Interview with Night Court Actors

TV Interview!

 

"Night Court" actors R-L Gary Anthony Williams, Nyambi Nyambi and Lacretta (photo from Gary's Instagram page).

Interview with Gary Anthony Williams, Nyambi Nyambi and Lacretta of “Night Court” on NBC by Suzanne 2/6/25

It’s always great fun to speak to these actors from “Night Court!” They are hilarious. I was paired with another journalist this time, Russ Milheim of The Direct. It’s always nice to meet fellow members of the press.  We each asked very different questions, which is great. I hope you enjoy these fun interviews!

Gary Anthony Williams (Flobert)

Gary Anthony Williams, who plays Flobert in "Night Court" on NBC (photo from his Facebook page)

Lacretta (Gurgs)

NIGHT COURT -- Season: 3 -- Pictured: Lacretta as Donna “Gurgs” Gurganous -- (Photo by: Robert Trachtenberg/NBC)

 

Nyambi Nyambi (Wyatt)

NBCUNIVERSAL EVENTS – “NBCUniversal Summer Press Tour – “Red Carpet” -- Pictured: Nyambi Nyambi, “Night Court” in Pasadena, Calif. on July 14, 2024 -- (Photo by: Todd Williamson/NBCUniversal)

MORE INFO: Official Site Sneak Peek

Night Court

"Night Court" cast (photo from Gary Anthony Williams' Facebook Page)Tuesdays on NBC (8:30 -9p.m. ET/PT); Season Premiere: Nov 19

Eternally optimistic Abby Stone (Melissa Rauch) follows in the footsteps of her revered late father, Judge Harry Stone, as she takes on the challenge of overseeing the night shift of a Manhattan arraignment court.

In her quest to bring order and dignity to the court and reign in its colorful crew of oddballs, Abby enlists former night court district attorney Dan Fielding (John Larroquette) to serve as the court’s public defender. Still exceedingly self-confident, Fielding must adjust to a new boss and a new job – defending the downtrodden. And, beneath his arrogant demeanor, there is an empathetic side to Fielding that Abby is determined to unearth.

They both must contend with Julianne Walters (Wendie Malick), a reformed convict and former love interest of Dan, who is the new prosecutor. A sophisticated, savvy woman and accomplished attorney who also knows how to make a shank out of a spoon, she’ll keep everyone in the courthouse on their toes. Donna “Gurgs” Gurganous (Lacretta) is the night court’s sharp-witted bailiff. Gurgs takes her job very seriously and is fiercely protective of her night court colleagues. Wyatt Shaw (Nyambi Nyambi) is the court’s clerk. He’s a jack of all trades and devoted single dad trying to make it all work as a law student at the same time.

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. Executive producers also include Melissa Rauch, Winston Rauch, John Larroquette, Mat Hawawitz, Lon Zimmet, Lindsey Shockley and Mona Garcea.

“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.

BIOS

Lacretta

Donna “Gurgs” Gurganous, “Night Court”

NIGHT COURT -- Season 1 -- Pictured: Lacretta as Gurgs -- (Photo by: Robert Trachtenberg/NBC/Warner Bros. Television)Lacretta stars as Donna “Gurgs” Gurganous on the NBC comedy “Night Court.”

Born and raised in Kansas City, Mo., Lacretta made her stage debut at 14 at the Coterie Theater – an institution in which she holds great affection. It was there where she starred in numerous performances throughout the ’90s, such as “A Wrinkle in Time” and “101 Dalmatians.”

In 2011, she appeared in “Hairspray” at Broadway Rose in Portland. She then originated the role of Levora Verona in the Off-Broadway run of “Disaster!” in 2012 at the Triad in New York, and made her Broadway debut with the same role in 2016.

Following her on-stage success, Lacretta guest starred on “Law & Order,” “30 Rock,” “Broad City” and “Gotham.”

In film, Lacretta appeared in the romantic comedy “Second Act” before making her return to the stage in “Avenue Q” in the closing cast of their Off-Broadway run at New World Stages. She was also featured in the first national tour of “The Book of Mormon.”

