David Rappaport (23 November 1951 – 2 May 1990; age 38) was a popular British actor who was originally cast as Kivas Fajo in the Star Trek: The Next Generation third season episode "The Most Toys" but he attempted suicide over the weekend after a few days of filming were completed. Director Timothy Bond stated, "There was a story going around that they had found him in his car with a tube running from the exhaust." (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages, pp. 196-197) Saul Rubinek was recast in the part and all the scenes that featured Rappaport were refilmed. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion, 2nd ed., pp. 125 & 126)
David Rappaport continued to suffer from acute depression and died from suicide two months later from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a Los Angeles park on 2 May 1990. [1] His death occurred just five days before "The Most Toys" premiered. Footage of David Rappaport as Kivas Fajo is included on the TNG Season 3 Blu-ray release. [2]
Rappaport is perhaps best remembered for playing bandit leader Randall in Time Bandits (1981, co-starring David Warner, with Shelley Duvall). He also co-starred opposite Clancy Brown in 1985's The Bride and starred as Simon McKay on CBS' The Wizard (Gates McFadden, credited as Cheryl McFadden, guest-starred in the episode "El Dorado") – ironically "The Wizard" was a former weapons designer who designed fantastic toys that helped him defeat villains. He also made appearances on shows such as Hardcastle and McCormick, Mr. Belvedere, and L.A. Law. Shortly before his death, he lent his voice to a few episodes of Captain Planet and the Planeteers, which also featured the voices of LeVar Burton and Whoopi Goldberg.