David Rappaport

David Stephen Rappaport (23 November 1951 – 2 May 1990) was an English actor with achondroplasia (a genetic disorder where the primary feature is dwarfism). He appeared in the films Time Bandits and The Bride, and television series L.A. Law, The Wizard and Captain Planet and the Planeteers. He was in height.

Early life Rappaport was born to Mark Rappaport and Diana Rappaport (née Schneiderman) in London. Mark was a taxi driver, and the family was Jewish. Rappaport was born with achondroplasia, a common form of dwarfism. As a child, he developed talents in playing the accordion and drums, the latter of which he played professionally at some time. Rappaport studied psychology at the University of Bristol from 1970, graduating with a degree while developing his skills as a semi-professional drummer, and acting skills at the university dramatic society.

After six months in the United States, he returned to the United Kingdom to marry his university girlfriend Jane. They had a son, Joe, and Rappaport tried to settle down to family life as a teacher. But, as his marriage broke down and he decided to follow a career as an actor, he became a resident of the squatter "nation" of Frestonia, acting as Foreign Minister under the name David Rappaport-Bramley – all inhabitants adopted the surname Bramley, so that, if the Greater London Council were to succeed in an eviction, they would have to rehouse them as one family.

Career David Rappaport first came to public notice in children's television, appearing alongside Sylvester McCoy as an O-Man in the 1979 BBC children's series Jigsaw. Rappaport and McCoy had previously appeared together in Illuminatus! at the Science Fiction Theatre of Liverpool (founded by Ken Campbell and Chris Langham in 1976). The two men also appeared in the anarchic Ken Campbell Road Show. Rappaport was with the Road Show in 1979 when it featured in The Secret Policeman's Ball. While McCoy appeared as an escapologist, Campbell introduced Rappaport to the audience as: "Not the smallest man in the world, but fucking close...". He appeared in several sketches during the first season of Not the Nine O'Clock News, which featured Langham was a regular.

In the early 1980s Rappaport played the character Shades on the anarchic Saturday-morning childrens' TV shows Tiswas and The Saturday Show. One of Rappaport's most popular roles was as Randall, the leader of the gang of dwarves in the Terry Gilliam film Time Bandits in 1981. During the mid-80s, Rappaport played in the HTV production of Robin of Sherwood (released as Robin Hood in the US) with Jason Connery as Robin. The show was filmed in Bristol, where Rappaport had a home. During this time, he also made himself at home aboard Ki Longfellow-Stanshall and Vivian Stanshall's ship moored in Bristol docks, the Old Profanity Showboat, where he often appeared on stage. Rappaport appeared in 1985's The Bride as a circus dwarf who befriends Frankenstein's monster (played by Clancy Brown). In 1986, Rappaport appeared on the American 1985–1987 NBC TV seriesAmazing Stories in an episode called "Gather Ye Acorns" (starring Mark Hamill of Star Wars fame). From 1986 to 1987, Rappaport played the lead role of Simon McKay in the American CBS television series The Wizard. Rappaport also made guest appearances on such shows as The Goodies (UK), The Young Ones (UK), and L.A. Law (US).

In L.A. Law, Rappaport played crack trial lawyer Hamilton Schuyler in two episodes. Both episodes were significant roles, opposing Jimmy Smits. The second of these, "The Mouse that Roared", was filmed only six months prior to his death. Though the Schuyler character was frequently described as "from Texas", Rappaport made no attempt to hide his English accent, which was never explained within the show.

Rappaport was the voice of Dr. Blight's computer, MAL, on Captain Planet and the Planeteers; he was replaced by Tim Curry after his first four appearances due to his death four months before the series aired. He also played Mr. Belvedere's cousin on an episode of Mr. Belvedere entitled "Duel" (Season 5 Episode 6).

Final years, death and legacy Rappaport struggled with depression later in his life. Just before his death, he had been cast and begun filming for the role of Kivas Fajo in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Most Toys". During filming, Rappaport attempted suicide, and the scenes he had completed were later discarded when actor Saul Rubinek was hurriedly brought in by producers to replace him and complete the episode. The scenes of Rappaport as Kivas Fajo were included on the Season 3 Blu-ray Disc release of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Rappaport died by suicide on 2 May 1990. He shot himself in the chest in Laurel Canyon Park in the San Fernando Valley in California.

