See TV. Richard Moll, the character actor best known for his role as Nostradamus "Bull" Shannon on Night Court, has died. He was 80.
The original Night Court premiered in 1984 and ran until 1992 and starred Harry Anderson as Judge Harry Stone.
When Night Court returned for a reboot in early 2023, only two of the original stars returned—fan-favorite John Larroquette, who somehow has barely aged a day since the original series premiered, and a surprise cameo from Marsha Warfield in the Season 1 finale.
Related: John Larroquette Says He Auditioned for a Role as TV’s Most Famous Bartender
As we remember the towering, yet kindhearted bailiff who warmed hearts for all nine seasons, let's take a look back at the original cast and find out what they're up to today.
'Night Court' Cast Then & Now
NBC/Getty Images
The cast of the first season of the original iteration of Night Court, from left to right: Selma Diamond as Bailiff Selma Hacker, John Larroquette as Daniel R. "Dan" Fielding, Richard Moll as bailiff Nostradamus "Bull" Shannon, Harry Anderson as Judge Harold "Harry" T. Stone, Karen Austin as Lana Wagner and Paula Kelly as Public Defender Liz Williams.
NBC/Getty Images
Harry Anderson starred as the young, sneaker-clad amateur magician and Judge Harry T. Stone in the original Night Court for all nine seasons.
Gary Miller/Getty Images
Following the success of Night Court, Harry Anderson went on to star in Dave's World, based on columnist Dave Barry, and co-authored the book Games You Can't Lose: A Guide for Suckers with pal Turk Pipkin.
In 2002, Anderson moved to New Orleans, where he later opened a magic shop in the French Quarter, followed by Oswald's Speakeasy in 2005. After Hurricane Katrina, he sold the properties and moved to Asheville, North Carolina. He continued acting, with especially memorable appearances in 30 Rock.
Anderson died in 2018 following a fierce bout of the flu and several strokes. He was survived by his wife Elizabeth and two adult children from his previous marriage to Leslie Pollack.
In a 2014 interview, Anderson said he regarded himself more as a magician than as an actor.
“I’m a magician, or a performer, by nature, and that’s always what I’ve been,” he told WGN-TV. “I was never really an actor. I was a magician who fell into a part on Cheers.”
NBC/Getty Images
Selma Diamond starred as Bailiff Selma Hacker on Night Court for the first two seasons. On and offscreen, she was a petite chainsmoker, and tragically, it would bring her time on the series and on Earth to an untimely end: She died on lung cancer shortly after Season 2 in 1985.
NBC/Getty Images
John Larroquette had the role of a lifetime as cocky prosecutor Dan Fielding in the original Night Court, a role that earned him four consecutive Emmys and one that he reprises in the 2023 reboot that has already been renewed for Season 2.
NBC/Getty Images
Larroquette went on to star in his own show, The John Larroquette Show, as well as The Practice, Boston Legal, The Librarians and The Good Fight. He's back as Dan Fielding in the Night Court reboot, though his prior antics may look a bit different today than they did in the series' original run.
“As an actor, I thought it would be an interesting idea to revisit a character 35 years later in his life and see what happened to him,” Larroquette told Parade. “I can’t do the physical comedy and jump over chairs anymore, so my conversations with the producers were about how to find the funny.”
NBC/Getty Images
Charles Robinson starred as the good-natured Vietnam veteran court clerk Macintosh "Mac" Robinson in Night Court Seasons 2 through 9, taking over for Karen Austin's Lana Wagner.
Maury Phillips/Getty Images
Charles Robinson continued acting post-Night Court in hit shows including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Grey's Anatomy, Key & Peele, This Is Us, NCIS and How I Met Your Mother, with recurring roles in Mom and Hart of Dixie. He passed away in 2021 at age 75 after suffering a heart attack and organ failure, The New York Times reported.
