Everyone wants Dan Fielding. In a recent episode of NBC’s Night Court, John Larroquette’s character, the public defender, had to fend off overtures from a defendant, a woman who was literally certified, and every woman in the courthouse named Carol. Fielding told one admirer, “I dress this way to please myself, not to be ogled and debased by deviants like you.” In addition to furthering the plot and eliciting a chuckle, this phrase distinguished Dan Fielding from his sitcom peers: Dan Fielding, who is always well-dressed in a suit, is very concerned about his appearance.
Men in television comedy are often well-dressed. Characters ranging from Sam Malone (Cheers) and George Costanza (Seinfeld) to Earn Marks (Atlanta) and Carmy Berzatto (The Bear) have inspired generations of guys to put together “fire fits,” or whatever they’re called now that I’ve rendered the phrase completely uncool. Rarely do these characters genuinely care enough about their clothing to comment on it, and I don’t mean in a Tom Haverford-esque manner. Style is integral to Dan Fielding’s identity, and a great deal of effort is put into his subtle, visual narrative. Molly Grundman-Gerbosi, the costume designer for Night Court, is aware that the form of a lapel and choice of pocket square reveal a great deal about a character.
Grundman-Gerbosi told Decider, “I’ve always had the impression that Dan Fielding dressed for the job he desired rather than the job he held in the 1980s.” “He was a trendsetter. He wore fashionable, stylish suits… He always want to dress as though he worked at a large law office, but it’s only night court.”
Night Court’s return to NBC after a 30-year absence presented Grundman-Gerbosi with a daunting challenge: how to modernize a character who was one of the most ardent proponents of the 1980s power suit? “Because [Night Court] aired for nine seasons, it’s quite iconic,” Grundman-Gerbosi added. “John Larroquette has won all of these honors as Dan Fielding. Everyone recognizes him from [Night Court], where he portrayed the same character.” On the other hand, Grundman-Gerbosi would be working with an actor who is “generally elegant and six feet four inches tall, so you can dress him so beautifully.”
Fortunately for Grundman-Gerbosi, she had an enthusiastic colleague in John Larroquette, who else? Grundman-Gerbosi remarked, “He is a wealth of information for his character.” “It is evident that he knows Dan better than anyone else. We wanted to ensure that everything we put on him, including his outfit, felt like Dan Fielding, while also attempting to modernize that.”
Both Dan as a character (he has loved, lost, and retired) and the suit as a concept (it is both alive and dead at all times; it is Schrodinger’s suit) underwent significant changes in the thirty years between series. Dan Fielding undergoes a complete character arc in the pilot, beginning as a process waiter in a cafe wearing a tough flannel, Clarks boots, and an even more rugged beard (genuine, FYI) and ending in a suit.
So, where would Dan Fielding obtain his suits? Grundman-Gerbosi, who initially had the actor try on outfits from the Italian luxury fashion label Zegna, exclaimed, “[Larroquette] looks fantastic in a Zegna suit.” The modern Dan Fielding, though, can be found in John Larroquette’s closet.
Grundman-Gerbosi stated, “[Larroquette] had brought a custom-made suit from home because he had another event [to attend] later.” “He showed it to me, and I said, ‘Well, that suit is gorgeous,’” she said. Dan would return to the courtroom in whatever suit was hanging in his closet after losing his wife and resigning his job. “And I said, ‘[That suit is] perfect because it’s something you would have had in your closet,’” she explained.
Thank you to Molly Grundman-Gerbosi
The suit, it turns out, was purchased from Marios in Portland, Oregon, and you can bet that Larroquette accompanied Grundman-Gerbosi on a field trip to the tailor to select fabrics for the dozen Italian suits that would comprise Dan Fielding’s new wardrobe. “He drove me to the store and introduced me to everyone there, and we ended up making over a dozen custom suits for him at the store,” Grundman-Gerbosi recalled of Larroquette’s shopping excursion with her.
Thus, a new uniform for the 2023 Dan Fielding began to take shape: bespoke shirts from Anto in Beverly Hills (no spread collars! ); peak lapels; three-piece suits; silk suspenders instead of belts; Ralph Lauren knee socks; Ferragamo Oxford shoes; and silk ties and pocket squares from Stefano Ricci. “We didn’t want any dark shirts or anything too trendy,” Grundman-Gerbosi said, adding that he ensured Dan’s new style complemented the complete set. “We desired a timeless appearance for a guy in his seventies, allowing us to employ funkier and warmer hues for the other characters. I believe that these cold hues make him appear more at ease on camera, and with his gray beard, he looked amazing.”
Molly Grundman-Gerbosi provided the clothing changes for one episode of Night Court starring John Larroquette.
It should be emphasized that the costume crew does this much effort for every regular character on a show. They all receive a wardrobe from which customers can choose throughout the season. And, just as in reality, if you look attentively, you’ll find that the same garments are worn in different combinations.
By Episode 4 of the new Night Court, according to Grundman-Gerbosi, Dan is “a little more at ease in the night court, and this is his look: a three-piece suit.” And it distinguishes him from the rest of the crowd.” All of this effort — the research, the shopping excursion — leads to the point when a more comfortable Dan, irritated by all of the unwelcome attention, announces, “I dress this way to please myself, not to be ogled and debased by perverts like you.” This is narrative in its purest form.
Grundman-Gerbosi wants to establish this degree of comfort not only with the characters on the page, but also with the actors on stage. Grundman-Gerbosi stated, “First and foremost, I’m interested in the collaboration and the character.” “I believe the performer is more at ease when they feel listened to and there is collaboration… If someone delivers me a magnificent suit, as [Larroquette] did, in colors I’ve never seen in stores, I’ll ask, “Where did you acquire that? And give me all your information,’ and he was very pleased to do it.” And Larroquette did the same for Dan Fielding, as well as all the Carols in the courthouse.
Night Court airs on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
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