Yaphet Kotto of 'Live and Let Die,' 'Alien,' dies at 81
NEW YORK (AP) - Yaphet Kotto, the commanding actor who brought tough magnetism and stately gravitas to films including the James Bond movie 'œLive and Let Die'ť and 'œAlien," has died. He was 81.
Kotto's wife, Tessie Sinahon, announced his death Monday in a Facebook post. She said he died Monday in the Philippines. Kotto's agent, Ryan Goldhar, confirmed Kotto's death.
'œYou played a villain on some of your movies but for me you're a real hero and to a lot of people,'ť wrote Sinahon.
Standing 6-foot-3-inches, Yaphet Frederick Kotto was a regular and compelling presence across films, television and Broadway beginning with the films 'œNothing But a Man'ť (1964) and 'œThe Thomas Crown Affair'ť (1968). He made his stage debut in a Boston production of 'œOthello.'ť In 1969, he replaced James Earl Jones in the Pulitzer-winning 'œThe Great White Hope'ť on Broadway. His big-screen breakthrough came as Lieutenant Pope in 1972's 'œAcross 110th Street."
Raised in the Bronx and a descendent of Cameroonian royalty on his father's side, Kotto was best known for his infuriated FBI agent in 'œMidnight Run" who has his badge stolen by Robert De Niro, the James Bond villain Mr. Big in 'œLive and Let Die" and the technician Dennis Parker in 1979's 'œAlien."
'œHe's one of those actors who deserved more than the parts he got,'ť wrote director Ava Duvernay on Twitter. 'œBut he took those parts and made them wonderful all the same.'ť
Kotto was nominated for an Emmy for his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 1977 television movie 'œRaid on Entebbe.'ť In Paul Schrader's 1978 'œBlue Collar,'ť about Detroit auto workers, he starred alongside Richard Pryor and Harvey Keitel as the ex-convict Smokey James.
Kotto also co-starred in the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger action film 'œThe Running Man'ť and played Al Giardello from 1993 to 1999 on the NBC series 'œHomicide: Life on the Street.'ť
'œMemories and respect for Yaphet Kotto, whose film career was legend even before he came to Baltimore to grace our television drama,'ť said David Simon, author of the book that launched the 'œHomicide'ť show. 'œBut for me, he'll always be Al Giardello, the unlikeliest Sicilian, gently pulling down the office blinds to glower at detectives in his squadroom.'ť
Kotto sometimes struggled with being typecast as a detective, and he lamented how many of his characters died in the end.
'œI'm always called powerful, bulky or imposing,'ť Kotto told the Baltimore Sun in 1993. 'œOr they say I fill up a room. I'm a 200-pound, 6-foot-3-inch Black guy. And I think I have this image of a monster. It's very difficult.'ť
'œI want to try to play a much more sensitive man. A family man,'ť he added. 'œThere is an aspect of Black people's lives that is not running or jumping.'ť
Kotto is survived by his wife and six children.
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AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy contributed to this report.