Markie Post: Cause of Death Revealed by Manager

Markie Post died of cancer, her manager, Ellen Lubin Santisky, told Deadline on Sunday. Post, born Marjorie Armstrong Post, was 70. She was best known for her role as public defender Christine Sullivan on NBC’s Night Court and appeared in dozens of movies and television shows during her four-decade career.

Post died on Saturday, almost four years after she was diagnosed with cancer. She was born in Palo Alto, California, the daughter of scientist Richard F. Post and poet Marylee Post. She began her career in Hollywood behind the scenes, working as a production crew member on Split Second and then as an associated producer on the late 1970s CBS game show Double Dare. She was also a card dealer on the original Card Sharks.

In 1979, Post turned to act, making her debut n an episode of CHiPS. She starred in episodes of The Incredible Hulk, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Hart to Hart, Semi-Tough, and Simon & Simon before she finally landed her first series regular role as Terri Michaels on The Fall Guy. She starred in 64 episodes from 1982 to 1985. In 1984, she was cast as Christine Sullivan on Night Court, starring in 159 episodes of the series. She would later play herself in the 2008 30 Rock episode that served as a Night Court reunion.

Post could also be seen in episodes of Cheers, Hearts Afire, Odd Man Out, Twice in a Lifetime, Scrubs, The District, Ghost Whisperer, Santa Clarita Diet, and The Kids Are Alright. She had a recurring role on Chicago P.D. as Barbara “Funny” Fletcher, appearing in 18 episodes between 2014 and 2017. She also played Cameron Diaz’s mother in There’s Something About Mary. Her final role was as Jenna Dewan’s mother in an episode of the short-lived Netflix series Soundtrack in 2019.

Post is survived by her second husband, TV producer and writer Michael A. Ross, their two daughters, actress Kate Armstrong Ross and Daisy Schoenborn, son-in-law Bryce Schoenborn, and a 5-month-old granddaughter. “Our pride is in who she was in addition to acting; a person who made elaborate cakes for friends, sewed curtains for first apartments, and showed us how to be kind, loving, and forgiving in an often harsh world,” her family said in a statement to the Associated Press.

Other Night Court stars have passed in recent years. Harry Anderson, who played Judge Harold “Harry” T. Stone, died in 2018 at age 65. Charlie Robinson, who played clerk Mac, died in July at 75. NBC is now developing a sequel series, featuring John Larroquette and Melissa Rauch.