I will watch anything John shows up in. He is a scene chewer and attention getter and I love it. He makes any show he's in better. He is the reason I read Thomas Pynchon which has been worth every second. My grave marker will have "This is a dark ride" on it. Shall I be more direct about my feelings?
Some additional information about his music career: He moved to Hollywood in 1973 after working in radio as DJ during the early days of 'underground' radio, when each disc jockey was free to play what they wished.
What was so brilliant about his portrayal of Dan Fielding was that the character was (at least initially) written as a boorish unlikeable character, yet somehow Laroquette made it virtually impossible to really dislike him. I think he brought that quality to a number of roles. He was also quite versatile.
Before I get into his film career on Monday, I'm going to be discussing his guest roles on TV, his stage work, and some of the movies.
First time I ever watched him was in Stripes. He was outstanding in the role of the idiotic captain. In Night Court he refined his comic chops and was the best thing about that show. I don't think I have ever been disappointed in any of his performances.
Stage career Once John decided that he didn’t want to do music anymore, he decided to pursue a career in theater. Larroquette met his wife Elizabeth Ann Cookson in 1974 while working in the play Enter Laughing. They were married July 4, 1975, as that was the only day they had off from rehearsals.
John Laroquette is a tremendous performer. He can be intense or subdued. Seems effortless to him and I find it a shame he hasn't landed more high-profile gigs as I enjoy watching him.
I watched "Night Court" every Thursday night at 9:30 as a youth. The only episode I remember is the one where Dan goes into a coma. I havne't revisited the show since I initially saw it. Those 80's shows I loved so much as a kid seldom carry the same magic for me as an adult. I remember wasting $5 as a teen seeing "Mad House", the film with John and Kirstie Alley. I remember nothing about it except that I was underwhelmed. "Stripes" will always be my favorite John Larroquette performance. I don't know much about what he's done in later years. I never saw "The John Larroquette Show". I wasn't watching TV at that time (too busy roaming the streets at night).
In 2009, John made his musical debut in the Los Angeles production of How The Grinch Stole Christmas as Old Max. In 2011, he made his theater debut in the 2011 revival of How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying as J.B. Biggley alongside Daniel Radcliffe. He would go on to win his first Tony award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.
"Ah! Nice to see you Dan-Dan Fielding!!!" Larroquette made that part look effortless. The last two years of night Court were an out-and-out disaster thanks to the show coming to an end and then being told halfway through the final season that they were given another year where they had to then scrap all of the closing storylines. Sadly, the Dan Fielding character suffered for it big time. There is a lot of stuff in that show you could not get away with nowadays, but in my mind whenever I watch it I still can find a million laughs in it, especially during the middle period when the show is at its peak. And yes, Larroquette deserved every Emmy he got.
Has Night Court ever been on Netflix? I'd like to watch some reruns to see how well it has held up, but I never see anywhere to watch. That Must See TV on Thursday nights was 2 hours of great comedy back in the mid to late 80's: Cosby Show Family Ties Cheers Night Court
