Night Court, NBC’s revival of the classic sitcom, is currently airing its third season. The series follows the workplace shenanigans of the late shift at a Manhattan courthouse. Like the original series before it,Night Courtjuxtaposes the gritty aesthetic of New York City’s grimy late-night underbelly with a colorful cast of cartoonish characters and over-the-top wacky sensibilities.
This week’s episode, “The Hole Truth,” features the return of Betsy Sodaro as Bert, the courthouse’s head janitor. She first appeared in season 1’s “Marathon-Thon-Thon-Thon-Thon,” and now she gets a bit more depth, including the revelation that she has a pet alligator. Betsy Sodaro has made a name for herself over the years, appearing in a wide variety of projects, from movies likePuss in Boots: The Last WishandAn American Pickle, to shows likeGhostsandExploding Kittens.She even played an alien firearm in the video game,High on Life.
Night Court Season 3 New Cast & Returning Character Guide
The brilliant Night Court has returned for season 3 with an equally brilliant cast ensemble. Most actors returned but there are some notable changes.
ScreenRantinterviewed Betsy Sodaro about her role inNight Court. She discussed playing the counterpart to Art (Mike Finneran), the janitor fromthe original series, and mused about where that character might be today. She also shared how her second appearance added more depth to Bert and her hopes for what the future might hold. Finally, Sodaro revealed how she was starstruck by the likes of John Larroquette andMelissa Rauch.
Sodaro Compares NBC’s Night Court Reboot To The Original Show
“This is just like Night Court because it is Night Court, man!”
ScreenRant: I loveNight Courtso much. It just brings me joy every week. It’s like the show never stopped!
Betsy Sodaro: Good! I know, isn’t it fun? It’s so cool that it’s just, like, the tone and everything, you’re like, “Oh, it’s Night Court. Cool!”
Were you a fan going in? Was there a moment where you were like, “Hey, wait, this actually passes the smell test. This is reallyNight Court!”
Betsy Sodaro: I was. I was a big fan. At the table read. Because I read it, of course, I read the script, and I was just kind of like, this is funny. But then at the table read, I was like, “Oh, this is really funny. And this is just like Night Court because it is Night Court, man!” It’s really exciting. It’s cool.
Your character, Bert, is the Art of the team. We miss Art. Who knows? He’s probably the mayor.
Betsy Sodaro: Yeah. Come on! Get Art back, dude! [Gasps] Wouldn’t that be awesome? That’s a good idea! I’ll tell someone and say, “Zak said it!”
Tell me a little bit about incorporating your comic persona into Bert. Tell me what they wanted from you and from the character, and how you were able to step into that role.
Betsy Sodaro: Yeah, they were very much kind of like, “Do whatever…” But they wrote it so much to where it was one of those roles where as soon as you read the first two lines, you’re like, “Oh, I know this character. I relate to this character. I can do this character justice, I think.”
So it was kind of one of those, “Oh yeah. Bert has seen so much stuff and has had to put up with so much stuff, but also is really good at it and does enjoy that power of being the head custodian.” I do have power in the end, as much as you think sometimes I don’t, I’ve got a lot of power! And we kind of see it in this episode.
And then also, just her having a really weird outside life outside of the courtroom where you’re just like, “What is Bert’s deal? Like, what does she do? She has a pet alligator! What’s going on with her?” And that’s just so fun to me. When they showed me this role, I was like, “Yeah, this looks like so much fun.”
Sodaro Reflects On Her First Appearance In Night Court Season 1
One of my favorite things aboutNight Courtis how it introduces these characters, initially as one-off players, and then explores them later on. This isn’t your first appearance on the show. Did you know you would be recurring when you signed on, or was it like, “Oh, it depends on what the audience says”?
Betsy Sodaro: No, I had no idea. After the first episode, it was very much like, “Hey, that was so much fun!” And everybody was so nice and just like, “Thank you for doing it. Maybe we’ll have you back.” And then they actually brought me back, and I was like, “Cool, keep it up! I’ll happily come on and do whatever!” I had no idea. I just know, after that first episode, I had a big old blast and thought it would be really cool if I got to come back to that show and be Bert some more.
Going back to the original show, Art was a one-off in the first season, and then he eventually married Bull’s mom!
Betsy Sodaro: Yes! I love that stuff. I had no clue until kind of getting into it, that that happens a lot when it is like, “Oh, yeah. We wrote this one-off character because it was necessary for this one episode, but then the writers had a lot of fun writing for them, and production really liked them, and audiences really liked them, so let’s keep bringing them back.” I didn’t know that was a thing until, like, five years ago. Like, “Oh, cool!”
