Fallout: Why Knight Titus Looks So Familiar
Contains minor spoilers for "Fallout"
The "Fallout" video games are known for their dark comedic sensibilities, so it should come as no surprise to see Amazon Prime Video's adaptation packed to the brim with funny actors. Everyone's favorite resident of Tucson, Arizona — Matt Berry — has a voiceover role as Snip-Snip, and Johnny Pemberton, known for roles on "Superstore" and "Son of Zorn," also appears as Thaddeus. Comedic actors even show up in places viewers may not expect, such as when Knight Titus' helmet is finally removed in Episode 2, revealing him to be played by Michael Rapaport.
As a member of the Brotherhood of Steel, Knight Titus is set up as an awesome warrior until he gets his butt kicked by an irradiated bear. The deep voice that comes courtesy of a voice modulator is gone once the helmet's off, replaced by Rapaport's more high-pitched tone in a neat reversal of expectations. The cool-headed knight is now just a whiny guy, complaining about how his squire, Maximus (Aaron Moten), didn't react fast enough. Looper discussed the good, the bad, and the ugly of "Fallout" with Moten in an exclusive interview, and while Rapaport wasn't part of the conversation, there are plenty of places where "Fallout" fans have likely seen him before.
Boston Public (2001-2004)
Michael Rapaport started making moves in the entertainment industry as far back as the 1990s, appearing in some of the best TV shows of the era like "Murphy Brown," "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," and "Friends." In 2001, he finally landed on a show where he stuck around longer than a handful of episodes with a regular spot on the David E. Kelley-created drama, "Boston Public." The show is set in a public high school in the titular city where all sorts of issues arise between teachers or sometimes between educators and their students.
One such issue arose in the heated episode "Chapter Thirty-Seven," which included a detailed discussion of a racial epithet in one class led by Rapaport's (very much white) character, Danny Hanson. Suffice it to say, it leads to an intense progression of events, and Rapaport had this to say about the episode to the Los Angeles Times. "I think that television and movies, at best, will strike people to have conversations, but I don't think television and movies are going to change things that much," he said. Indeed, Rapaport's filmography is filled with projects that tackle racial issues, such as appearing in 2000's "Bamboozled," directed by Spike Lee.
The War at Home (2005-2007)
After being mostly a supporting player for so long, Michael Rapaport had a chance to lead his own TV show, "The War at Home," which debuted in 2005 and ran for two seasons. The sitcom sees Rapaport doing what he knows best, playing a somewhat politically incorrect father in David Gold and trying to navigate this new-fangled world while raising kids with his often old-fashioned values. In an interview with Pop Entertainment, Rapaport discussed what drew him to this particular role. "I like that the show has heart," he explained. "It's not about a family that doesn't want to be together and a couple that doesn't want to be together. They've been together for a long time. They're in it for the long haul. They love their kids."
In addition to starring Rapaport, the sitcom also had Kyle Sullivan, who could recently be seen in the disturbing new documentary, "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV." On top of that, "The War at Home" may be most notable these days for being an early role for future Oscar winner Rami Malek, who played Kenny throughout the show's run. Kenny is a gay character who has a crush on Larry (Sullivan), and David displays homophobia in believing his son might be gay. As with many shows that aired during the 2000s, there's plenty that hasn't exactly aged well, but at least "The War at Home" helped give the world Rami Malek, if nothing else.
Justified (2014)
On Season 5 of "Justified," Michael Rapaport trades in his New York drawl for a Southern accent, playing Darryl Crowe Jr. He's the main antagonist of the season, meaning he goes toe-to-toe with Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins). Yes, this means "Fallout" is technically a "Justified" reunion of sorts, even though Knight Titus doesn't have any scenes with The Ghoul, who's played by Goggins, in case anyone thought he looked familiar too.
Rapaport even praised Goggins in an interview with Entertainment Weekly in 2014, promoting "Justified" Season 5. Rapaport mentioned, "I feel like Walt's that classic American Southern actor — not that he just plays Southern characters, but that's something that he does very, very well. So I was excited to work with him, especially in this genre."
Goggins' casting in "Fallout" makes the most sense of all, seeing as "Justified" was a neo-Western, and "Fallout" could very much be considered a new type of Western in the same vein. Jonathan Nolan said as much in an exclusive interview with Looper, where he stated, "You can kind of chart your own destiny, and that's the fantasy of a Western. There's a world without rules, a world in which you get to chart your own course."
Only Murders in the Building (2022)
"Only Murders in the Building" certainly knows how to draw in guest stars. The mystery comedy series has had plenty of noteworthy actors over the years, including Meryl Streep, Tina Fey, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph. In fact, Randolph got to act alongside Michael Rapaport during Season 2, when the actor joined the cast as Detective Daniel Kreps, who's brought on the case to find out who murdered Bunny (Jayne Houdyshell).
Of course, Detective Kreps is far more unscrupulous than Randolph's Detective Williams, as he frequently butts heads with the main trio of wannabe sleuths. All that animosity suddenly makes a lot more sense when it's revealed Kreps played a role in Bunny's murder by collaborating with Poppy (Adina Verson).
Rapaport tried to play it cool in the lead-up to the big reveal, insisting to New York Live TV that his character was "Just a guy." Ultimately, he was just glad to be part of the series: "I was a fan of Season 1, so it was really exciting to be a part of Season 2, especially with the cast of Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez." With "Fallout," Rapaport's back to his bread-and-butter playing a smarmy, despicable guy whose big mouth turns out to be his undoing (if you know, you know).