Tall bailiff on "Night Court," Richard Moll, Passes Away at Age 80
Throughout the course of his more than forty-year career, he was most renowned for his portrayal of the formidable yet endearing Bull Shannon in the enduring NBC sitcom.
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At his residence in Big Bear Lake, California, Richard Moll, the 6-foot-8 actor who captivated audiences with his innocent charm while playing the massive bailiff in the NBC sitcom "Night Court," passed away on Thursday. 80 years old.
Jeff Sanderson, a representative for the family, announced his passing. They gave no reason.
Over a forty-year career, Mr. Moll portrayed a wide range of characters in movies and television shows. However, his most well-known role was that of bald-headed, wide-eyed Aristotle Nostradamus Shannon, also known as Bull, in all nine of the television series "Night Court," which aired from 1984 to 1992.
The popular television show, which featured Harry Anderson as Judge Harry Stone and John Larroquette as prosecutor Dan Fielding, was set inside a make-believe Manhattan municipal night court. Bull Shannon's simple-minded character gave the show an air of whimsical innocence. Harry Anderson passed away in 2018. (This year, an updated version of "Night Court" debuted on NBC; the only cast member from the original series to return was Mr. Larroquette.)
In a message on X, the website that was once known as Twitter, Mr. Larroquette stated on Friday that Mr. Moll was "larger than life and taller too."
Harry and Violet Moll welcomed Richard Charles Moll into the world on January 13, 1943, in Pasadena, California. In 1964, he earned his history degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Despite his father's wishes, he chose to pursue a career in acting.
In Southern California, he began his career performing on stage in Shakespeare plays. In "Brigham," a 1977 film about Brigham Young, he played Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He also landed his first parts in television and movies in the late 1970s. Additionally, in 1978, he appeared in an episode of the television show "Welcome Back, Kotter."
In a 2010 interview with MaximoTV, Mr. Moll stated, "I think my first big break would be auditioning for 'Night Court.'" He remembered that he had been asked if he would consider shaving his head in order to play the role.
He went on, "I said, 'Are you kidding?'" "For the role, I'll shave my legs. I'll shave under my arms. I am indifferent.
Following the conclusion of "Night Court" in 1992, Mr. Moll pursued a career in voice-over work for cartoons. He portrayed Two-Face, a deranged antagonist with a disfigured mug, in the Fox Kids series "Batman: The Animated Series," as well as Scorpion, one of the main enemies of the hero in "Spider-Man: The Animated Series."
While most recognized for his comedic roles in films such as "Scary Movie 2" and "But I'm a Cheerleader," Mr. Moll has starred in a number of science-fiction and horror productions, such as the 1986 independent fantasy "The Dungeonmaster" and the 1985 horror picture "House."
The Internet Movie Database states that as recently as 2018, he was still working as an actor and voice actor. In the live-action movie "Scooby-Doo: Curse of the Lake Monster" (2010), he played the enigmatic lighthouse keeper Elmer Uggins, making it his most prominent appearance to date.
After retirement, Mr. Moll lived in the mountains of Southern California at Big Bear Lake, where his family said he enjoyed the beautiful surroundings and his passion for bird watching.
Chloe Moll, a daughter; Mason Moll, a son; and Cassandra Card and Morgan Ostling, two stepchildren, survive him. He and Susan Moll divorced.