In her off time, Lacretta loves gaming and is very active on Twitch TV. In 2022, she helped announce the first Streamers for Education Scholarship for Black Women going into the fields of STEM, Digital Media and film. She is also an avid cook and often shares recipes from “Cretta’s Kitchen” on her Instagram.

She currently resides in Los Angeles.

 

NBCUNIVERSAL EVENTS -- Press Tour, July 2024 -- NBCU Portrait Studio -- Pictured: Nyambi Nyambi, “Night Court” NBC -- (Photo by: JSquared Photography/NBCUniversal)

Nyambi Nyambi

Wyatt Shaw, “Night Court”

Nyambi portrays Wyatt Shaw on the NBC comedy “Night Court.”

Nyambi most recently co-starred as investigator Jay DiPersia in Paramount+’s “The Good Fight” and co-starred for six seasons alongside Billy Gardell and Melissa McCarthy in the CBS sitcom “Mike & Molly.” Nyambi can be seen in the Billy Crystal and Alan Zweibel film “Here Today” as well as starring in the indie film “The Sleepless,” available on Amazon Prime.

Nyambi’s TV resume includes “Mercy Street,” “Blindspot,” digital series “American Koko” and “Titans.” Additionally, Nyambi had voiceover roles in “The Death of Superman” and “Reign of the Supermen.” He also narrated the three-part PBS nature documentary “Primates.”

Nyambi has participated in New York’s Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park. Working alongside Al Pacino and Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Nyambi starred in “The Merchant of Venice” and “The Winter’s Tale.”

Additional theater credits include the first Broadway revival of August Wilson’s “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” and the Classic Stage Company’s “The Tempest,” opposite Mandy Patinkin. He has worked with the Classical Theatre of Harlem and the Williamstown Theater Festival, and is a proud member of the Labyrinth Theatre Company.

Alongside Danai Gurira, Nyambi serves on the board for Almasi Collaborative Arts, an organization dedicated to Gary Anthony Williams, who plays Flobert in "Night Court" on NBC (photo from his Facebook page)developing emerging African artists.

Nyambi is a first-generation Nigerian-American and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bucknell University before earning his Masters of Fine Arts from NYU. He played basketball for four years at Bucknell and made the ESPN Dick Vitale “All-Name Team,” which honors the best names in college basketball. Post-college, Nyambi took on the role of coach and led basketball teams at teen camps.

Gary Anthony WIlliams

Judge Flobert, “Night Court”

Gary Anthony Williams is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He has voiced the character Uncle Ruckus on The Boondocks, General Horace Warfield in StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty and Dr. Richard Tygan in XCOM 2, portraying Anton “Bebop” Zeck in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.

NIGHT COURT -- "Ab-ventures in Babysitting" Episode 305 -- Pictured: (l-r) Gary Anthony Williams as Flobert, Nyambi Nyambi as Wyatt, Lacretta as Gurgs -- (Photo by: Nicole Weingart/NBC)

Past Interviews

Nyambi Nyambi, India de Beaufort and Lacretta of “Night Court” on NBC 2/28/24

Lacretta of “Night Court” on NBC 1/16/24

India de Beaufort of “Night Court” on NBC 3/9/23

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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Interview with the cast of “Harper House”

TV Interview!

 

THE HARPER HOUSE -- The adult animated comedy series, THE HARPER HOUSE, with voice cast, Rhea Seehorn, Jason Lee, Tatiana Maslany, Ryan Flynn, Gabourey Sidibe, Gary Anthony Williams, Nyima Funk, VyVy Nguyen and Lance Krall on the Paramount+ series THE GOOD FIGHT. Photo: CBS Studios©2021 Paramount+, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Interview with Rhea Seehorn, Jason Lee, Ryan Flynn, Gabourey Sidibe, Gary Anthony Williams, Nyima Funk, Brad Neely, and Katie Krentz of “The Harper House” on Paramount+ by Suzanne 8/31/21

The Harper House Cast

Rhea Seehorn – “Debbie Harper”

Jason Lee – “Freddie Harper”

Ryan Flynn – “Todd Harper”

Gabourey Sidibe – “Shauna Bradley”

Gary Anthony Williams – “Gbenge Bradley”

Nyima Funk – “Katrina Bradley”

Brad Neely – Creator & Showrunner

Katie Krentz – Executive Producer

I was at this panel, and I asked Gary Anthony Williams (Gbenge) a question. He’s been a favorite of mine ever since he played Clarence on “Boston Legal.”  Unfortunately, I was not sent a transcript for the interview, and we weren’t allowed to record it. If I’d known ahead of time, I would have taken notes, at least. Here is what I remember, and what I’ve been able to piece together.

