Variety, May 9, 1990, Page 93
DAVID RAPPAPORT
David Rappaport, 38, British dwarf actor in the films "Time Bandits" and "The Bride" who rose to fame portraying a high-powered lawyer defending little people on tv's "L.A. Law," apparently killed himself May 2 in Los Angeles, police said.
Rappaport didn't leave a suicide note, but his manager said the actor had been depressed for months. A suicide attempt March 4 was thwarted when police found him unconscious in a car with the motor running.
The 3'11" actor's body was found at a San Fernando Valley park with a gunshot wound in his chest. A .38-caliber pistol was found.
Rappaport's film debut came in 1978 in the Dutch film "Mysteries," starring Rutger Hauer and Sylvia Kristel. His next three features starred Sean Connery; Richard Lester's "Cuba," Terry Gilliam's "Time Bandits" and the Cannon remake "Sword of the Valiant."
His best screen role came in 1984 in "The Bride," in which his teaming with Frankenstein "monster" Clancy Brown stole the picture from stars Sting and Jennifer Beals, winning him the attention of Hollywood.
In his native England, Rappaport was featured regularly on tv, amassing credits that included "File On Harry Jordan," "09 + 10," "Not the 9:00 News," "History Of Pantomime," "Tales From 1,001 Nights," "The Young Ones," "Unfair Exchanges," "The Goodies," "Beauty and The Beast," "The Illustrated Wednesday Revue" and "Mr. Stabs," as well as the series "Jigsaw," "Grapevine" and "The Saturday Show." In Hollywood, he guested on "Fortune Dane" and portrayed Simon McKay, a Good Samaritan and inventor who helped people in need, on the series "The Wizard" from 1986-87 on CBS-tv.
Rappaport had appeared in several episodes of NBC's "L.A. Law," as a lawyer nicknamed "Mighty Mouth" who persuasively argued cases involving interests of little people.
One episode last year dealt with dwarf-tossing. He argued that little people had the right to be tossed in a bar for money if they wanted to.
Most recently he played Luigi in the Australian film "Luigi's Ladies," starring Wendy Hughes, and was in Blake Edwards' telefilm remake of "Peter Gunn."
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Rappaport, David 1951-1990
OBITUARY NOTICE--Born November 23, 1951, in London, England; found dead near Los Angeles, CA May 2, 1990, after committing suicide. Actor, Rappaport, a dwarf who held a degree in psychology from Bristol University in England, worked extensively in theatre, film, and television. He was perhaps best known for his recurring role on the NBC television series L.A. Law, in which he played a talented lawyer known as "Mighty Mouth." He also starred in the series The Wizard, which was broadcast on CBS from 1986 to 1987, and appeared on episodes of other series, including Hardcastle and McCormick, Amazing Stories, and Mr. Belvedere. His numerous British television credits include File on Harry Jordan, The Young Ones, and Beauty and the Beast. Amoung the films he appeared in were the 1981 comedy Time Bandits, Cuba, Black Jack, Sword of the Valiant, and The Bride. Rappaport also appeared in several British stage productions, including Volpone, Dr. Faustus, and Exit the King.
Other Sources:
Los Angeles Times, May 4, 1990.
The Wizard's David Rappaport plans to set the world on fire
