John Bernard Larroquette is an American actor. His roles include attorney Dan Fielding on the 1984-1992 sitcom Night Court (winning an unprecedented four consecutive Emmy Awards for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series), Mike McBride in the Hallmark Channel series McBride, John Hemingway on The John Larroquette Show, and Carl Sack in Boston Legal. He recently played Jenkins/Galahad in TNT's The Librarians. On House, M.D., he portrayed "Coma Guy" Gabriel "Gabe" Wozniak in the Season 3 episode Son of Coma Guy.
Personal life[]
Larroquette was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the son of Berthalla Oramous (née Helmstetter), a department store clerk who mostly sold children's clothes, and John Edgar Larroquette Jr., who was in the United States Navy. His grandfather, John Larroquette Sr., was born in France and emigrated to the United States in 1895.
Larroquette grew up in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans, near the French Quarter. He played clarinet and saxophone through childhood and into high school, where he and some friends organized a band they called The N.U.D.E.L.E.S (The New Universal Demonstration for Love, Ecstasy and Sound). He discovered acting in his senior year of high school at Francis T. Nicholls High School.
He moved to Hollywood in 1973 after working in radio as DJ during the early days of 'underground' radio, when each disc jockey was free to play what they wished. Larroquette met his wife Elizabeth Ann Cookson in 1974 while working in the play Enter Laughing. They were married July 4, 1975, as that was the only day they had off from rehearsals. They have three children, Lisa, Jonathan, and Ben. Their son Jonathan co-hosts a comedy podcast called "Uhh Yeah Dude".
Larroquette battled alcoholism from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s. On The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on March 10, 2007, he joked, "I was known to have a cocktail or 60." He stopped drinking February 6, 1982.
Career[]
Early career[]
His first acting role in Hollywood was providing the opening voiceover narration for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). Larroquette did this as a favor for the film's director Tobe Hooper. His first series regular role was in the 1970s NBC program Baa Baa Black Sheep, where he portrayed a World War II United States Marine Corps fighter pilot 2nd Lt. Bob Anderson.
In a 1975 appearance on Sanford and Son], Larroquette plays Lamont's counterpart in a fictitious sitcom based on Fred and Lamont called "Steinberg and Son". During the filming of Stripes (1981), his nose was nearly cut off in an accident. He ran down a hall into a door that was supposed to open but did not, and his head went through the window in the door.
Night Court (1984–1992)[]
Larroquette is best known for his role as Dan Fielding on Night Court; the character was initially rather conservative, but changed after the sitcom's creator Reinhold Weege came to learn more about Larroquette's sense of humor. The role won him Emmy Awards in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988. In 1989, he asked not to be considered for an Emmy Award.
His four consecutive wins were, at the time, a record. Night Court ran on NB from 1984 until 1992. After his fourth win, he asked the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences to stop considering him for the award. Larroquette, Harry Anderson (as Judge Harry Stone), and Richard Moll (as bailiff Bull Shannon) appeared in every episode of the series. There was talk of spinning Dan Fielding off into his own show, but Larroquette said no to the idea.
The John Larroquette Show[]
Instead of a spinoff, Larroquette and Don Reo developed a show revolving around some of Larroquette's own personal demons, particularly alcoholism. The John Larroquette Show, named by the insistence of NBC, starred Larroquette as the character John Hemingway. The show was lauded by critics, but failed to attract the prime-time audience, ranking around #97 for most of the first season. NBC threatened cancellation; however, Larroquette and Reo were granted the chance to retool the series, which saw it carry on for just over two more seasons. The show has a loyal cult following, although the series has never received an official release from NBC.
McBride, Boston Legal, and other television roles[]
In 1998, he guest-starred on three episodes of the legal drama The Practice. His portrayal of Joey Heric, a wealthy, wisecracking, narcissistic psychopath with a habit of stabbing his gay lovers to death, won him his fifth Emmy Award. He reprised the role for one episode in 2002, for which he was once again Emmy Award-nominated. He also appeared in an episode of The West Wing as Lionel Tribbey, White House Counsel.
In 2003, Larroquette reprised his narration for the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. From 2004-06, he played the title role in the McBride series of American television films. In 2007, he joined the cast of Boston Legal playing Carl Sack, a serious, ethical lawyer (the polar opposite of his more famous lawyer character, Dan Fielding). He also guest-starred in the drama House where he played a previously catatonic father awakened to try to save his son, and on Chuck as veteran spy Roan Montgomery.