One of Robinson's final performances was on stage with Suits star Wendell Pierce in the play Some Old Black Man at the University of Michigan in 2020. Pierce tweeted after Robinson's death, “Only 27 days in quarantine with Charlie Robinson and I got to appreciate the man, not just the wonderful actor of great charm and skill on stage, TV and film. In the life of an actor the only things you take with you are the work that you do and the people you do it with.”
NBC/Getty Images
Richard Moll starred as the beloved bailiff Bull, whose sweet and humble nature belied his 181 I.Q. He's as tall as his character is smart, clocking in at a cool 6'8".
At the time of his audition, Moll had shaved his head for another role, but the team (and audiences) loved it so much that he kept himself bald for the duration of the series.
David Livingston/Getty Images
Whoa, check out that glorious head of hair! Moll has continued acting since Night Court, with memorable roles in Jingle All the Way, But I'm a Cheerleader, Scary Movie 2, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd, Casper Meets Wendy, Anger Management, Smallville, The Flintstones and a slew of voice work.
Sadly, Moll died peacefully on Oct. 26, 2023 at his home in Big Bear Lake, Calif. He was 80.
NBC/Getty Images
Markie Post starred as the naive public defender Christine Sullivan on Night Court. A lover of Harry Stone and the royal family, Sullivan's character quickly became a fan favorite.
Michael Tullberg/Getty Images
Markie Post continued working post-Night Court, with roles in Hearts Afire, The District, Scrubs and There's Something About Mary. She joined her fellow castmates in the November 2008 30 Rock episode "The One With Night Court."
Post died in August 2021 after a four-year battle with cancer. She was 70.
NBC/Getty Images
Marsha Warfield starred as Rosalind "Roz" Russell, a Night Court bailiff who did not suffer fools.
John Lamparski/Getty Images
Marsha Warfield has continued acting and performing comedy, including having her own Marsha Warfield Show, plus roles in Clueless, Family Ties, Empty Nest, Moesha, Living Single, Cheers, Touched By An Angel and most recently 9-1-1.
Warfield came out in 2017 in a heartfelt Facebook post, writing, "When I told my mother I was gay, she said she knew, and had known all my life. Then, she asked me not to come out publicly while she was alive. I agreed, even though the request and her admission were hurtful in ways I couldn't put my finger on then, and probably haven't completely worked through now. But, everybody who knew me, knew I was gay. The people I didn't tell knew anyway, and tacitly agreed to pretend that the unacknowledged had been acknowledged and accepted. Like I'm sure is true for millions of other glass door closeted people."
She continued, "When I went to bars, which was frequently, I never tried to hide who I was. So, it was an open secret. Had I never come out publicly, many, many people would have known. It would not then have ever really been a betrayal of trust to 'spill the beans.' Because it wasn't a secret, it was an uncomfortably kept promise to my mother," she wrote. "But, it was also not the only reason I didn't come out swinging when she passed. The fear of the judgment of strangers and their holier-than-thou 'shoulds' was at least as big of a burden to bear. But the 'shoulds' that 'should' matter don't. Nobody should have to hide their sexuality. No parent should ask their child to. There should be no shame in being gay."
NBC/Getty Images
Paula Kelly starred as public defender Liz Williams in the original Night Court. She earned her first Emmy nomination for the role, but left the series after Season 1.
John Heller/Getty Images
Paula Kelly was a regular on TV and in film, with roles in Golden Girls, Police Woman, The Women of Brewster Place, South Central, Mission: Impossible, Once Upon a Time...When We Were Colored and more. She died in February 2020 from heart failure.
NBC/Getty Images
Karen Austin starred as Lana Wagner, a court clerk and Judge Harry Stone's crush, on Night Court but just for 10 episodes.
Ron Galella/Getty Images
Austin continued acting in bit parts following her exit from Night Court in 1984, with roles in projects including Beverly Hills, 90210; NYPD Blue; L.A. Law; Columbo; Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; Star Trek: Voyager; ER; Desperate Housewives; Battlestar Galactica; CSI: Miami and The Rum Diary.
