Richard Kiel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Richard Kiel
Richard Kiel at Supanova Pop Culture 2014
Born	Richard Dawson Kiel (1939-09-13)September 13, 1939 Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Died	September 10, 2014(2014-09-10) (aged 74) Fresno, California, U.S.
Resting place	Belmont Memorial Park
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1958–2012
Notable credit(s)	Jaws in the James Bond films
Height	7 ft 2 in (218 cm)
Spouse(s)	Faye Daniels ​ ​ (m. 1960; div. 1973)​ Diane Rogers ​ (m. 1974)​
Children	4

Richard Dawson Kiel (born September 13, 1939 – died September 10, 2014) was a famous American actor. He was very tall, standing 7 feet 2 inches (218 cm)! He was best known for playing the character Jaws in two James Bond movies: The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979).

Richard Kiel also had a memorable role as the tough but kind Mr. Larson in the movie Happy Gilmore (1996). Some of his other well-known films include The Longest Yard (1974), Silver Streak (1976), and Tangled (2010), where he voiced a character.

Early Life and Height

Richard Kiel was born in Detroit, Michigan. His amazing height was due to a condition called gigantism. This happens when a person's body makes too much growth hormone.

When he was nine years old, his family moved to Los Angeles County, California. He later graduated from Baldwin Park High School. Before he became an actor, Richard Kiel worked in different jobs. He sold vacuum cleaners door-to-door, worked as a nightclub bouncer, and even sold cemetery plots.

Acting Career

Richard Kiel had a long career that included acting in movies and TV shows. He also co-wrote a book!

TV Shows

Richard Kiel appeared in many TV shows from the 1960s to the 1980s. Some of these include:

• The Twilight Zone (in the episode "To Serve Man", 1962)
• I Dream of Jeannie
• Gilligan's Island
• The Monkees
• Starsky & Hutch

Michael Dunn and Richard Kiel on the set of The Wild Wild West

Because of his height, Richard Kiel often played bad guys or intimidating characters. For example, he played Voltaire, a tall, silent, and dangerous assistant in three episodes of The Wild Wild West.

In 1977, Richard Kiel was considered for the role of the Hulk in the TV series The Incredible Hulk. He even started filming the pilot episode! However, the producers decided they wanted a Hulk who looked more muscular. Richard Kiel later said he didn't mind losing the part. He found the special contact lenses he had to wear for the role uncomfortable because he could only see out of one eye. He also didn't like the green makeup, which was hard to remove. The role eventually went to Lou Ferrigno.

Movies

Richard Kiel started his movie career in the early 1960s. He appeared in films like Eegah (1962) and The Phantom Planet (1961). He also helped write and starred in The Giant of Thunder Mountain (1991).

The producers of the James Bond movies noticed Richard Kiel's acting. They thought he would be perfect for the role of Jaws in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). Jaws was a villain with scary metal teeth! Richard Kiel was one of the few Bond villains to appear in two Bond films, returning in Moonraker (1979).

He often had to keep his mouth closed or only show his dangerous smile briefly. This was because the metal mouthpiece he wore for the teeth was very painful. He could only wear it for a few minutes at a time! Richard Kiel also had a fear of heights (acrophobia). Because of this, a stunt double was used for scenes where Jaws was on top of a cable car high above the ground.

Richard Kiel also voiced Jaws in the video game James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing. Before playing Jaws, he had a similar role as a metal-toothed villain named Reace in the movie Silver Streak (1976). He also used his height for comedy as "Mr. Eddie" in the film So Fine.

One of his most loved roles was Mr. Larson in Happy Gilmore (1996). In this movie, he got to say many funny lines with actors Adam Sandler and Christopher McDonald. After Happy Gilmore, Richard Kiel took a break from acting. But he came back to voice a character named Vlad in the animated Disney film Tangled (2010). Vlad was a surprisingly kind thug who loved collecting ceramic unicorns.

Filmography

Richard Kiel as Eegah (1962)

Features

Television

Richard Kiel as Ali with Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman in I Dream of Jeannie, 1965

Video Games

Personal Life and Passing

Richard Kiel was married twice. His first marriage was to Faye Daniels in 1960, but they later divorced. He then married Diane Rogers in 1974. Diane was much shorter than him, at 5 feet 1 inch (154 cm) tall. Their marriage lasted for 40 years, until his death. They had four children and nine grandchildren. Even though there was a big difference in their heights, Diane said they "see eye to eye on so many things."

Richard Kiel also wrote books. He co-authored a biography about an important historical figure named Cassius Marcellus Clay. In 2002, Richard Kiel published his own life story called Making It Big in the Movies. He was also a born-again Christian.

Richard Kiel passed away on September 10, 2014, just three days before his 75th birthday. He died from a heart attack in Fresno, California. He had been in the hospital the week before for a broken leg.

See also

In Spanish: Richard Kiel para niños