Richard Moll, a veteran character and voice actor renowned for his portrayal of the bailiff on the original NBC series “Night Court,” has passed away at the age of 80, as confirmed by Jeff Sanderson, a family spokesperson. He peacefully departed on October 26 at his residence in Big Bear Lake, CA.
Born in Pasadena, California, Moll attended the University of California, Berkeley. His acting career began with commercials and minor television roles. Among his early appearances were on “Welcome Back, Kotter” and “The Rockford Files,” where he played a character known simply as “Big Thug.” Standing at an imposing 6’8″, Moll possessed a commanding presence.
His most iconic role was as Bull Shannon in “Night Court,” a character who was both bald and big-hearted. The show ran for nine seasons from 1984 to 1992. Despite a recent revival of the series, Moll did not make an appearance in the new iteration.
Following “Night Court,” Moll contributed to movies such as “Jingle All the Way” and “Scary Movie 2,” along with appearances in TV shows like “Smallville” and “Spider-Man: The Animated Series.” Voice acting became a significant part of his post-“Night Court” career, where he voiced Two-Face in “Batman: The Animated Series” and “Batman: The Brave and the Bold,” as well as taking on multiple roles in video games.
Although he was known for his comedic roles, Moll expressed a desire to return to playing antagonists. He stated in a 1988 interview, “I want to get into playing heavies again. I don’t want to be known purely as a comic actor. I love playing bad guys… it’s such fun.”
Beyond his acting career, Moll had a compassionate side. In 1989, he testified before the House Select Committee on Aging, advocating for increased funding for Alzheimer’s Disease research, as his father had struggled with the disease. a veteran character
Moll was passionate about the outdoors and spent his retirement years in the San Bernardino mountain community of Big Bear Lake. He is survived by his former wife, two children, and two stepchildren.