Richard Moll has died. Possessed of both a massive frame and a powerful voice, Moll was best known for his work as bailiff Bull Shannon on Night Court, spending eight years in the cast of the NBC sitcom. (Before ending the series by being voluntarily abducted by aliens, as one does.) In addition to his physical performances, Moll was also a well-known voice actor. Among other credits, he was a key part of Batman: The Animated Series, playing the groundbreaking cartoon’s version of famed Batman villain Two-Face. Per Variety, Moll died on Thursday at his home in Big Bear, California. He was 80.
Born in California in the 1940s, Moll’s early work largely made use of his size and capacity for projecting menace: Early credits include such character names as “Big Thug,” “Abominable Snowman,” and “Harold, The Monster.” Interestingly, Moll was a recurring feature in the TV work of Garry Marshall: he’d ultimately appear, in various roles, on Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, and Mork & Mindy at various points during their runs (and would have a recurring part, years later, on Laverne & Shirley star Cindy Williams’ ’90s sitcom Getting By.) Mostly, though, he played bad guys, menacing heroes in films like 1982's The Sword And The Sorcerer, and 1983's Metalstorm: The Destruction Of Jared-Syn.
The latter part would be unexpectedly influential on Moll’s career: He was still sporting the shaved head from the job when he auditioned for Night Court in the early 1980s, and the producers liked the look enough that they asked him to keep it for the next 8 years. (Moll himself was apparently less of a fan of the weekly shaves, once telling reporters, “I like to grow my hair whenever I’m on hiatus because I don’t want to be typed as a stretched out Yul Brynner all my life.”)
As Bull, Moll was able to show far more of his range than he was typically invited to, portraying the character as intimidating, yes, but also comical and sweet. Never the most complex character, Bull was nevertheless a fan favorite, playing a major component of the show’s blend of screwball comedy and genuine emotional sweetness.
Post-Night Court, Moll continued to work steadily for the next 20-plus years, developing a major sideline for himself as a voice actor in the process. In addition to shows like Batman, he also lent his voice to the Mighty Max cartoon—a rare heroic turn—as well as Freakazoid!, Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Justice League, and many other series. In live-action, he had a notable turn in 1999 cult classic But I’m A Cheerleader!, playing a gay man who helps Natasha Lyonne and other teens defy the control of a gay conversion camp.