He had voice roles in Phineas and Ferb as Bob Weber, as a lifeguard, as well as a man to marry his wife and the boy's aunt Tiana Weber in another episode. Most recently, Larroquette has been seen as a regular on The Librarians as Jenkins (actually the long-lived Camelot knight Sir Galahad), who provides support to the Librarians as a researcher and caretaker.
In 2019, he appears in a recurring role in then series, Blood & Treasure, as Jacob "Jay" Reece, a billionaire and father figure to a main character, Danny.
Film[]
His starring roles include the 1989 film Second Sight with Bronson Pinchot, and Madhouse with Kirstie Alley. Other films in which Larroquette had significant roles include: Blind Date, Stripes, Meatballs Part II, Summer Rental, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, JFK, and Richie Rich. He also starred in Demon Knight at the beginning, as a hackman; he received no credit.
Theatre[]
Larroquette made his musical stage debut in the Los Angeles production of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! as Old Max in 2009. He made his Broadway debut in the 2011 revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying as J B. Biggley alongside Daniel Radcliffe. He won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance in the show.
He also appeared on Broadway in a revival of Gore Vidal's The Best Man; the all-star cast also included James Earl Jones, Angela Lansbury, Candice Bergen, Mark Blum, Eric McCormack, Jefferson Mays, and Michael McKean, who needed to be replaced after suffering a car accident during the run of the show.
Awards and nominations[]
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Night Court | Won |
| 1986 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Won | |
| 1987 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Won | |
| 1988 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries, or Television Film | Nominated | |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Won | ||
| 1990 | American Comedy Awards | Funniest Supporting Male in a Television Series | Nominated | |
| 1994 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | The John Larroquette Show | Nominated |
| Viewers for Quality Television | Best Actor in a Quality Comedy Series | Nominated | ||
| 1995 | Viewers for Quality Television | Best Actor in a Quality Comedy Series | Nominated | |
| 1998 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | The Practice | Won |
| Viewers for Quality Television | Best Recurring Player | Won | ||
| 2002 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | Nominated | |
| 2008 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Boston Legal | Nominated |
| 2009 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Nominated | |
| 2011 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying | Won |
| Tony Awards | Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical | Won | ||
| 2015 | Saturn Awards | Best Guest Starring Role on Television | The Librarians | Nominated |
Filmography and Connections[]
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
- Doctors' Hospital (1975) - 1 episode
- Sanford and Son (1975) - 1 episode
- Ellery Queen (1975) - 1 episode
- Kojak (1975) - 1 episode
- Rich Man, Poor Man (1976) - 1 episode
- Black Sheep Squadron (1976-1978) - 29 episodes
- With George Wyner in "The Cat's Whiskers"
- Greatest Heroes of the Bible (1978) - 1 episode
- Three's Company (1979) - 1 episode
- The 416th (1979)
- Fantasy Island (1979) - 1 episode
- Stunts Unlimited (1980)
- Heart Beat (1980)
- Altered States (1980)
- Green Ice (1981)
- Stripes (1981)
- Mork & Mindy (1981) - 1 episode
- Cat People (1982)
- Cassie & Co. (1982) - 1 episode
- Bare Essence (1982)
- Nine to Five (1982) - 1 episode
- Dallas (1982) - 2 episodes
- Hysterical (1983)
- Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
- The Last Ninja (1983) with Carmen Argenziano
- Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
- Meatballs Part II (1984)
- Choose Me (1984) with Patrick Bauchau
- Remington Steele (1984) - 1 episode
- Lifeforce (1985)
- Summer Rental (1985)
- Convicted (1986)
- Blind Date (1987)
- Hot Paint (1988)
- Second Sight (1989)
- Madhouse (1990)
- Tune in Tomorrow... (1990)
- One Special Victory (1991)
- JFK (1991)
- Night Court (1984-1992) - 193 episodes
- With Charles Robinson in 180 episodes
- With Mimi Kennedy in "Married Alive"
- With Allan Rich in "Rabid"
- With Sela Ward in "Christine's Friend"
- With Roger Aaron Brown in "Here's to You, Mrs. Robinson"
- With Rif Hutton in "Mac's Dilemma"
- With Ray Abruzzo in 7 episodes
- Richie Rich (1994)
- Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight (1995)
- Dave's World (1995) - 1 episode
- The John Larroquette Show - 84 episodes with Chi McBride
- With Kathleen York in "Celibate!"
