‘Night Court’ – ‘The Duke’s a Hazard’ Post-Mortem Interview with Rhys Darby

NIGHT COURT -- "The Duke's a Hazard" Episode 212 -- Pictured: Rhys Darby as Alistair -- (Photo by: Nicole Weingart/NBC)

Rhys Darby is an accomplished actor and comedian that has graced many a popular and iconic franchise with his many skills in both arenas, and this week… he graced another. For Rhys played Alistair, the refined love of one Donna ‘Gurgs’ Gurganous on this week’s episode of Night Court on NBC, and we had the distinct honor of sitting down with Rhys to discuss all things, Night Court.
 
John Betancourt: I would love to start off by getting to know what it was that attracted you to the character of Alistair?
 
Rhys Darby: Well, I know the show, Night Court, watched it as a kid with my mum, have fond memories, and she passed a while ago. So, I felt like “I've got to do this, I want to do this for mum, because we used to watch the show together back in the day.” And the character, I can easily fit into those shoes. It's someone who's a posh Duke, that is a little bit clueless, looks down their nose at people but needs to try to fit in and needs to learn how to be bit more human. So those are all those kinds of traits that I like playing, I find the comedy that comes from that character is well within my wheelhouse. So, I decided to do it.
 
John Betancourt: Something I’ve noticed about Night Court that I think is wonderful, is how the quirks of every guest star are fully fleshed out in every episode. How did you as an actor bring those to life and make them feel so real?
 
Rhys Darby: I think that's the key with comedy is, make it look realistic. Because as soon as -- you can kind of over accentuate things to a degree, but it's got to be believable. And when you go past that line of believability, you don't relate. And I think it's finding that right line and kind of swaying and playing on that line. And that's where you get the physical comedy. You know, people in general don't necessarily, aren't necessarily hilarious when they're doing something physical. Unless well, certainly when, unless it's done by accident, in which case you do that thing where you laugh at someone and then you go, “Oh, I shouldn't have.” But you know, it's one of the reasons America's Funniest Home Videos was such a huge hit. But it's kind of like trying to find a grounded, slightly grounded character that is also an open buffoon. And you've got to fit the tone right of the show. And once I started working with the cast, I’d already seen some episodes of the new Night Court. So, I knew what the what the vibe was. And it's always been silly. So, it's always been like, a touch out of touch of reality. And that's my favorite type of comedy. So, it was it was easy to fit in.
 
John Betancourt: Now you’ve spent a lot of your career working in single camera shows, but you have done multi-cam. What do you have to do as an actor to prepare for that kind of shift?
 
Rhys Darby: Yeah, I forgot a little bit because I've done multi-cam a few years ago, I forgot how many times the script changes. So, I’d turn up at the beginning of the week, and like, start learning the lines. And then the next day, it's changed, the next day it’s changed again. So, by halfway through the week, I was like “Right, forget the lines. Just concentrate on being funny.” (Laughter) And the other, the other part of it so yeah, so prep isn't a big one. It's really kind of like, the fun of nailing the two different parts of it, which are the prerecorded pieces, which I had fun, I was able to do some improv in, so the subway scene. And then, and then there was a couple of other scenes, but there's that side of it. And then there's the completely opposite side where you've got an audience and you're performing in front of a crowd.
 
So, it's the best of both worlds. And I kind of kind of forgot, I think I kind of forgot that some stuff is recorded. And I was like, “Okay, we've got to learn this like a play.” And you don't. So, on the night, you also get a few takes, you know, and the crowd loves it when you guys change it up, when the writers come in and go “Try this line. Try that line.” So, yeah there’s fun to be had. And I can see why multi-cams are still a thing because it's a real coming together of all of these different kinds of features, to including the audience, that are that are participating in and helping create the final product and making this classic American art form. So, I think it's cool.
 
John Betancourt: So, I have to ask, how much of that improv stayed in the final cut?
 
Rhys Darby: There were some pieces, yeah. There were some… I have to have another look at it. But definitely in the subway scene when I took my coat off, and it fell on the ground. And then I just said something about “That's gone, we have to burn it.” That was all made up. There was probably another little piece that I had with Dave Foley, when we're having the dinner table all sorted, we're having little cups of tea, when he came in. And then stylistically I just chose how I was going to walk and how I was going to look, give my looks to the actors. And I changed that up every time as well. So, there was for, for a show that you know, for multi-cam, that definitely don't allow too much improv, there was certainly… the director was open to letting me have a few, do a few extra “Darby Takes,” shall we say?
 
John Betancourt: Now something that has come up often in discussions with the Night Court cast, is how the live audience just offers a vibe or energy. I’m curious as to what it does for you as an actor?
 
Rhys Darby: Well, as a stand up, you know, I'm used to having an audience laugh at me. It helps with the timing, it helps… give you a slightly raised performance, because you can hear a whole bunch of people laughing. So, you're not… you're doing.. you're matching the right tone that is required for that show. So, you're not, you know, subtleties aren't really going to play. So, yeah, I think it's just fun to do. It's fun for anyone who hasn't done that kind of thing. It's a good discipline to have down, at least give them a try.
 
John Betancourt: So, I can hear it in your voice now, just how much you relished this experience, what did you enjoy the most about working on this episode?
 
Rhys Darby: I think just working with the cast, I think, you know, meeting John (Larroquette) and the rest of them and having them be a real sweet family and welcoming me as a guest onto the show, working with Dave Foley again, because I haven't worked with him for a long time. So, catching up with him. And just being on a show, that's a bit of an institution. You know, I think those are the those are all the highlights, and the fact that it was just filming down the road from my house. So very easy.
 
John Betancourt: Oh, I bet the short walk made it amazing.
 
Rhys Darby: I don't often, I don't often get that. Because I'm always, like, having to fly somewhere or go stay somewhere for a couple of months or whatever. So that convenience, plays a lot into actors, jobs, it doesn't always happen.
 
John Betancourt: Now, regarding the legacy of the show, why do you think Night Court continues to endure?
 
Rhys Darby: Well, a number of things, the writing, you know, John Larroquette’s performance. And I think that just the nature of the show. How every week, you're gonna get a different situation of people that are in court, for some reason, for the most stupid idea, stupid reasons. And the interplay between the characters and their lives. It's just simply said, it's just a really good setting for a sitcom.
 
John Betancourt: Last question I have for you today, what does it mean to you personally to now be part of this franchise?
 
Rhys Darby: It means a lot. Because I've done a lot of stuff in my career. And I've been lucky enough to be part of some pretty big franchises, some pretty cool legacies. And when it comes to comedy, this was one of them. So that's why it was a no brainer to take. And yeah, and seeing the final result, seeing how funny it was, I was like, “Good, nailed it! Next!” (Laughter)
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

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