Annie O’Donnell has quietly been building an eye-watering resume as a character actress since her career began on-screen in 1980 with a two-episode role in The Life and Times of Eddie Roberts. From the Diane Keaton and Harold Ramis flick Baby Boom to the blockbuster Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the Chris Farley comedy Black Sheep, and many television appearances, including in The Dukes of Hazzard, Family Ties, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The X-Files, and the recent Matlock reboot, she’s been a chameleon capable of blending into just about any role and any setting. However, a part that many viewers, herself included, still look back on most fondly is her appearance as June Wheeler on Night Court.
Playing opposite Star Trek veteran Brent Spiner, she and her on-screen husband were magnets of cartoonish levels of misfortune, from scooped-up weenie wagons to exploding poultry and grandmothers doing 85 mph in a BarcaLounger strapped to a furniture dolly. Back in Season 2 of Dan Rubin’s reboot of the Reinhold Weege sitcom, the Wheeler family made their return after nearly 40 years, much to Dan Fielding’s (John Larroquette) horror and Abby Stone’s (Melissa Rauch) delight. O’Donnell and Spiner reprised their deeply unlucky roles, with Kate Micucci stepping in as their daughter Carol Ann, who hadn’t been seen since the family’s first appearance in 1985. Last week, they brought even more calamity to the Manhattan municipal court with the Season 3 episode “A Few Good Hens,” where they get wrapped up in a very Wheeler-appropriate court case and need Dan to (begrudgingly) defend them against Julianne (Wendie Malick).
I recently sat down to speak with O’Donnell about returning to the series, and she reflected on the feeling of stepping back into Night Court as June and what it meant to work and communicate with her old colleagues Spiner and Larroquette once again. With a new member of the Wheeler family in the episode, she also spoke about the impact of Micucci adding a bit of chaos and a surprising The Big Bang Theory connection to the otherwise deadpan unit as they welcome a seemingly normal son (Andy Ridings). She then discussed why she believes this seemingly cursed bloodline is still a fan-favorite for which viewers still recognize her and Spiner, and her recent exciting feature-length project.
Annie O’Donnell Felt Right at Home Playing June Wheeler Again on ‘Night Court’ Opposite Brent Spiner

“It kind of feels like I never left—I just got older in the meantime.”

Image via NBC

COLLIDER: So, Annie, this is now your second time returning to Night Court. You first appeared in Season 2, right?
O’DONNELL: Yeah.
How has your experience been slipping back into the role of June Wheeler? Now that the character is older, does it feel fresh, or is it like you never left?
O’DONNELL: It kind of feels like I never left—I just got older in the meantime. The original Night Court still runs a lot on TV, so it always felt like it was out there. Getting to do it again after almost 40 years is pretty amazing. I don’t know if it’s a record of some kind, but it feels like it should be. When I got the call to return, I thought, “Oh, wow.” I pulled up some old clips on my phone to get back into the mindset of June Wheeler. As a character actress, you play so many different roles, and you kind of categorize them in your mind. But June Wheeler was always my favorite TV role. I’ve done a lot of television, but she stands out. She’s very different from me, but stepping back into her shoes just felt right.
Now that you’re back as one of the Wheelers alongside Brent Spiner, have you been in touch with him much since the show returned?
O’DONNELL: Not really. Funny enough, the only time I saw him in those 40 years was when I was guest-starring on one of the Star Trek shows. He was working on Star Trek at the time, too, and we ran into each other at the Paramount commissary. That was it. But once we were back on set, it was like we had known each other forever. We don’t have much of a relationship outside of work—so much life has happened in between. He’s married with a grown child; I was married for 25 years. We’ve both lived entire lives in the meantime. But the chemistry is always there when we play the Wheelers. And it helps that Brent is an incredible actor—so committed to his work and his character. He’s fantastic.
O’Donnell Explains How Kate Micucci Brings a New Level of Energy to the Wheelers and Deepens the Series’ ‘Big Bang Theory’ Connections

“It’s funny how things work out.”