Everyone on the panel was very funny and had me crying (because I was laughing so hard), especially Gary and his comedy partner, Nyima Funk (Katrina). They should have their own podcast or talk show… I know I asked him something about Arkansas, since I lived there at the time. The show takes place in River Creek, Arkansas. I don’t remember what he said, unfortunately.  Fortunately, I did get to speak to him years later, about his role on “Night Court” on NBC.

The panel officially announced the premiere date for Harper House set for September 16, 2021, and debuted its first-look trailer with key cast members and creative team in attendance

Premiere date and trailer: The show’s debut on September 16, 2021 was confirmed, and the first full trailer was shown—featuring cast members Rhea Seehorn, Jason Lee, Ryan Flynn, and Tatiana Maslany.

Cast & creative team: Brad Neely (creator/writer), along with key cast members, participated in the event—primarily to introduce the series and its tone .

Rhea Seehorn on taking “different risks” On the August 31 TCA Zoom panel, Seehorn reflected on how the animated format allowed her to stretch creatively: “There were risks you could take because this is a very different type of storytelling on this show… But there was also risks I felt that I could try out vocally.” Seehorn contrasted voice acting in The Harper House with her live-action role in Better Call Saul, discussing how the medium demands broader expressive range: “You do get to explore a lot… you need to carry out your humor, your drama, your real moments, your more outlandish moments, your subtext. Everything has to all be done vocally as opposed to subtleties that you can do on camera…” Experimenting in the studio, trusting animators.

She also highlighted the playful creative process between voice recording and animation: “Sometimes I would try things and leave it to the animators to figure out… understanding sometimes when [creator] Brad [Neely] knew how it would be animated, versus choices that hadn’t been made yet, and being a part of that process.”

Here are some other links having to do with the show and its cast:

Meet the Voice Cast

Brad Neeley’s Homecoming: Return to Streaming

Wikipedia

The 10 Smartest Characters

Paramount+ brings “peak” animation to Comic-Con@home with “The Harper House”and “Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out the News”

 

MORE INFO:

CBS ALL ACCESS ANNOUNCES VOICE CAST FOR ANIMATED SERIES “THE HARPER HOUSE”

Voice Cast Includes Rhea Seehorn, Jason Lee, Tatiana Maslany, Ryan Flynn, VyVy Nguyen, Roberta Colindrez, Gabourey Sidibe, Gary Anthony Williams and More

New Animated Series from Brad Neely and Katie Krentz Coming to CBS All Access in 2021

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Oct. 15, 2020 – CBS All Access, ViacomCBS’ digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, today announced the voice cast for its upcoming adult animated comedy THE HARPER HOUSE, created by Brad Neely. THE HARPER HOUSE will star Rhea Seehorn, Jason Lee, Tatiana Maslany and Ryan Flynn as the Harper family, with VyVy Nguyen, Lance Krall, Roberta Colindrez, Tessa Skara, John “Spud” McConnell, Chris Diamantopoulos, Joanna Hausmann, Gabourey Sidibe, Nyima Funk and Gary Anthony Williams also voicing characters in the series.

THE HARPER HOUSE follows an overconfident female head of a household, as she struggles to regain a higher status for herself and for her family of oddballs, after losing her job and moving from the rich side to the poor side of an Arkansas small town. To save money, they’ve moved into their inherited Victorian fixer-upper, the historic Harper House.

The Harpers:

Rhea Seehorn (“Better Call Saul,” “Veep”) will voice Debbie Harper, the aforementioned breadwinner of the Harper household, who takes pride in being the queen of her home.

