Marsha Francine Warfield (born March 5, 1954) is an American actress
and comedian. She grew up on Chicago's South Side, graduating from
Calumet High School. She is best known for her 1986â€"92 role of Roz
Russell on the Top 10 rated NBC sitcom Night Court. Roz was the tough,
no-nonsense bailiff in Judge Stone's court. Warfield also starred in
the sitcom Empty Nest as Dr. Maxine Douglas (1993â€"95). Before Night
Court, she was a writer and performer on the short-lived Richard Pryor
Show.Warfield appeared in feature films such as D.C. Cab (1983) and
Mask (1985), hosted The Marsha Warfield Show for ten months (March
1990â€"January 1991) and has made guest appearances on many television
shows, including Riptide, Family Ties, Clueless, Cheers, Living
Single, In Living Color, Moesha and Touched by an Angel. She has also
done stand-up comedy including appearances on the Norm Crosby hosted
The Comedy Shop television series.In 2017, Warfield publicly came out
stating, "When I told my mother I was gay, she said she knew, and had
known all my life. Then, she asked me not to come out publicly while
she was alive. I agreed, even though the request and her admission
were hurtful in ways I couldn't put my finger on then, and probably
haven't completely worked through now. But, everybody who knew me,
knew I was gay. The people I didn't tell knew anyway, and tacitly
agreed to pretend that the unacknowledged had been acknowledged and
accepted. Like I'm sure is true for millions of other glass door
closeted people. When I went to bars, which was frequently, I never
tried to hide who I was. So, it was an open secret. Had I never come
out publicly, many, many people would have known. It would not then
have ever really been a betrayal of trust to "spill the beans."
Because it wasn't a secret, it was an uncomfortably kept promise to my
mother. But, it was also not the only reason I didn't come out
swinging when she passed. The fear of the judgment of strangers and
their holier-than-thou "shoulds" was at least as big of a burden to
bear. But the "shoulds" that "should" matter don't. Nobody should have
to hide their sexuality. No parent should ask their child to. There
should be no shame in being gay."
and comedian. She grew up on Chicago's South Side, graduating from
Calumet High School. She is best known for her 1986â€"92 role of Roz
Russell on the Top 10 rated NBC sitcom Night Court. Roz was the tough,
no-nonsense bailiff in Judge Stone's court. Warfield also starred in
the sitcom Empty Nest as Dr. Maxine Douglas (1993â€"95). Before Night
Court, she was a writer and performer on the short-lived Richard Pryor
Show.Warfield appeared in feature films such as D.C. Cab (1983) and
Mask (1985), hosted The Marsha Warfield Show for ten months (March
1990â€"January 1991) and has made guest appearances on many television
shows, including Riptide, Family Ties, Clueless, Cheers, Living
Single, In Living Color, Moesha and Touched by an Angel. She has also
done stand-up comedy including appearances on the Norm Crosby hosted
The Comedy Shop television series.In 2017, Warfield publicly came out
stating, "When I told my mother I was gay, she said she knew, and had
known all my life. Then, she asked me not to come out publicly while
she was alive. I agreed, even though the request and her admission
were hurtful in ways I couldn't put my finger on then, and probably
haven't completely worked through now. But, everybody who knew me,
knew I was gay. The people I didn't tell knew anyway, and tacitly
agreed to pretend that the unacknowledged had been acknowledged and
accepted. Like I'm sure is true for millions of other glass door
closeted people. When I went to bars, which was frequently, I never
tried to hide who I was. So, it was an open secret. Had I never come
out publicly, many, many people would have known. It would not then
have ever really been a betrayal of trust to "spill the beans."
Because it wasn't a secret, it was an uncomfortably kept promise to my
mother. But, it was also not the only reason I didn't come out
swinging when she passed. The fear of the judgment of strangers and
their holier-than-thou "shoulds" was at least as big of a burden to
bear. But the "shoulds" that "should" matter don't. Nobody should have
to hide their sexuality. No parent should ask their child to. There
should be no shame in being gay."
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