LAUGHTER Makes the World Go Round

The Newhart alum is earning laughs on Night Court and Palm Rovale

- Fortune Benatar

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, 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.

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 co-starred 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