Jason Lee (“My Name is Earl,” “Alvin and the Chipmunks”) will voice Freddie Harper, a fretful, stay-at-home, helicopter dad. A neurotic control freak, Freddie runs the home while his wife makes the money, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Tatiana Maslany (“Orphan Black,” “Perry Mason”) will voice Ollie Harper, the extroverted, free-spirited daughter. Recklessly optimistic and pretty gullible, Ollie usually has a completely different takeaway than her 11-year-old twin brother, Todd.

Newcomer Ryan Flynn (“Stupidface”) will voice Todd Harper, the smart-ass, intellectual son with a mean potty mouth. Where Ollie shines with people, Todd excels at school and generally only gets along with his family.

The Bradleys:

Gabourey Sidibe (“Precious,” “Empire”) will voice Shauna Bradley, the cunning and resourceful classmate of Ollie and Todd whose family lives across the street from the Harper House. Her confidence and savvy can even be intimidating to the adults in her life.

Nyima Funk (“Key and Peele,” “Detroiters”) will voice Katrina Bradley, the sarcastic co-owner, with her husband Gbenge, of Bradleys’ Bookshop. Constantly bewildered by her new neighbors, she grows to accept the Harpers and their unique contributions to the north side of town.

Gary Anthony Williams (“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows,” “American Dad!”) will voice Gbenge Bradley, the proud patriarch of the Bradley family, who eventually warms to the Harper family and Freddie’s increasingly desperate attempts to be his friend.

Also cast in the series are VyVy Nguyen (“Young Sheldon,” “Parenthood”) and Lance Krall (“Fameless,” “Breaking In”), who will voice mother-son duo Gwen and JimJoe Dang. Gwen owns the Vietnamese market and cafe that the Harpers frequent, while her son JimJoe attends school with the Harper children. Roberta Colindrez (“Vida,” “The Deuce”) will voice Tonya Acosta, a carefree yet supportive friend of Debbie’s, while Tessa Skara (“The Calling,” “High Maintenance”) and John “Spud” McConnell (“Hap and Leonard,” “Underground”) will voice Debbie’s perky Southern-belle sister Brenna and loving father Daddie Dan. Additionally, Chris Diamantopoulos (“Silicon Valley”) will voice, among others, Dr. Morocco, the principal at the Harper children’s school who exhibits a mysterious and odd demeanor that may lead one to believe he lives a potentially criminal private life alongside Joanna Hausmann (“Bill Nye Saves the World”), who will voice Ms. Gonzalez, a teacher at the Harper children’s school who is fresh out of grad school and eager to employ all of her new teaching methods.

Creator Brad Neely serves as executive producer alongside Katie Krentz. The series is produced by CBS Eye Animation Productions, CBS Studios’ new animation arm, in association with 219 Productions. Titmouse (“Big Mouth”), the Emmy Award-winning independent animation production company, serves as the animation studio for the series.

THE HARPER HOUSE joins CBS All Access’ growing slate of original series that currently includes THE GOOD FIGHT, THE TWILIGHT ZONE, TOONING OUT THE NEWS, NO ACTIVITY, WHY WOMEN KILL, INTERROGATION, THE THOMAS JOHN EXPERIENCE and TELL ME A STORY, as well as the upcoming limited event series THE STAND, TEXAS 6, THAT ANIMAL RESCUE SHOW, THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH, THAT ANIMAL RESCUE SHOW and GUILTY PARTY. CBS All Access is also the exclusive domestic home to STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, STAR TREK: PICARD, the animated series STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS, and the upcoming U.S.S Enterprise set series STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS.

About CBS All Access:

CBS All Access is ViacomCBS’ direct-to-consumer digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service. CBS All Access gives subscribers the ability to watch more than 20,000 episodes and movies on demand – including exclusive original series, current and past seasons of hit shows from the CBS Television Network and growing libraries from brands across the ViacomCBS portfolio including BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Smithsonian and more, as well as a wealth of films from Paramount Pictures. The service is also the streaming home to unmatched sports programming, including every CBS Sports event, from golf to football to basketball and more, plus exclusive streaming rights for major sports properties, including some of the world’s biggest and most popular soccer leagues. CBS All Access also enables subscribers to stream local CBS stations live across the U.S. in addition to the ability to stream ViacomCBS Digital’s other live channels: CBSN for 24/7 news, CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis, and ET Live for entertainment coverage.