Two of the creators of the US television series The Wizard, Michael Berk and Douglas Schwartz, went on to produce the lifeguard drama Baywatch. In this show's fifth season is an episode entitled "Short Sighted" which originally aired on 31 October 1994. Part of this episode concerns junior lifeguard Carter McKay (Nicholas Banko), whose father Simon McKay (Ed Gale) is a namesake tribute to Rappaport's character on The Wizard.

Theatre

Year Title Role 1971–1972 Sleep Fast, They've Landed (Everybody Wants a Frozen Donkey for Christmas) Yellow Stonehenge Follies 1975–77 Illuminatus! Markoff Chaney Portland Bill Street Theatre The Immortalist Reporter/Interviewer Interplay 1977 Volpone Nano The Warp 1979 Little Brother Is Watching You (Small Is Beautiful) Himself 1979 The Secret Policeman's Ball Member of Ken Campbell Road Show 1980 Dr. Faustus Beelzebub, Dick, Pope Adrian, and other characters 1980 Cinderella 1983 Exit the King The Doctor 1985 Lulu Schigolch

Filmography Film Year Title Role Type 1973 Turkish Delight (aka The Sensualist) Dwarf Feature film 1978 Mysteries Grogard Feature film 1979 Black Jack Tom Thumb's Army Feature film 1979 Cuba Jesus Feature film 1979 The Secret Policeman's Ball Various Characters TV film 1981 Time Bandits Randall Feature film 1981 John Diamond Mr. Seed Feature film 1981 Tales from the Thousand and One Nights Feature film 1982 The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball Various Characters TV film 1982 Beauty and the Beast Bearkeeper TV film 1984 Sword of the Valiant: The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Sage Feature film 1984 The Gourmet Dr. Grosvenor TV film 1985 The Bride Rinaldo Feature film 1986 The Madness Museum Ghengis TV film 1989 Luigi's Ladies Luigi Feature film

Television Year Title Role Type 1973 Arthur of the Britons Wood Person TV series, 1 episode 1978 Whodunnit? "Coco" TV series, 1 episode 1978 Do You Remember? Pedro TV series, 1 episode 1978 The Famous Five Mr. Wooh's Assistant TV series, 2 episodes 1979 Not the Nine O'Clock News Various Characters TV series, 2 episodes 1980 Q5 Various Characters TV series, 4 episodes 1980–1981 Jigsaw O-Man TV series, 12 episodes 1981, 1982 The Goodies Robot / Chief Dwarf TV series, 5 episodes 1981–1982 Tiswas Shades TV series, 7 episodes 1982 The Young Ones Ftumch & Shirley TV series, 2 episodes 1982 There’s a Lot of it About Various Characters TV series, 1 episode 1983 Monaco Franze – Der ewige Stenz TV series, 1 episode 1984 Unfair Exchanges Arthur TV series, Season 1 Episode 3 1984 The Saturday Show Shades TV series 1984 Dramarama Luko TV series, 1 episode 1984 Screen Two Arthur TV series, 1 episode 1985 The Kenny Everett Television Show Various Characters TV series, 1 episode 1985 Summer Season Chimp TV series, 1 episode 1986 Fortune Dane Augie Briscoe TV series, 1 episode 1986 Hardcastle and McCormick Cluracan TV series, 1 episode 1986 Robin of Sherwood (aka Robin Hood) Skulley TV series, 1 episode 1986 Amazing Stories Ancient Tree Troll TV series, Season 1 Episode 16: "Gather Ye Acorns" 1986–1987 The Wizard Simon McKay TV series, 19 episodes 1987, 1989 L.A. Law Hamilton Schuyler TV series, 3 episodes 1988 Hooperman Nick Derringer TV series, 2 episodes 1988 Mr. Belvedere Galen Belvedere TV series, Season 5 Episode 6: "Duel" 1989 A Fine Romance Dr. Tomas TV series, 1 episode 1989 Peter Gunn Speck Television film 1990 Beyond the Groove Sir Harold Blandford TV series, 3 episodes 1990-1991 Captain Planet MAL (voice) TV series, 4 episodes 1990 Star Trek: The Next Generation Kivas Fajo TV series, Episode: The Most Toys (unreleased version)