Female Bailiff Rosalind 'Roz' Russel on 'Night Court'

Marsha Warfield | Biography

Former Comedy Writer for Actor Richard Pryor

• By Anil Pradhan
• Update : April 11, 2022

---

Marsha Warfield is a veteran American television and film actress. She currently appears as Toni Wilson on the Fox TV series 9-1-1.

Who is Marsha Warfield?

Marsha Warfield is a renowned American actress, TV host, writer, and comedian. She has mainly gained recognition as Rosalind from the 1980s TV series Night Court (1986-1992). Born and raised in Chicago, Warfield migrated to Los Angeles in her 20s. In 1977, she received her big break as a member of Richard Pryor's controversial TV comedy show. Later she started performing on her own as a stand-up comedian. 

Warfield stepped into acting through her debut in A Fistful of Chopsticks (1982 Movie). Eventually, she got her career's big break as Roz on the popular sitcom Night Court. Shortly after, she starred as Dr.Maxine Douglas on Empty Nest (1993-1995). Her other notable acting bio includes DC Cab (1983 Movie), Mask (1985 Movie), The Whoopee Boys (1986 Movie), Caddyshack II (1988 Movie), etc. 

Besides acting, Warfield holds several guest appearances and TV hosting credits. She hosted Super Password (1987-1989), Family Feud (1989), The Arsenio Hall Show (1989-1990), and The Marsha Warfield Show (1990-1991). Additionally, Warfield made several guest appearances on numerous television shows like Riptide (1984), In Living Color (1993), Living Single (1997), etc. 

However, she retired and left Hollywood for nearly two decades and returned to television in 2021, appearing in Season 4 of Fox's TV series 9-1-1 as Toni Wilson. In an interview with 50 Bold in 2019, she talked about her break and said, "I had a family commitment thing I had to attend to that needed my time and presence." Warfield further said, "The matter needed my attention and then I could resume pursuing my passion, so I went for it!"

In the same interview, Warfield said, "You take the hiatus that I did, and suddenly, there's a whole new landscape out here. I am a whole new person. I have to reintroduce myself to this country and to the world."

Warfield describes her absence from the camera as "an overlong period of retirement" and her return as "revenge," on her official website. In the meantime, Warfield also returned to the stage, fuelling her career as a stand-up comedian. She then performed her act, The Book of Marsha.

In an interview with Pride Source in 2021, she said, "I call my show 'The Book of Marsha' because, at this age, it's my story, looking back over my life and the world as I know it over these past 60-plus years."

Talking about her net worth, Warfield has an estimated net worth of $3 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Warfield Married Her Unknown Husband After Completing Graduation

Marsha Francine Warfield was born on 5 March 1954, in Illinois, USA. She is the eldest daughter of her parents, Josephine Gordon and James Gordon. Her only sibling is her younger sister Cassandra. Her father left her and her mother when she was just a child. Thus, her mother married again and raised her with the help of her second husband.

Growing up in Chicago, she graduated from Calumet High School at the age of 17. She married her husband (name not available) after completing graduation. However, within a few months of getting hitched, she moved separate ways from him. 

'Night Court'

Night Court is an American Comic TV Series. The first episode of the series was broadcast on 4 January 1984. The show finally concluded on 31 May 1992. It is rated as one of the Top 10 NBC sitcoms of all time. Warfield joined Night Court from its fourth season and eventually became famous among its audiences. She appeared in 136 episodes of the series for six years (1986-1992). She was featured as the female bailiff, Rosalind 'Roz' Russel.

Additionally, she was the youngest and third female bailiff on Night Court, following the deaths of similarly witty character cutups Selma Diamond and Florence Halop. Both of them died of lung cancer.

From her Night Court popularity and also as a comedienne, she went on to call herself the 'Godmother of Upper Ghetto'.  

Also Read - Judy Landers - Movies, Husband & Age

Warfield Came Out As A Lesbian To The Public 

Although Warfield was previously married to a male partner. However, when Warfield decided to return from her retirement, she also came out as a lesbian to the public. According to Pride Source, she is currently in a relationship with a woman named Angie, whom she hopes to make her future wife. She added that she addresses her as 'Boo Baby.'

She made a public announcement about her sexuality at 63 years of age in 2017. According to an October 2021 article in pridesource.com, she initially came out with her mother when she was in her 30s. Warfield's mother told her that she already knew it. In addition, her mother asked her to keep the secret hidden and only reveal it after her death.

Her official coming-out statement read:

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.

Is Marsha Warfield Still Alive?

Warfield's disappearance from the acting industry for over twenty years raised doubts about her being alive. Fortunately, she is still alive and is acting in movies and TV series, as well as doing stand-up comedians after a long hiatus.