Image via NBC

Absolutely. The other returning actress, Kate Micucci—she’s back playing your daughter, Carol Ann. She brings a bit of chaotic energy to the Wheeler family. How has that dynamic evolved?
O’DONNELL: Oh, absolutely. We’ve maintained our craziness, but it’s more contained. Carol Ann brings a whole new level of energy. That’s a great observation, Ryan.
How has it been working with her now that she’s even more ingrained in the family?
O’DONNELL: It’s been great. She’s just the best. I was so thrilled to work with her. We had such a good time—the three of us—and we even added our son for this episode, which was a lot of fun. Kate is so talented, so funny, and just a joy to work with. It’s interesting—this is a bit of a complicated story, but I’ll try to keep it short. I played Amy’s mother on The Big Bang Theory. Evidently, Kate was in the running for the role of Amy herself. Mayim Bialik ended up getting the part, and now here I am playing Kate’s mother on Night Court. So, we all have these weird Big Bang Theory connections. Even though Melissa [Rauch] and I never really knew each other from that show, it’s funny how things work out.
Yeah, that’s wild how it all comes full circle.
O’DONNELL: It really is. And I think Brent was on The Big Bang Theory too—he may have played himself. I can’t quite remember.
So another big thing — you’re working with John Larroquette again. I think you have some of the best interactions with him, both in the original series and now in the reboot.
O’DONNELL: Oh, absolutely. He’s amazing.
In this episode, you spend a lot of time with him because Dan is defending the Wheelers in court. What was that experience like, getting to work so closely with him again?
O’DONNELL: Oh, it was wonderful. Back in the original Night Court, he used to try to make me crack up because our characters were so deadpan and dour. When his back was to the audience and the camera, he’d pull faces or make gestures to try and get me to laugh. I don’t think he ever succeeded, but it was close! He’s such an incredible actor and master of comedy. And I think he genuinely enjoys playing opposite the Wheelers. We had such a good time together, and the writing was so strong. Some of the lines we had were just fantastic.
O’Donnell Shares What She Believes Makes the Wheeler Family So Enduring

“As crazy as they are, there’s a goodness to them.”

Image via NBC

You’ve had a pretty robust career as a character actress. What is it about the Wheelers that makes them so memorable?
O’DONNELL: I think it’s their sweetness. As crazy as they are, there’s a goodness to them. Everyone can relate to the idea of being touched by bad luck, and the Wheelers embody that. No matter what happens to them, they just keep going. They don’t get particularly upset about anything. Maybe that gives people hope. And, of course, the writing is just damn funny. The Night Court writers created such great characters and dialogue for us. Even on set, they would feed us new lines, and each version kept getting better. Sitcoms filmed in front of a live audience are always a work in progress, and Night Court was no exception. For 40 years, people have loved the Wheelers. When the reboot was announced, I remember seeing fans asking, “When are the Wheelers coming back?” It’s amazing that they resonated with audiences so much. I’m just grateful, because I love playing June Wheeler.
Well, thank you so much for sitting down for this!
O’DONNELL: You’re welcome! And since I have a journalist’s attention, I have to plug a film I’m in called Who Lives in Pittsburgh. It’s available on all major platforms. It’s a wonderful indie film—we’ve won awards at major festivals, and I’ve won some awards for my role in it too. It’s nothing like June Wheeler, but I think people will enjoy it. It’s timely, funny, sad—it has everything. It’s my favorite film role, just as June Wheeler is my favorite TV role.
Night Court airs every Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC. New episodes stream the day after on Peacock.

Night Court

Release Date

January 17, 2023

Network

NBC

Showrunner

Dan Rubin

Directors

Pamela Fryman, Anthony Joseph Rich, Leonard R. Garner, Jr., Mark Cendrowski

Writers

Lon Zimmet, Mathew Harawitz, Azie Dungey

John Larroquette

Dan Fielding

India de Beaufort

Olivia Moore