David Rappaport facts for kids

Quick facts for kids David Rappaport
Born	David Stephen Rappaport (1951-11-23)23 November 1951 London, England
Died	2 May 1990(1990-05-02) (aged 38) 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)

David Stephen Rappaport (born November 23, 1951 – died May 2, 1990) was an English actor. He was known for his roles in movies like Time Bandits and The Bride. He also appeared in TV shows such as L.A. Law, The Wizard, and Captain Planet and the Planeteers. David was born with achondroplasia, a common type of dwarfism. He was 3 feet 11 inches (1.19 meters) tall.

Early Life and Beginnings

David Rappaport was born in London, England. His father, Mark, was a taxi driver, and his mother was Diana. David was born with achondroplasia, which affects bone growth.

As a child, he learned to play the accordion and drums. He even played the drums professionally later in his life. In 1970, David went to the University of Bristol to study psychology. While there, he continued playing drums and also started acting in the college drama group.

After spending six months in the United States, he returned to the UK. He married his college girlfriend, Jane, and they had a son named Joe. David tried working as a teacher. However, he soon decided to become a full-time actor.

He lived in a unique community called Frestonia. Here, he even acted as the "Foreign Minister" and used the name David Rappaport-Bramley. Everyone in Frestonia used the last name 'Bramley' to stay together as one big "family."

Acting Career Highlights

David Rappaport first became known in children's television. In 1979, he appeared in the BBC series Jigsaw as an O-Man, alongside Sylvester McCoy. They had worked together before in theatre shows like Illuminatus! and the Ken Campbell Road Show.

In the early 1980s, David played a character called "Shades" on popular Saturday morning kids' TV shows, Tiswas and The Saturday Show.

One of his most famous roles was Randall in the 1981 movie Time Bandits. He played the leader of a group of dwarves in this fantasy film directed by Terry Gilliam.

In the mid-1980s, David starred in the TV show Robin of Sherwood (also known as Robin Hood in the US). He played Skulley in the series, which was filmed in Bristol, where he lived. In 1985, he appeared in The Bride. He played a circus dwarf who became friends with Frankenstein's monster.

From 1986 to 1987, David had the main role of Simon McKay in the CBS TV series The Wizard. He also made guest appearances on shows like The Goodies, The Young Ones, and L.A. Law. In L.A. Law, he played a lawyer named Hamilton Schuyler in two important episodes.

David was also the voice of MAL, Dr. Blight's computer, in the cartoon Captain Planet and the Planeteers. He voiced the character for the first four episodes.

Later Years and Legacy

In 1987, David Rappaport was the best man at the wedding of singer Hazel O'Connor.

Later in his life, David faced some personal difficulties. Just before he passed away, he had started filming a role for the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Most Toys". He played the character Kivas Fajo. However, due to his passing, another actor, Saul Rubinek, took over the role. The scenes David filmed were later released on the Blu-ray version of the show.

David Rappaport died on May 2, 1990.

The creators of The Wizard, Michael Berk and Douglas Schwartz, later made the show Baywatch. In one episode of Baywatch called "Short Sighted," a character named Carter McKay has a father named Simon McKay. This was a special tribute to David Rappaport's character in The Wizard.

Theatre Work

Film Roles

TV Appearances