Richard_Moll

Richard Moll

Richard Moll

American actor (1943–2023)


Charles Richard Moll (January 13, 1943 – October 26, 2023) was an American actor known for playing Aristotle Nostradamus "Bull" Shannon, a bailiff on the NBC sitcom Night Court from 1984 to 1992[1] and voicing Harvey Dent/Two-Face in the DC Animated Universe series Batman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures.

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Early life

Charles Richard Moll was born in Pasadena, California, the son of Violet Anita (née Grill), a nurse, and Harry Findley Moll, a lawyer.[2] He was tall early in his life, reaching 6 feet (1.83 m) by age 12. He kept growing until he was about 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) tall.[1] He attended the University of California, Berkeley, and was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity.[3]

Career

In the 1977 film Brigham, Moll (credited as Charles Moll) appeared as Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. Moll would go on to often portray hulking or imposing characters due to his height and deep voice. In 1979, Moll played the part of Eugene, a gangster on the television series Happy Days in the episode "Fonzie's Funeral". In 1981, Moll co-starred with Jan-Michael Vincent and Kim Basinger in the film Hard Country, and he also played the abominable snowman in the comedy feature film Caveman. The same year, he had a small part in the Mork & Mindy episode "Alienation", where he appeared with future fellow Night Court TV series cast member John Larroquette.[4] In 1982, he played the sorcerer Xusia in The Sword and the Sorcerer.[1]

In 1983, Moll shaved his head for the role of Hurok in the science fiction B movie Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn.[1] The producers of the TV sitcom Night Court liked the look so much in his audition that they asked him to keep it.[5] He played bailiff Aristotle Nostradamus "Bull" Shannon on Night Court from 1984 to 1992.[6] He also used the Bull persona in commercials for Washington's Lottery.[7]

Moll played the role of Big Ben in the 1986 horror film House. He earned a Saturn Award nomination for the role. Moll made an appearance in the first episode of Highlander: The Series as Slan Quince, the villain who reunites Connor MacLeod with his kinsman and the show's protagonist, Duncan MacLeod. Moll made a guest appearance on Babylon 5 in the episode "Hunter, Prey" as a lurker criminal who was holding a VIP hostage, and as a gangster on Married... with Children. Moll made another guest appearance in the TV series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, playing the cyclops in episode two, "Eye of the Beholder".

Moll at the 39th Emmy Awards in 1987

In Super Password, Moll appeared with Judy Norton Taylor, Nancy Lane, Markie Post, Gloria Loring, Florence Halop, Debra Maffett, Elaine Joyce, and Kim Morgan Greene, with Bert Convy as the game show's host from 1984 to 1987.[citation needed]

Moll played himself in The Facts of Life (Season 9, episodes 1 and 2: "Down and Out in Malibu").

Moll appeared in The Flintstones and Casper Meets Wendy, both TV spin-offs. In 1999's But I'm a Cheerleader, Moll played a gay man who, with his partner (Wesley Mann), helps gay teenagers escape from a nearby camp where parents send their teenage offspring for conversion therapy. He played the drifter on the Nickelodeon show 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd.

In 2001, he played Hugh Kane, the ghost haunting a mansion in Scary Movie 2. In 2007, he played (along with M. Steven Felty) Kolchak Jefferson Stillwall in the Anthony C. Ferrante horror film Headless Horseman. In 2014, Moll appeared as a security guard on an episode of Anger Management with Charlie Sheen.

Voiceover work

Moll can be heard in many animated productions, often as a villain with a deep, growling voice. He voiced Two-Face in Batman: The Animated Series,[1] Scorpion in later episodes of Spider-Man (who was originally voiced by Martin Landau) and the Abomination in The Incredible Hulk (who was originally voiced by Kevin Schon).

Moll also provided voice work in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Chill of the Night!" voicing Lew Moxon as well as briefly reprising Two-Face (who was mainly voiced by James Remar). His first role in an animated film was as a beat poet in Ralph Bakshi's American Pop.[1] He starred as Norman in the animated series Mighty Max. He also voiced Vorn the Unspeakable, a Cthulhu-like character in the Freakazoid! episode "Statuesque".

Moll voiced the Devil Hulk in the 2005 video game Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. In the 2010 video game Dante's Inferno, he voiced Death (which he shared with Dee Bradley Baker) and King Minos.

Death

Moll died at his home in Big Bear Lake, California, on October 26, 2023, at the age of 80.[5]

Filmography

Film

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Television

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Video games

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References

  1. Hal Erickson (2016). "Richard Moll". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2016-02-13.
  2. Kappes, Serena, "WHERE ARE THEY NOW? : 'Night Court's' Richard Moll Standing tall", CNN/People, Wednesday, March 19, 2003
  3. Barnes, Mike (27 October 2023). "Richard Moll, Bull the Bailiff on 'Night Court,' Dies at 80". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  4. "Richard Moll, who played towering bailiff on 'Night Court,' dies at 80". Nbcnews.com. 28 October 2023. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  5. "Richard Moll (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved October 6, 2023. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.

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