John Larroquette Played A Star Trek Klingon Again, 40 Years After He Last Suited Up
John Larroquette famously won Emmys for playing Dan Fielding on "Night Court" in 1985, 1986, 1987, and 1988. In 1989, he felt that he was hogging the spotlight and asked that his name be withdrawn from awards consideration. He's that good. In 1994, he was nominated for another Emmy for "The John Larroquette Show" and then won his fifth one for his work on "The Practice." In 2002, he was nominated for "The Practice" again. Larroquette has also long been beloved by the horror film community, as he provided the opening narration for Tobe Hooper's 1974 classic "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre." Loyal to the series, Laroquette likewise narrated the 2003 "Texas Chainsaw" remake, its 2006 sequel, and the 2022 "Chainsaw" reboot.
For Trekkies, Larroquette might be recognizable as the Klingon officer Maltz, one of Kruge's men in 1983's "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock." Maltz was the Klingon who accidentally beamed Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) onto his Bird of Prey, allowing the Starfleet officer to take over his ship. Maltz expected to be killed for his incompetence, but Kirk, being merciful, chose to have Matlz imprisoned instead. Quoted in a 1990 issue of Starlog Magazine, Larroquette said that he merely received a call from director Leonard Nimoy, having made it clear that he wanted to be in a "Star Trek" movie. He felt he wasn't terribly challenged as an actor playing Maltz, but he still had a great deal of fun.
Perhaps as an homage to his participation in "Star Trek III," the January 30, 2024 episode of the newly revived "Night Court" — called "Wrath of Comic-Con" — features scenes of Laroquette, 40 years after the fact, dressed as a Klingon once again.
The Wrath of Comic-Con
The official synopsis of "The Wrath of Comic-Con" is as follows:
"When Dan finds a potential love connection with a woman who has sworn to destroy him, Dan takes drastic measures, which include fully embracing the wondrous world of Comic-Con. Meanwhile, Abby is forced to confront the fact that she might actually dislike someone when a childhood 'friend' (Jessica St. Clair) comes to visit."
Dan Fielding is, for those unlucky enough to have never seen "Night Court," a devious cad, constantly looking out for number one and eager to scheme and connive to get what he wants. It's not out of character for him to dress in full Klingon regalia to dupe a potential paramour. Whether or not he calls himself "Maltz" while dressed as a Klingon remains to be seen. In the same Starlog issue mentioned above, Larroquette joked about returning to play Maltz in a "Star Trek" spinoff series, saying that "Maltz starts off and he has a little hot dog stand on Yakka III out there in the Doofus Galaxy."
The "Star Trek" connections to "Night Court" don't stop with Larroquette. Brent Spiner, who played the android Lieutenant Commander Data on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," also played Bob Wheeler, a recurring unlucky rube, on "Night Court." Bob Wheeler, always seen with his wife June (Annie O'Donnell), appeared in six episodes of the series, each time telling a sob story even more pathetic than the last. When Spiner landed the "Star Trek" gig, he stopped appearing on "Night Court."
Spiner, as far as anyone knows, has given no word as to whether or not he will return to the revived "Night Court."