- With Victor Raider-Wexler in 2 episodes
- With Mike Starr in "A Dark and Stormy Night"
- With Charles Robinson in "John's Lucky Day"
- With Art LaFleur in "A Night to Remember"
- With Nestor Carbonell in "Intern Writer"
- With Jerry Hauck in "Happy Endings"
- The Defenders: Payback (1997)
- Payne (1999) - 9 episodes
- With Raymond Ma in "Pacific Ocean Duck"
- With Susan Slome in "Wedding Fever"
- Isn't She Great (2000)
- The 10th Kingdom (2000)
- The West Wing (2000) - 1 episode with Janel Moloney
- The Incurable Collector (2001)
- Walter and Henry (2001)
- Till Dad Do Us Part (2001)
- The Heart Department (2001)
- The Practice (1997-2002) - 6 episodes
- With Donal Logue in "Betrayal"
- With Ray Abruzzo in 2 episodes
- Corsairs (2002) with Robert Sean Leonard
- Recipe for Disaster (2003) with Margo Harshman
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) with R. Lee Ermey
- Beethoven's 5th (2003)
- Happy Family (2003-2004) - 22 episodes
- With Suzanne Ford in "Dinner With Friends"
- With Charles Rahi Chun in "Tim's Blank"
- Wedding Daze (2004)
- McBride: The Chameleon Murder (2005)
- McBride: Murder Past Midnight (2005) with Salvator Xuereb
- McBride: It's Murder Madam (2005)
- McBride: The Doctor Is Out... Really Out (2005)
- McBride: Tune in for Murder (2005) with John Kapelos and Jack Conley
- McBride: Anybody Here Murder Marty? (2005)
- Kitchen Confidential (2005) - 1 episode
- Joey (2005) - 2 episodes
- Arrested Development (2006) - 1 episode
- McBride: Fallen Idol (2006)
- Kill Your Darlings (2006) with Skye McCole Bartusiak
- Southland Tales (2006) with Curtis Armstrong
- McBride: Requiem (2006) with Amanda Foreman, Ben Bode and Charles Robinson
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006) with R. Lee Ermey and Lee Tergesen
- House, M.D. (2006) - 1 episode
- McBride: Semper Fi (2007)
- The Rapture of the Athlete Assumed Into Heaven (2007)
- McBride: Dogged (2007)
- The Batman (2007-2008)
- Boston Legal (2007-2008) - 33 episodes with Candice Bergen
- With Currie Graham in 2 episodes
- With Taraji P. Henson in 17 episodes
- With Thomas F. Wilson in "Attack of the Xenophobes"
- With Meredith Eaton in 2 episodes
- With George Wyner in "Glow in the Dark"
- With Joe Morton in "Indecent Proposals"
- With Jude Ciccolella in "Patriot Acts"
- With Margo Harshman in "Juiced"
- With Raymond Ma in 2 episodes
- Green Lantern: First Flight (2009) with Kurtwood Smith
- The Storm (2009)
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2009) with Yaya DaCosta
- Phineas and Ferb (2009-2010) - 2 episodes
- Parks and Recreation (2010) - 1 episode
- Sudden Death! (2010)
- Gun (2010)
- 15 Minutes (2010)
- White Collar (2010)
- CSI:NY (2010) - 3 episodes
- With Sela Ward - 2 episodes
- Pleading Guilty (2010) with Vicellous Shannon
- Chuck (2008-2011) - 2 episodes
- Late Show with David Letterman (2011) - 1 episode
- Inventors (2011)
- Pound Puppies (2012) with Alanna Ubach
- Deception (2013) - 9 episodes with Katherine LaNasa and Marin Hinkle
- Almost Human (2014) - 1 episode
- The Brink (2015) - 7 episodes
- With Mimi Kennedy in 2 episodes
- F.Y.D. (2015)
- Camera Store (2017) with Laura Silverman
- The Librarians (2014-2018) - 41 episodes
- With Michael Gladis in "And the Broken Staff"
- With Felicia Day in "And the Tears of a Clown"
- With Sunny Mabrey in "And the Steal of Fortune"
- Me, Myself and I (2017-2018) - 13 episodes with Jaleel White
- Murphy Brown (2018) - 1 episode with Candice Bergen
- Three Rivers (2018)
- The Twilight Zone (2019) - 1 episode with John Cho
- Blood & Treasure (2019) - 5 episodes
Links[]
Videos[]
Waking Up After 10 Years - House M.D.
Larroquette as Gabe Wozniak
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