John Larroquette’s First Role Was In An Iconic 1970s Horror Film

John Laroquette boasts a filmography of more than 100 appearances going back more than 50 years, covering just about every genre of film and television. But while the New Orleans native is best known for his four consecutive Emmy-winning turn as prosecutor Dan Fielding on the original “Night Court” series, a role he returned to for the show’s 2023 reboot, his first gig was, interestingly enough, the narrator of the 1974 horror classic “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” Larroquette delivers the film’s ominous opening words; reading along with scrolling text that describes the forthcoming story as, “an account of the tragedy that befell a group of five youths … “

Laroquette’s resonant baritone was perfect for the snippet of harrowing exposition, and leading to some to believe that the film was based on a true story. He came back to serve in that same capacity in three subsequent franchise films: the 2003 remake, the 2006 prequel “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, and for the opening moments of the 2022 reboot. That bit of the script tied the most recent film to the original, and having Laroquette’s familiar voice greet audiences established its place in the timeline of the 1974 version. In between, Larroquette was as busy as any actor of his generation, with an impressive resume that illustrates his impressive flexibility and work ethic.

In between narrating the opening frames of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” in 1974 and hitting it big on “Night Court” nearly a decade later, John Larroquette stayed busy, making appearances on TV shows like “Three’s Company” and “Fantasy Island” and films such as “Stripes” and “Twilight Zone: The Movie.” Larroquette attributes his consistent career to going sober in 1982. In 2011, he told the Denver-based outlet Westword he was aware that, “after I stopped, there was a degree of success and harmony and love and health that came into my life. I think it is perhaps helpful to share that story.” 

Ironically, had he been sober in 1974, we might never have heard his voice in “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” In 2023 he confirmed a long-standing rumor to Parade that director Tobe Hooper gave him a small amount of cannabis in exchange for his work on the 1974 original. “I walked out of the studio and patted him on the back side and said, ‘Good luck to you,'” Larroquette recalled. The film went on to earn more than $30 million on a $140,000 budget, although it’s unknown how much of that went toward Larroquette’s ’70s-style compensation package.