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Richard Moll, who played towering bailiff on 'Night Court,' dies at 80

Moll died Thursday at his home in Big Bear Lake, California, according to Jeff Sanderson, a publicist at Chasen & Company.
Richard Moll
Richard Moll in "Night Court."Alice S. Hall / NBC
/ Source: Variety

Actor Richard Moll died Thursday at his home in Big Bear Lake, Calif. He was 80.

The deep-voiced, 6 foot 8 inch actor was best known for the role of the bailiff Bull Shannon in “Night Court,” co-starring Harry Anderson and John Larroquette, from 1984 to 1992.

Moll was nominated for a Saturn award for the 1985 horror movie “House.” He voiced the role of Harvey Dent/Two-Face on “The Adventures of Batman & Robin,” as well as Scorpion on “Spider-Man: The Animated Series. He also had parts in “The Flintstones,” “Jingle All the Way,” “Casper Meets Wendy” and “Scary Movie 2.”

He had a recurring role on sitcom “Getting By” starring Cindy Williams and voiced the bodyguard in “Mighty Max.”

He had a recurring role on sitcom “Getting By” starring Cindy Williams and voiced the bodyguard in “Mighty Max.”

Moll went on to appear in the 1999 satire “But I’m a Cheerleader” with Natasha Lyonne, in which he played a gay man who shepherded teenagers sent to a re-education camp by parents who suspected they were homosexual.

His other television appearances included “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch,” “7th Heaven” and “Smallville.” After appearing in the horror movie “Nightmare Man” in 2006, he starred in “Thomas Kinkade’s Christmas Cottage” opposite Peter O’Toole, Marcia Gay Harden and Ed Asner and later appeared in “Cold Case” and “Anger Management.” He also appeared in made-for-television films including “No Place Like Home” and “The Headless Horseman.”

Born in Pasadena on Jan. 13, 1943, he graduated UC Berkeley and began acting at the Will Geer Theatre performing in works of Shakespeare.

The actor was an avid bird watcher and nature lover and retired to Big Bear Lake.

He is survived by his children Chloe and Mason Moll; ex-wife Susan Moll and stepchildren Cassandra Card and Morgan Ostling.