Actor Richard Moll, who provided the voice of Two-Face on Batman: The Animated Series, has died at age 80 on October 26 at his home in Big Bear Lake. Moll was best known by the general public as Bull Shannon, the gigantic bailiff in the sitcom Night Court. Standing at an impressive 6 feet 8 inches, Moll played the towering guard who was dim-witted but good-natured.
However, bat-fans are more familiar with his voice acting work as Harvey Dent and Two-Face on Batman: The Animated Series.
Richard Moll is Two-Face
Moll’s take on the duality of Dent and Two-Face showed tremendous range. His Harvey vacillated between being confident, if not slightly condescending and slimy, to overwhelmed and desperate. BTAS depicted Dent as a well-meaning District Attorney who also hid a dark side. He can be a strong-sounding politician, but a wrong moment may make Dent snap and cause him to spiral into either anger or despair. Moll’s ability to subtly show a roller coaster of emotions in just his tone of voice was no small feat.
When Dent discovered his facial disfigurement, Moll’s scream of agony was absolutely blood-curdling. Watching that scene as a child genuinely disturbed me, as his wails were so intense. Then Dent stumbled out of the hospital room for the iconic reveal of his Two-Face visage. It was a truly dark and creepy moment.
Moll’s take on Two-Face’s voice also felt organic, but distinct from his Dent voice. It was low and guttural, almost as if he was unpredictable and ready to pounce at any moment. This made Two-Face a highly memorable villain the BTAS rogues gallery. What will Two-Face do next? It was always almost impossible to guess, yet at the same time, Moll made him sound cool and calculating.
Richard Moll is survived by his children, Chloe and Mason Moll; ex-wife, Susan Moll; and stepchildren Cassandra Card and Morgan Ostling.
Source: APnews.com
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