David Rappaport

• Birth Name — David Stephen Rappaport • Born — 23 November 1951 • Birthplace — London, England • Died — 2 May 1990 • Place of death — Los Angeles, California, U.S. • Resting Place — Waltham Abbey Jewish Cemetery, Waltham Abbey, Epping Forest District, Essex, England • Occupation — Actor, musician, writer, director, teacher • Years Active — 1971–1990 • Known for — Time Bandits (1981) Robin of Sherwood (1986) • Website — davidrappaport.co.uk

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.

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 6 ft 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).

• 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

• 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)