When you show up on this show, do you get to bow to John Larroquette and just be like, “Sir…”
Betsy Sodaro: Yeah. There’s a whole ritual that you have to do. [Laughs] You have to grovel. Well, the first time I did the show, I was very nervous because I was like, “What is he like?” And Melissa, too. Like, these are two sitcom comedy icons. I was like, “Oh my God, I can’t believe it.” And I was a little nervous. And I will say, after the table read, when you get a laugh, it’s a little bit easier to be like, “See, we’re going to do something fun together! You know, I’m not just a weirdo!” [Laughs]
But that second episode, John and everybody was like, “Welcome back. Let’s go!” That felt so comforting, the trust. Even the first one was very fun, but there is always that little fear of, “Oh my God, what if I don’t make anybody laugh? What if I just suck, and they’re like, ‘get her out of here?'” There’s always a little bit of that.
I kind of go through that. I’m like, “What if my question doesn’t land? What if they say, “What? Why would you ask that?”
Betsy Sodaro: Yeah, what kind of question is that? Eww! But you’re killing it.
Does that apply to your life in general? Do you win people over with laughs? Basically, how do you make friends in real life? I would really love to know.
Betsy Sodaro: [Laughs] Oh my God, okay! Well, to the first question, absolutely. Like as a kid, it was just like, “Okay, I’m going somewhere new. I’d better, like, really commit to a bit.” I moved from Wyoming to Colorado in second grade. And I couldn’t say my Rs. And so I introduced myself as a “Wyoming Turd Bird,” and I just immediately got a bunch of friends.
But yeah, humor is always… Even when I do live shows and stuff, after getting that first laugh, it’s like, “Okay, great! Okay. You’re on my side now! I can really go.” And you know, making friends, take a class or something. Pottery. Comedy, do anything, you know? [Laughs]
Sodaro Talks The Future Of Bert In Night Court
“A dream would be to have a fun story with Wendie Malick.”
Are you game to be onNight Courtforever? Do you want to be on it every time that they call?
Betsy Sodaro: Yes, absolutely. Are you kidding? I would. Yes, absolutely.
Is there anything you’d like to see Bert do that she hasn’t done yet?
Betsy Sodaro: Oh, oh my gosh. I mean… skateboard on a cool ramp or something. [Laughs] We reveal that she’s, like, in the X Games, maybe.
I mean, if there’s one show…
Betsy Sodaro: Right?! Cause it really heightens to where it’s so fun and cartoony where it’s like, “Yes, let’s go. Let’s get silly.”
I mean you fit right in with that ensemble. I would be happy to see you on that show every week.
Betsy Sodaro: Oh, thank you so much! Hopefully I’ll do more. That would rule.
OnNight Court, are there any characters you feel you haven’t interacted with much but would like to in the future?
Betsy Sodaro: A dream would be to have a fun story with Wendie Malick and her character, Julianne. That would be such a dream. She’s so funny and incredible. And I’ve been such a fan. I would love to have a fun storyline with her. That would be just incredible.
And she also started as a guest, and now she’s a co-lead, and we’re just getting to see what she’s capable of.
Betsy Sodaro: She’s just unbelievable. She’s so good. I would love to do some scenes with her. I’d freak out, but in a good way!
When it comes to a show like that, is everybody “on” all the time? Are they coming up with stuff and working with the writers, or is it like, “I’ll be in my trailer. Call me when it’s time for my scenes!” What’s the dynamic on the show like?
Betsy Sodaro: It’s pretty collaborative all around, especially because you rehearse a lot. You really rehearse a lot. And so you are on in that sense. And there are those moments of like, “Would my character actually say this? Or how about this?” And writers are there to say, “How about this?”
It’s very collaborative and really, once again, I feel so safe on that set with the idea of maybe pitching joke or saying like, “I don’t know if I would say this or do this.” So it is very collaborative and everybody’s just working so hard and well together to get to that tape night to where everybody’s killing it. It really feels like putting on a play, which is so much fun.
Outside ofNight Court, can you share a little bit about what you have coming up and where people can find you?
Betsy Sodaro: You can find me on Instagram at Betsy Sodaro. Nice and simple. And then just keep your eyes and ears open because I’m floating around the TV a lot!
More About Night Court Season 3
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.
Check out our otherNight Courtseason 3 interviews:
Night Courtseason 3 airs Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
Night Court
Night Court is a 2023 series following optimistic judge Abby Stone, daughter of the late Harry Stone, as she oversees the night shift of a Manhattan arraignment court, navigating a group of quirky and skeptical colleagues, including former prosecutor Dan Fielding.
