Night Court's Harry Anderson dies at 65

The Hollywood Reporter

Anderson, who is best known for presiding over the NBC hit sitcom Night Court as Judge Harry Stone for nine seasons, was found dead this morning at his home in Asheville, North Carolina. Police say they don't suspect foul play. Anderson's love of magic earned him several appearances on Saturday Night Live in the early 1980s, leading to his role of Harry "The Hat" Gittes on Cheers, which was parlayed into his starring role on Night Court from 1984 to 1992. "I guess they figured I was an actor," Anderson, who was nominated for three Emmys for Night Court, told the Bradenton Herald in 2015. "I never auditioned for anything. I had the scripts next to me behind the bench. They named the character Harry so I'd remember to react when someone said my name. By the time they figured out that I couldn't act scared on the subway at 4 a.m., I already had a five-year contract." Anderson also played Miami Herald humor columnist Dave Barry on the CBS sitcom Dave's World from 1993 to 1997. One of his final screen appearances was as himself on 30 Rock in 2008.