Julia Duffy Teases ‘Wild Things’ to Come on ‘Night Court’ and ‘Palm Royale’ Season 2

Comedy is serious business for Newhart alum Julia Duffy. “To me, comedy is kind of a religion, and getting it right is so important,” Julia, 73, exclusively tells Closer. “When you’re trying to find the best way to do a joke, we’re very serious about it.”

Julia is getting it very right on NBC’s hilarious hit sitcom Night Court, where she recurs as Susan, a woman whose son’s unknown paternity throws a curveball into the private life of Judge Abby Stone, played by Melissa Rauch. “This season has some wild things up its sleeves,” says Julia with glee. “It’s so much fun, and I get to do some great scenes with Melissa.”

Did you always know you wanted to act?

“Yes, I really did. I would just sit really, really close to the TV and think to myself, “I bet I could do that,” when I’d see a child my age on TV. Then I had the opportunity to take drama lessons at the age of 11 and took the bus downtown by myself to go to the MacPhail Center for the Arts in Minneapolis. That’s how it started. That led to community theater, which there was a lot of in Minneapolis.”

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Did you plan to be a comedian?

“No. I didn’t start out as a comedic actress. I came from theater. You study drama, you don’t really study comedy when you’re in acting school.”

You costarred on Newhart for seven seasons. How did that shape your approach to comedy?

“I learned so much because I was working with people who were connected to people from the past, like people who worked with [vaudevillian and Wizard of Oz star] Bert Lahr. So much of what is comedy comes from many decades ago, and so the history of comedy mattered to me. I would hear stories going way back from Bob [Newhart] and Tom [Poston] and other people — Don Rickles used to hang around the set. It was a wild set. We were pretty undisciplined, but I think there was a method to our madness as we were finding the jokes.”

Can you share a favorite memory of Bob, whom we lost last year?

“Every memory is a favorite on that show. That was an incredible gift. You get that once in a career, if you’re lucky, because it was successful in every way. I adored the role, I adored the cast — we were like a family. It was everything to me. I had my children during that time. One of them was almost born on the set — it came very close! — and it was all because of Bob. He’s a family guy. It was a family show. It was a family every day.”

Tell us about Susan, your recurring character on Night Court.

“At the end of season 2, I came in and dropped a bombshell on the cast. Clearly, my character was a little wild back in the day. She had dated someone at night court and didn’t know who [her son] Jake’s father is. That throws Abby and Jake for quite a loop.”

What’s it like working on the set of Night Court? It’s such a talented cast.

“Everybody is extremely professional and yet laid-back personally. They’re very welcoming. Wendie [Malick] and I had met a few times. It was really nice to see her again. But the most important thing that happened is Melissa and I bonded as if we were long-lost relatives or something. It was quite instant and overwhelmingly wonderful.”

What do you think has made Night Court such a hit?

“I really think it’s because you don’t get this [level of comedy] just anywhere. You don’t get these characters that all by themselves are hysterically funny. I think that people really want those great big laughs.”

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You also play a recurring role on another funny series, Palm Royale, with Carol Burnett and Kristen Wiig. Can you share any secrets about the upcoming second season?

“This year, oh my God, Palm Royale is going to be wild, absolutely wild. It goes places you would not expect from season 1. It’s going to be quite brilliant.”

Is Palm Royale a fun set?

“Everybody’s great, especially Kristen. We also have the most wonderful showrunner, Abe Sylvia, who is just such a part of the company with us. It is a wonderful feeling. You know, he hangs out with us, and we would do anything for him because he is writing these characters, and he listens to anything you have to say.”

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What’s the best lesson you’ve learned in show business?

“As far as the business goes, you just stay flexible, stay open, keep learning. Every job should be like your first job. You need to be grateful and excited about it.”

You’ve talked about feeling frustrated by the portrayal of older women in TV and films. What advice would you give writers trying to create believable mature female characters?

“They need to write a character, not a type.’ When you’re 35 to 40 years old and you’re writing somebody who’s 70, you need to admit to yourself that you don’t have insight into someone who’s 70. I think they need to forget the age of the character and just write the person. That’s the most important thing.”

You’ve been married to your husband, Jerry, for 40 years. What’s your secret?

“Picking the right person, being honest with each other, having fun with each other, and having your separate lives that you bring to the dinner table every night. If you believe, like I do, that it’s much better to go through life with a partner, that probably helps you be a better partner, too.”

What do you do for fun?

“I’m very happy at home with my husband. We’re very much homebodies, although we also go into New York, where we have a place and where my daughter lives. At home [in California], we’re very nature-oriented. We’re bird-watchers, and we’re always working on the house or the yard. We watch a lot of British mysteries. It doesn’t sound very exciting, but it works for us.”