Night Court Star Richard Moll Dies at 80

Richard Moll, a renowned character and voice actor famous for portraying the bailiff on the original rendition of "Night Court" on NBC, has passed away at the age of 80. The news of his peaceful demise at his residence in Big Bear Lake, CA, was confirmed by family spokesperson Jeff Sanderson.

Moll was born in Pasadena, California and he studied at the University of California, Berkeley, as stated on the Turner Classic Movies website.

Initially, he started his acting career by working in commercials and playing minor roles on television programs. Some of his early notable appearances include "Welcome Back, Kotter" and "The Rockford Files." In the former, he portrayed a character known as "Big Thug."

He stood tall at 68," with a massive presence, making it hard to miss him. However, in real life, Moll wouldn't be easily recognized by fans of "Night Court" if he had a full head of hair. In the show, his character Bull Shannon was bald, but had a big heart and sometimes a dimwitted personality, though that never diminished his charm or ability to captivate the audience.

Undeniably, "Night Court" was Moll's most memorable role, airing for nine seasons on NBC from 1984-1992. The series was recently revived with John Larroquette returning to his original role, although Moll did not make an appearance in the new version.

Following the conclusion of the show, Moll ventured into the film industry with notable appearances in movies such as "Jingle All the Way" and "Scary Movie 2," as well as television shows like "Smallville" and "Spider-Man: The Animated Series." Interestingly, voice acting became a significant component of his career after "Night Court." He notably lent his voice to characters like Two-Face in both "Batman: The Animated Series" and "Batman: The Brave and the Bold," in addition to having multiple roles in various video games.

During an interview with the Tampa Bay Times in 1988, Moll openly acknowledged that although his talent for comedy was garnering attention at the time, he had no intention of limiting himself to similar roles exclusively.

"I wish to return to performing as a heavy character," he expressed. "I don't want to solely be recognized as a comedic actor. I find great enjoyment in portraying villains... it is incredibly entertaining."

Indeed, Moll possessed a more earnest aspect as well. In 1989, he provided testimony to the House Select Committee on Aging, advocating for increased funding towards Alzheimer's Disease research. His father faced difficulties with the illness.

Moll loved the outdoors and spent his retirement in the San Bernardino mountain community of Big Bear Lake. He is survived by his former wife, two children and two stepchildren.