Everyone loves a fun and wild character, and that’s exactly what Susan is in Night Court. Julia Duffy is back in the series, and we chatted with her to find out why Susan is back and the fun she had on set again.
As fans will remember, Susan is Jake’s mother. Now that Jake and Abby have split up, it would see odd for Susan to return, unless she was in some legal drama. Well, it turns out that there is a wild reason for her to be back.
Julia Duffy teases Susan’s return in Night Court
Hidden Remote: Let’s talk the return to Night Court again. I know the first time, you said it was somewhat expected due to the cliffhanger at the end of season 2, but what about this time? What was it like to be asked back again?
Julia Duffy: Oh, it was great. Certainly something that I was hoping would happen, and I kind of thought it would. I’m just so connected with Melissa, and I think everybody feels that way. I felt such a bond with her. We had lunch together one day when we weren’t working together, and I think we really clicked personally too, so I was excited to be back again.
HR: Can you tease why she comes back another time, especially now that Abby and Jake have split up?
JD: Well, she’s kind of a busybody. She seems to think she knows what’s best for Jake, which might change from moment to moment. It’s more about what’s best for her.
I think what they did was kind of the perfect thing. It was a perfect difficult situation for Abby to be in, and then I’m just doing it to serve my own purposes. I’m throwing a party and making sure she’s there. It made Melissa so incredibly vulnerable.
You see a lot of will they get back together, won’t they get back together, what will happen? This was a very good version of it; very powerful in its own way.
HR: Susan is just this wild character. I’ve seen the episode, and I can’t wait for others to see it too. What’s it like for you to bring this wild person to life?
JD: It’s incredibly fun. She doesn’t have any filter, and she doesn’t restrict herself in any way. She just lives her life however she feels in the moment. Wouldn’t we all like to be like that? I am nothing like that, but to imagine it is very, very fun.
HR: Is there anything you can tease about the dynamic between Susan and Abby in this episode?
JD: Susan wants what’s best for Susan. It was best for Susan to have Abby come to her party. Maybe that’s who she would prefer Jake to be with. At least, in the moment, so she arranges it, because that’s what she does. She just goes with her heart in the moment.
HR: It’s rare a show gets to perform in front of a live audience now. What is that like for you?
JD: No, it doesn’t. I’ve done a ton of it in the past, and I think we need these shows, because you don’t get that anywhere else. You can do such wild comedy and surprise the audience so much in a sitcom, in a three-camera show. The audiences are such a part of it, and I don’t even know if they realize it. We react to the way they’re reacting, and we bring it up or we bring it down, or we add something in. It’s not like any other show.
HR: You also get that immediate reaction from the viewers, so you know what’s working and what’s not.
JD: And you can be a little over the top, give them the unexpected, which they don’t get anywhere else for the most part.
HR: Are you open to returning to Night Court again?
JD: Oh, absolutely. I would play Susan anywhere, any time, whether there’s an audience or not. It’s just extremely fun to play someone like that, somebody who is so different from me.
HR: If you could have Susan do one thing, what would you love for it to be?
JD: Oh wow, that’s a really good question. I’d like her to have a breast reduction, so I don’t have to wear that, because that was something else!
I’d like to see her have some sort of inappropriate relationship with a guy. How about Nyambi [Nyambi, who plays Wyatt]? I think that would be a good pairing. His deadpan reactions to everything are so damn funny.
HR: I could see that being hilarious to watch!
Night Court airs on Tuesdays at 8:30/7:30c on NBC. Catch up the following day on Peacock.
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