After 39 years, The Wheelers (Brent Spiner and Annie O’Donnell) have returned to Night Court. This time, its not the unfortunate aged couple who’s at odds with the court docket however their fast-talking daughter Carol Anne, initially performed by Keri Houlihan within the 1985 episode by which The Wheelers made their debut, and now performed by Big Bang Theory actor Kate Micucci.
The Beat had the prospect to speak with Micucci earlier than the premiere of the newest episode of NBC’s Night Court on March 12, 2024, titled “Wheelers of Fortune.” We mentioned how she prepped for the role, her expertise recording for DuckTales, her dream Star Trek role, and extra.
REBECCA OLIVER KAPLAN: Chips and ice cream!
KATE MICUCCI: Oh, wow. That’s a great throwback. That music was so humorous and so bizarre to be taught. Gosh, I hadn’t thought of that shortly—thanks for reminding me.
KAPLAN: It’s one in every of my favorites, by the best way. So, I wished to ask if you happen to had been a fan of the unique Night Court.
MICUCCI: I didn’t develop up watching it. It was at all times on. I’m a child of the 80s, so I used to be conscious of it. However, my mother and father had been fairly strict with what I may watch, and I wasn’t actually allowed to look at many exhibits. So, I’m a brand new fan. I grew to become a fan of the present with the reboot as a result of I’m buddies with Melissa Rauch, and I used to be so excited to see this new present she had helped create. So, I grew to become a fan then and have been working backward since and watching a whole lot of the outdated ones since. So yeah, it’s an unimaginable present and an excellent format for a sitcom since you by no means know who’s gonna stroll by means of that door—and it’s simply so humorous. They do it so nicely. So, rising up, I didn’t find out about it. But I can undoubtedly say I’m a brand new fan.
KAPLAN: Awesome. For the brand new Night Court followers who’re simply being launched to the present, is it bingeable?
MICUCCI: Oh, my gosh, it’s bingeable. Last weekend, I used to be going by means of some outdated ones; it was a lot enjoyable. I believe one of many causes that it lasted for thus lengthy again within the ’80s is that its solid is unimaginable. What makes an excellent sitcom is everybody doing what they achieve this nicely, staying in their very own lanes however working collectively; it’s a ravishing factor. With a sitcom, once they determine it out, it’s a lot enjoyable to look at—and Night Court is a kind of exhibits.
KAPLAN: Since you’re taking part in Carol Ann, a personality who appeared within the unique model of the sequence, how did you strategy taking part in a grown-up model of her?
MICUCCI: I watched most of the clips of the older episodes with Annie O’Donnell and Brent Spiner taking part in The Wheelers, so I used to be sort of getting a vibe of their characters. Then, I assumed, “Okay, what would their offspring be like today?” It was actually enjoyable to attempt to determine it out. Once I met Annie and Brent, we sort of figured it out collectively, too. My character is a bit faster-talking than the opposite two, however that might additionally make sense for a child of those two folks. It was an honor to stroll in and play a Wheeler—I used to be very enthusiastic about it.
KAPLAN: Did Spiner and O’Donnell have any recommendation for you on tips on how to play the character?
MICUCCI: You know, not a lot on the character. However, I did be taught one actually cool appearing trick from Brent as a result of he needed to do a scene the place he bites into an onion. So, he taught me tips on how to chunk into an onion. It’s not an actual onion, but it surely makes it appear like you’re biting into a bit of meals, like, making it appear like you’ve chewed, and your cheeks. I used to be like, “How do you do that?” He taught me that, like old-timey methods. It was tremendous cool.
They additionally shared tales of what it was like within the 80s once they labored on the present. Back then, the best way the day would work was that, in rehearsal, you simply had to hang around within the seats the place the viewers would ultimately be sitting. So, they mentioned that one of many perks of how the present works in the present day is you get your individual dressing room anytime you want it.
KAPLAN: I used to bop. I bear in mind spending all day within the theater.
MICUCCI: I gotta say, we had been all having a lot enjoyable that we spent a whole lot of time on the stage. I liked watching the opposite scenes I wasn’t in and at all times discovered. You know, it’s Julia Sweeney on this episode, and she’s so humorous. I’m such an enormous fan of her, and it was enjoyable to look at her work. So, I at all times favored to be there, sort of watching; all of us watched and had a good time. It felt just like the solid was so welcoming—it actually felt like a household. So, they had been very sort and welcomed us. Annie and Brent, it was an outdated household coming again to go to, which was nice.
KAPLAN: I wasn’t certain if you happen to’ve labored with Brent earlier than because you’ve labored on some related exhibits.
MICUCCI: No, I had by no means met him, though I might like to do some sort of Star Trek factor. That could be the best. Yeah, I’ve by no means met him earlier than. But it was, you understand, we had been quick buddies, the three of us.
KAPLAN: What is your dream Star Trek role?
MICUCCI: I don’t know. All I do know is I might be all the way down to both pilot some form of ship or play an alien of some type. That’d be cool.
KAPLAN: Since this isn’t the primary time you’ve performed a revival present, you additionally did DuckTales; is approaching a rival character completely different than if you do an unique role? And is animation completely different than live-action?
MICUCCI: Because DuckTales was a brand new take on it, they informed me to only do my very own factor. So, I wasn’t as involved in regards to the earlier, relating to matching vocal high quality or something like that. I simply sort of received to be very energetic and convey my spin to it, which was enjoyable. And I believe all the blokes would agree that we had been doing a recent take on the concept.
However, within the case of Night Court, having Brent and Annie there, who performed the unique roles, I wished to ensure that I match into this household and the state of affairs of one thing that had been constructed virtually 40 years in the past. It was actually enjoyable, and I’ve to say it wasn’t laborious since we actually gelled shortly. It was a thrill to be part of it.
Catch Kate Micucci in Night Court episode 211 on NBC.
I’m sorry, of us. I forgot to ask her in regards to the upcoming animated adaptation of Toy, a well-liked Keenspot comedian created by Brett Murphy and Wilson Gandolpho. I might have requested about it; in any case, that is Comics Beat, however I simply discovered about it in the present day. Thank you, Deadline.
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