The Wheelers return toNight Courtin this week’s episode, “A Few Good Hens.” In addition toBrent Spinerand Annie O’Donnell reprising their roles as Bob and June Wheeler, characters they originated back in 1985, the episode also sees Kate Micucci return as one of the Wheeler children, Carol Ann Wheeler, a role she first played in last year’s “Wheelers of Fortune” episode.
Kate Micucci is a film and TV veteran, having appeared in countless projects over her career of twenty-plus years. She’s left her mark on sitcoms likeScrubs, Raising Hope, andThe Big Bang Theory, to say nothing of her prolific voice work in shows likeUnikitty!, Steven Universe, DuckTales, and her tenure as the go-to voice of Velma across variousScooby-Dooprojects. She’s also one half of the iconic musical comedy duo,Garfunkel & Oates, alongside Riki Lindhome.
Night Court Clip Sees The Return Of The Wheelers (Again) & They’re Having A Clucking Hard Time
Exclusive: ScreenRant presents a clip from the next episode of Night Court season 3, which features the return of the unfortunate Wheeler family.
ScreenRantinterviewed Micucci about herrole inNight Courtseason 3. She spoke about how the jolly nature of the series is reflected behind the scenes and expressed her admiration for the show’s cast and crew, John Larroquette and Melissa Rauch in particular. She also pondered the future of the Wheeler family and gave a special shout-out to her role in the Netflix horror anthology series,Guillermo Del Toro’sCabinet of Curiosities.
Kate Micucci Spills All The Delicious Night Court Details
“Working On Night Court Is A Joy, Through And Through”
Screen Rant: I just love seeing you on TV, especially as a Wheeler!
Kate Micucci: Thank you, that’s very kind. I’m very lucky to be a Wheeler. I mean, I love this family so much. So yeah, but thank you. What a lucky thing, to get a phone call from Melissa saying, “Hey, do you wanna play Carol Ann Wheeler?” The answer was yes.
I don’t wanna assume, but were you a fan of classicNight Courtback in the day? Did you watch it?
Kate Micucci: To be honest, I didn’t watch it as a kid. I think I was maybe a little young. But I did do a great dive once I knew I was going to be playing Carol Ann. And oh my gosh, obviously it’s amazing. No wonder they rebooted it! It is a classic. It’s something people truly love. When I watched it, I was just like, “Oh, this is a great show.”
John Larroquette is incredible, and what a dream to get to work with him. He’s carrying this legacy. So yeah, he’s a wonderful guy, too. I really enjoy his company. When we’re hanging out between takes or between scenes or rehearsals, he’s such a great guy.
I mean, he’s such a, well, first of all, a giant! Is there an intimidation factor, or are you someone who just doesn’t get intimidated by actors anymore?
Kate Micucci: Oh, I definitely can get intimidated by people, for sure. But he’s just… I don’t know. We had a nice connection right off the bat. We were talking about art and music and he’s really interesting and just a real joy to talk with. He made me feel very comfortable. And that’s always nice, because when you are a guest on a show, you never know the vibe and you never know what actors are going to be like.
I feel like I’ve been lucky enough to just jump around onto a lot of different sets over the years. And you kind of just step onto the stage and you hope it’s going to be cool, but you never know. John was so awesome. But Melissa really sets the tone of this show. She is such a warm, wonderful person, and she has great people around. She’s hired the most wonderful people. So working on Night Court is a joy, through and through. It is such a fun set to be on, a lot of laughs.
I believe you entirely, not just because you seem trustworthy, but the different guest stars who pop up every week say the same. I absolutely believe that it’s as warm and cozy as it is to watch.
Kate Micucci: Yeah, and the nice thing, too, is they allow you to play around. It’s not too rigid. On certain jobs, you just keep your head to the ground and do what the words say. Here it’s playful and you have the freedom to experiment. And that’s a really nice thing as an actor. It’s so much fun to be able to be a part of something like that.
Kate Micucci Breaks Down The Wheelers' Timeless Uniqueness
“A ‘Wheelers Go To Space’ Episode Would Still Make Sense”
The Wheelers are a very interesting dynamic because they’re so low-key, but in a big way.
Kate Micucci: What you just said is true! I mean, there’s this weird balance of… The Wheelers are just bizarre! They’re so strange. They are so low in energy, but then the things they’re saying are so ridiculous. It’s a wild ride with the Wheelers, that’s for sure.
There was a moment in this episode where I do this weird thing with my eyes and, like I was saying, I just felt free to try some stuff. I did this strange thing, I got such a huge laugh, and it was really fun! With the Wheelers, I think anything can happen. Anything goes. I’m sure it’s a really fun thing to write. The writing on the show is really just so funny. They’re wonderful. So yeah, I just feel lucky to be a Wheeler!
I don’t want to give away what happens in the episode, but considering where it leaves the family, do you have ideas already for where Carol Ann and her folks might go in the future?
Kate Micucci: I think the greatest thing is that anything is possible. Like if there was a “Wheelers Go To Space” episode, that would still make sense, you know? (Laughs) I think that’s the beauty of Night Court. Another thing is, you never know who’s walking through those doors! And sometimes it’s just the most ridiculous thing. For the Wheelers, anything can happen. They could go to space, they could end up being the President, who knows?
Kate Micucci Reflects On Her Enduring TV Legacy
“I’ve Gotten To Do So Many Different Kinds Of Things”
You’ve had such an incredible trajectory as a performer. You’ve been on every kind of sitcom, likeGarfunkel and Oates, or’Til Death, which had a nuts final season. It was like the TV version of “dance like no one’s watching.”
Kate Micucci: That was a wild time. It was really fun. That’s a great way to put it! Yeah, and that’s where I first met Mayim, was that episode. She played the therapist, I think. Timm Sharp’s therapist in that. But yeah, I feel very fortunate that I’ve gotten to do so many different kinds of things. And I just hope I can keep doing that, you know? It’s always a different day, so I attempt to keep it interesting.
Is there a project that you’ve done that you’re particularly proud of, but you feel maybe didn’t get the attention that it deserved? Something you want to shout out for theScreenRantreader?
Kate Micucci: Well, there’s an episode of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities. I feel like people did see it, but it was me getting to do something so different than what I usually do. And I got to really sink my teeth into something really bizarre and cool. I’m really proud of it. So that’s the one I’ll shout out, Cabinet of Curiosities. The episode is called, “The Outside.” And I play a woman who wants to be beautiful and she tries some beauty cream, and then things go a little crazy.
More About Night Court Season 3
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.
Check out our otherNight Courtseason 3 interviews here:
Night Courtseason 3 airs Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