The service is currently available across all major device platforms including online, mobile and connected TV and OTT platforms and services. Versions of CBS All Access have launched internationally in Canada and Australia (10 All Access), with unique but similar content and pricing plans. For more details on CBS All Access, please visit https://www.cbs.com/all-access.

About CBS Studios:

CBS Studios is one of the industry’s leading suppliers of programming with more than 70 series currently in production across broadcast and cable networks, streaming services and other emerging platforms. The Studio’s expansive portfolio spans a diverse slate of commercially successful and critically acclaimed scripted programming, genre-defining franchises including the ever-growing “Star Trek” universe, award-winning late night and daytime talk shows, and an extensive library of iconic intellectual property.

Episode 1: “The Harper House”

Series Premiere. After being let go from her high-paying job, Debbie Harper (Rhea Seehorn), her husband Freddie (Jason Lee), and their twins, Todd (Ryan Flynn) and Ollie (Tatiana Maslany), move into a Victorian fixer-upper on the poorer side of town and attempt to win over their new neighbors by hosting a WrestleMonium watch party.

Written by: Brad Neely

Directed by: Scott Bern

Episode 2: “Conflicting Parenting Books”

Debbie and Freddie’s conflicting parenting styles become more apparent. Meanwhile, Todd and Ollie compete in the “Leaf-A-Thon” at their new school.

Written by: Brad Neely

Directed by: Chuck Sheetz

Episode 3: “The Perfect Gift/ Marg Truck”

Freddie, Todd and Ollie compete to find the perfect birthday gift for Debbie. Meanwhile, Debbie and her best friend, Tonya, see a brilliant, but illegal, business opportunity in a margarita food truck.

Written by: Brad Neely

Directed by: Liza Singer

Episode 4: “That Old House/ Friend Stacking”

Debbie and Freddie find the perfect friends, but are annoyed when they turn out to be friend-stackers. Todd struggles to move on from the past.

Written by: Brad Neely

Directed by: Scott Bern

Episode 5: “Baby Talk/ Coupon Kid”

With her sister Brenna’s questionable support, Debbie resorts to “baby talk” to make sales at Awning Con. Meanwhile, Shauna Bradley scams an impressionable Freddie.

Written by: Brad Neely

Directed by: Chuck Sheetz

Episode 6: “Everyone In Town Must Eat A Piece Of Barack Obama Before Midnight Or The World Ends”

When Ollie believes everyone must consume a piece of President Barack Obama in order to save the town, Debbie worries about her gullibility. Todd is determined to stop Mayor Kelly Frakes’ fracking expansion plan.

Written by: Brad Neely

Directed by: Sarah Seember HuiskenKey art for "The Harper House" on Paramount+

Episode 7: “Marshmallow Tests”

Opposite personality traits become more apparent in the Harper family when Debbie and Freddie collaborate on a business idea and when Todd and Ollie search for a new toy on the market.

Written by: Brad Neely

Directed by: Scott Bern

Episode 8: “Home Alone On The 4th Of July”

The Harpers celebrate the Fourth of July at the River Creek Fourth Fest and it’s far from a relaxing holiday; Freddie consumes a questionable funnel cake and Debbie protects the neighborhood from a robbery… or so she thinks.

Written by: Brad Neely

Directed by: Chuck Sheetz

Episode 9: “Deathbed Wish / Make the Lie Real”

A trip with Daddy Dan and Brenna commemorating her mother’s passing proves to be more enlightening than Debbie imagined. Meanwhile, Freddie ropes Tonya, Ollie and Todd into a scheme to impress Gbenge.

Written by: Brad Neely

Directed by: Sarah Seember Huisken

Gbenge Bradley, voiced by Gary Anthony Williams Katrina Bradley, voiced by Nyima Funk

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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