STATE : Actor David Rappaport Found Dead From Apparent Suicide

Actor David Rappaport was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound just two months after an earlier suicide attempt, authorities said today.

Rappaport, 38, who appeared in a Thanksgiving episode of “L.A. Law,” was found by a motorist in Laurel Canyon Park about 200 yards off Mulholland Drive about 6:45 p.m. Wednesday, Cmdr. William Booth said.

“He was dead of a gunshot wound we believe was self-inflicted,” Booth said.

The Los Angeles County coroner’s office was to conduct an autopsy.

The 3-foot, 11-inch Rappaport was reported missing at 10 p.m. Tuesday by his manager, Frankie Leigh, who said the actor had been depressed recently. Authorities said that on March 4, paramedics found him unconscious and not breathing inside a car near his Hollywood home. A hose in the car was connected to the car’s exhaust pipe.

The British-born actor was best known for his role in the motion pictures “Time Bandits” and “The Bride.” He also starred in the short-lived television program, “The Wizard.”