Richard Moll
Richard Moll | |
---|---|
Born | Charles Richard Moll |
Other names | Charles Moll |
Height | 6 ft 7½ in |
Spouse | Susan Brown |
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.
Biography
Personal life
Moll was born Charles Richard Moll in Pasadena, California. He has been married to Susan Brown since 1993. They have two children.
Career
At 6 feet, 7 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 six feet and six feet two inches respectively. 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.
Moll starred as "Tonda" in the 1981 hit movie Caveman with ex-Beatle, Ringo Starr and Dennis Quaid, along with Shelley Long of Cheers. Also, in 1981, he co-starred with Jan-Michael Vincent and Kim Basinger in the movie Hard Country. 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 the Highlander television series. He played the evil Immortal named Slan Quince. 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 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. 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.
External links
- Richard Moll at IMDb