Richard Moll
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Richard Moll | |
|---|---|
 Moll on the red carpet at the 39th Annual Emmy Awards |
|
| Born | Charles Richard Moll January 13, 1943 Pasadena, California |
| Other name(s) | Charles Moll |
| Spouse(s) | Susan Brown (1993) |
Richard Moll (born January 13, 1943) is an American actor. He is known for playing Bull Shannon, the tall shaven-headed bailiff on the NBC sitcom Night Court.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Personal life
Moll was born Charles Richard Moll in Pasadena, California, the son of Violet Anita (née Grill), a nurse, and Harry Findley Moll, a lawyer.[1] He married Susan Moll in 1993 and they divorced in March of 2005. Susan and Richard have two children together. Richard is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. His home Elks lodge is in Big Bear, California.
[edit] Career
At 6 feet, 8 and a half inches, Moll's height alone makes him memorable, as Bull was meant to tower over the rest of the cast of Night Court, and Moll's height gave him an advantage as Harry Anderson and John Larroquette are both six feet four. Though in his later projects he often has a full head of hair and/or a beard, his extraordinary height and distinctive speaking voice make him easy to distinguish. He is adept at playing both comic and menacing characters.
In 1981, Moll co-starred with Jan-Michael Vincent and Kim Basinger in the movie Hard Country. In 1982, under layers of makeup, he played the sorcerer Xusia in The Sword of the Sorcerer. He had shaved his head for the role of Hurok in the 1983 science fiction B movie Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn, but the producers of Night Court liked the look so much in his audition that they asked him to keep it. Moll also used the Bull persona in commercials for the Washington State Lottery Commission. Moll also had a role as "Big Ben," Roger Cobb's Vietnam comrade in the 1986 horror/comedy House.
Moll made a guest appearance in the pilot episode of Highlander: The Series as the villain who reunites Connor MacLeod with his kinsman and show's protagonist, Duncan MacLeod. He also made a guest appearance on Babylon 5 in the episode "Hunter, Prey" as a lurker criminal who was holding a VIP hostage.
In 1999's But I'm A Cheerleader, Moll went against type and played a gay man who, with his gay partner (Wesley Mann), helps gay teenagers escape from a nearby "gay camp," where uncomprehending parents send their teenage offspring if they're suspected of being gay.
He can be heard in many animated film and cartoon productions, often as a villain with a deep, growling voice. Moll has voiced Bruce Wayne's disturbed friend and former Gotham district attorney Harvey Dent/Two-Face in Batman: The Animated Series (as well as the voice of the Batcomputer) and the Scorpion in Spider-Man: The Animated Series. His first role in an animated film was as a beat poet in Ralph Bakshi's American Pop. He starred as the character of Norman in the animated series Mighty Max. He appeared with Ringo Starr in the 1981 comedy Caveman. in which he played the abominable snowman. In 1994, he starred in The Flintstones and Casper Meets Wendy, both TV spin-offs. Moll also voiced the Devil Hulk in the 2005 video game Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. He played the drifter on the Nickelodeon show 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd.
The Lifetime Channel is currently funding a made-for-TV movie loosely based on Richard's life called Leaning Tower of Bull starring newcoming actor Nolan Smith to play the part of his would-be courtly role. According to producers, the movie is scheduled to air in November of 2008.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
 |
This article about an American television actor born in the 1940s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
