Celebrity Nooz: Marsha Warfield

Marsha Warfield (Actress) as Roz - Night Court

Updated: 4/29/10

Name: Marsha Warfield

Born: March 5, 1954, Chicago, Illinois

Claim To Fame: Warfield is best known for her 1986?1992 role as Roz on the popular NBC sitcom Night Court.

Family Life: She married once at the age of 18, but divorced after only a few months. She never remarried.

Info: After performing comedy acts for her friends, Warfield was persuaded by her pals to take the stage at a local comedy club. Her routine was warmly received by the audience, and before long she was a regular performer in Chicago clubs. She moved to Los Angeles in 1976 to persue a career in comedy, and she was met with enthusiastic crowds and the attention of producers.

With the help of a fellow comedian, she landed a part in 1977 on The Richard Pryor Show. However, she was only a few episodes in when the show failed, almost causing a discouraged Warfield to quit the comedy business altogether.

In 1979, her luck turned around when she won the prestigious San Francisco National Stand-Up Comedy Competition, giving her career the boost it needed to take off. She landed parts in films including The Marva Collins Story and Mask, and appeared on many cable television specials including Teddy Pendergrass in Concert and Comic Relief.

She was working at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles when she caught the attention of Reinhold Weege, the creator and producer of the popular situation comedy Night Court. At that time, the show's cast was filled, but Weege kept Warfield in mind for future reference.

When tragedy struck Night Court due to the deaths of cast members Selma Diamond, who played a female bailiff, and Florence Halop, her replacement, soon after, Warfield was tapped to join the cast of the show. Her portrayal of the tough, no-nonsense Roz Russell earned her praise and recognition.

Trivia: Was raised by her mother, Josephine, and stepfather, James Gordon. Her mother held a job with the telephone company, and her stepfather was a computer operator for the city's library system.

Has one sister Cassandra.

Graduated from Chicago's Calumet High.

Known for her bawdy comedy acts.

Where Are They Now: She hosted the Marsha Warfield Show for two years (1990-1992) and has made guest appearances on many television shows, including Riptide, Family Ties, Clueless and Star Dates. She also starred as Dr. Maxine Douglas on the sitcom Empty Nest from 1993 to 1995. She hasn't had any recent roles, but she continues to perform her stand-up comedy routines in clubs around the country.

Write To Marsha Warfield:
Sorry, no address found.

View other 'Where Are They Now' celebrities

Read the latest issue of Celebrity Nooz

Subscribe!