A Season 3 ‘Night Court’ Conversation with Lacretta

NIGHT COURT -- "Age Against the Machine" Episode 308 -- Pictured: Lacretta as Gurgs -- (Photo by: Nicole Weingart/NBC)

We are in the midst of the third season of the highly celebrated newboot of Night Court on NBC. And to properly pay tribute to the work the cast puts forth on this series, we sat down once more with Lacretta, to talk about her performance as Gurgs, and more.
John Betancourt: I would love to start by getting to know what it means to you, to be back for a third season.
 
Lacretta: Oh, God, I'm honored. I'm honored to be back. Um, it's a dream come true. And, yeah, every episode is a blessing.
 
John Betancourt: You get to do some really amazing stuff this year, the comedy has always been good in this show, but this year, it is just next level, top tier, and you are absolutely killing it with the comedy this year. And I'm curious, as an actor, what it means to you to be able to let loose in the way that you have from a comedy standpoint.
 
Lacretta: I always take the approach that I'm a vessel, and I'm allowing these words on a page to get to have a life in the flesh. And so, it makes it a very reverent moment for me, more like a religious experience, as opposed to, you know, “This is what I'm doing.” And da-da-da-da-da. Like, no, I want Gurgs to have her life and respond and to listen and to interact with her co-stars, and so it's not about what I would do. It's just giving her the chance to do her thang.
 
John Betancourt: Let's break that down a little more if we could, because I always love getting a chance to talk to actors and uncover the incredible things you do with your craft. So how then have you, as an actor, found the essence of Gurgs.
 
Lacretta: Oh gosh. I mean, there's so much that's in the script, and then I don't have to do so much work, like they, they made it very clear that this is where she lives, and there's some of the things that she's done, like she's written novels, and she's been on game shows. She used to travel extensively when she was eight. So, it's like all those things kind of inform the kind of Renaissance woman that she is. And it's nice to not to have to make up anything. And then the beautiful part on top of that is that we've got these living writers. You know, when you're doing things on stage, you often are doing things where anyone attached to that project is already passed on, so you can't ask them the specifics of your character, but we've got 20 folks, maybe 20 plus, that are in that room that know the character even more than you do, better than you do. So, you can always ask them, “What was her motivation like? Why is she here and what is it that fulfills her from this role and from this job, being a bailiff. Why that? Why couldn't she be the clerk?” You know? So, yeah, it's just nice to have a day one source that you can go to for answers if you have them.
 
John Betancourt: That's pretty incredible. I didn't know they had that much depth ready for you to go when it comes to the characters, that's amazing. And speaking of that too, something that I've always been intrigued by is the relationship actors have with their characters. Some step away from them entirely, some are deeply intertwined, And I'm curious just how much of yourself you’ve injected into Gurgs, if at all.
 
Lacretta: Yeah, oh, she definitely has my joy. That joy is an undercurrent to a lot of the roles that I take on. But she -- what I like about her is that she lives in the moment, and at that moment, that is the truth. And I surprised myself like watching the episode where she has the interview to become chief bailiff. There was something that I did, that I didn't even realize I had done until I watched it back, and it was just like this -- It was so fleeting, but it was so magical at the same time, because there was a give and a pull back that made total sense, but I just didn't have a recollection of, so I'm just, I'm grateful to our editing team, because they capture those honest moments and make sure that everyone gets their feature in a balanced way.
 
John Betancourt: May I ask what part it was? Because now,I gotta know.
 
Lacretta: Okay, so she's sitting at the table with Dan, and he was like, you know, “Yeah Words are important, but you also have to rest in the silence.” And so, he, he was like, ask me a question. She asked him a question. And so, there's that back and forth between the two of them. And then all of a sudden, she was like, “Take my wallet!”
 
John Betancourt: I know exactly where that is, that's so cool. Now it explains why that was such a great natural moment. Now, obviously, you as an actor care about your character, and want to nurture them, see them grow. What does it mean to you to see Gurgs grow in the manner she has? Since she’s now the head bailiff.
 
Lacretta: Yeah. I didn't even know that that was such a thing. And so, it's nice that we see them making their accomplishments. There's going to be more accomplishments that happen through the rest of the season, and that's what you want. You want to see them grow. You want to see what it's like for them at home. You want to see these things. Well, we hope that you do because you love these characters so much. And for people who watch us every week and stream us and binge us. It's nice for them to come on that journey with us, so that it's just not one note. You know, that's what gets boring.
 
John Betancourt: Obviously, few more episodes left in season two. What are you most excited for everybody to experience in those stories.
 
Lacretta: Oh, there's some wackiness coming up, which I wholeheartedly welcome. You know, comedy is just, it's so vast. You've got your door slamming comedy, you've got your pratfalls, you've got, you know, restoration comedy, I mean, there's just so many ways that you can do it. And I love that we are able to do varying kinds of comedy in one show.
 
John Betancourt: Last question that I have for you today, what are you most proud of when it comes to your work in season three so far?
 
Lacretta: Wow, I'm most proud of the moments of vulnerability for her, because we see so much joy in Gurgs, it's nice to see those more tender moments from her.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity