Selma had a deadpan demeanor and distinctively nasal crackle in her
voice which was truly made for comedy. She was just becoming a household name
thanks to her role as the impassive, chain-smoking bailiff on the
sitcom
Night Court (1984) when she died due to lung cancer after two seasons. In a
sad ironic twist, her replacement, actress
Florence Halop, would also die due to lung
cancer the following year, after only one season.