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Yaphet Kotto
Yaphet Koto.jpg
Kotto in 1995
Born
Frederick Samuel Kotto

(1939-11-15)November 15, 1939
Died March 15, 2021(2021-03-15) (aged 81)
Occupation Actor
Years active 1963–2008, 2014
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Spouse(s)
Rita Ingried Dittman
(m. 1959; div. 1976)
Toni Pettyjohn
(m. 1975; div. 1989)
Tessie Sinahon
(m. 1998)
Children 6

Yaphet Frederick Kotto (born Frederick Samuel Kotto; November 15, 1939 – March 15, 2021) was an American actor. He was famous for his many movie roles. He also starred in the TV show Homicide: Life on the Street from 1993 to 1999 as Lieutenant Al Giardello.

Some of his most famous films include the scary science-fiction movie Alien (1979). He was also in the action-packed science-fiction film The Running Man (1987). Kotto played the main bad guy, Dr. Kananga, in the James Bond movie Live and Let Die (1973). He also appeared in the funny action movie Midnight Run (1988) with Robert De Niro.

Early Life and Beginnings

Yaphet Kotto was born as Frederick Samuel Kotto in New York City. His mother, Gladys Marie, was a nurse and an officer in the U.S. Army. She had family from Panama and the West Indies. His father, Yaphet Avraham Kotto, was a businessman from Cameroon. He moved to the United States in the 1920s.

Kotto's father was raised Jewish, and his mother later became Jewish. His parents separated when he was young. Kotto was then raised by his mother's parents.

Acting Career Highlights

Kotto started studying acting at the Actors Mobile Theater Studio when he was just 16. By age 19, he was acting professionally in a play called Othello. He was also a member of the famous Actors Studio in New York. Kotto began his career on Broadway, appearing in plays like The Great White Hope.

His first movie role was in 1963, when he was 23. It was a small, uncredited part in 4 for Texas. He later had a supporting role in the movie The Thomas Crown Affair (1968). In 1968, he played a Marine in an episode of Hawaii Five-O.

In 1973, Kotto got a big role as the James Bond villain Mr. Big in Live and Let Die. He also appeared in Across 110th Street and Truck Turner. In 1977, he played Idi Amin in the TV movie Raid on Entebbe. The next year, he starred in Blue Collar.

Leif Erickson Yaphet Kotto The High Chaparral 1968
Kotto acting alongside Leif Erickson in the television series The High Chaparral in 1968

A year later, in 1979, he played Parker in the popular sci-fi horror movie Alien. He then had a role in the prison drama Brubaker (1980). In 1983, he was a guest star in The A-Team TV show.

In 1987, Kotto was in the futuristic sci-fi movie The Running Man. In 1988, he played FBI agent Alonzo Moseley in the action-comedy Midnight Run. There was even a time when he was considered for the role of Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation. This role eventually went to Patrick Stewart.

Kotto stopped acting in films in the mid-1990s, but he had one last movie role in Witless Protection (2008). He continued to act in TV shows. Kotto played Lieutenant Al Giardello in the long-running TV series Homicide: Life on the Street. His character was a Black Sicilian who was proud of his Italian family. Kotto also wrote a book called Royalty and wrote scripts for Homicide. In 2014, he returned to voice Parker for the video game Alien: Isolation, playing his character from the 1979 Alien movie again.

Personal Life and Passing

Yaphet Kotto was married three times. His first marriage was to Rita Ingrid Dittman in 1959. They had three children together before they divorced in 1976. Later, Kotto married Toni Pettyjohn, and they also had three children. They divorced in 1989. Kotto married his third wife, Tessie Sinahon, from the Philippines, in 1998.

Kotto knew a lot about Jewish prayers and traditions. He said his father taught him about Judaism.

Kotto passed away at the age of 81 on March 15, 2021. He died near Manila, Philippines. His wife shared the news on Facebook. The cause of his death was not announced.

Filmography

Films

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1963 4 for Texas Extra Uncredited
1964 Nothing But a Man Jocko
1968 Thomas Crown Affair, TheThe Thomas Crown Affair Carl
5 Card Stud George "Little George", Mama's Bartender
1970 Liberation of L.B. Jones, TheThe Liberation of L.B. Jones Sonny "Sonny Boy" Mosby
1971 Man and Boy Nate Hodges
1972 Bone "Bone"
The Limit Mark Johnson Also director
Across 110th Street Lieutenant Pope
1973 Live and Let Die Dr. Kananga / Mr. Big
1974 Truck Turner Harvard Blue
1975 Report to the Commissioner Richard "Crunch" Blackstone
Sharks' Treasure Ben Flynn
Friday Foster Colt Hawkins
1976 Drum Blaise
Monkey Hustle, TheThe Monkey Hustle "Big Daddy" Foxx
1978 Blue Collar John "Smokey" James
1979 Alien Dennis Parker, Technician
1980 Brubaker Dickie Coombes
Othello Othello No commercial release
1982 Fighting Back Ivanhoe Washington
1983 Star Chamber, TheThe Star Chamber Detective Harry Lowes
1984 Terror in the Aisles Himself
1985 Warning Sign Major Connolly
1986 The Park Is Mine Eubanks
Eye of the Tiger J.B. Deveraux
1987 Prettykill Harris
Terminal Entry Colonel Styles
Running Man, TheThe Running Man William Laughlin
1988 Midnight Run FBI Special Agent Alonzo Mosely
1989 The Jigsaw Murders Dr. Filmore
A Whisper To A Scream Jules Tallard
Ministry of Vengeance Mr. Whiteside
Tripwire Lee Pitt
1991 Hangfire Police Lieutenant
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare Doc
1992 Intent to Kill Captain Jackson
1993 Extreme Justice Detective Larson
1994 Puppet Masters, TheThe Puppet Masters Ressler
1995 Dead Badge Captain Hunt
Out-of-Sync Quincy
1996 Two If by Sea FBI Agent O'Malley
Almost Blue Terry
2008 Witless Protection Ricardo Bodi / Alonzo Mosley Final film role

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1966–1967 The Big Valley "Lobo" Brown
Damien
Season 2, episode 11: "The Iron Box"
Season 3, episode 15: "The Buffalo Man"
1967 Death Valley Days Abraham Season 15, episode 26: "A Man Called Abraham"
1968 Bonanza Joshua "Child" Barnett Season 10, episode 2: "Child"
1968 High Chaparral, TheThe High Chaparral Sergeant Major Season 2, episode 10: "The Buffalo Soldiers"
Western Heritage Bronze Wrangler Award for Best Fictional Television Drama
1968 Daniel Boone Luke Season 5, episode 11: Big, Black and out There
1969 Mannix Gabe Johnson / Gabriel Dillon Season 2, episode 18: "Death in a Minor Key"
1969 Hawaii Five-O Marine Lance Corporal John T. Auston Season 1, episode 14: "King of the Hill"
1969 Daniel Boone Jonah Season 5, episode 18: "Jonah"
1970 Gunsmoke Piney Biggs Season 16, episode 10: "The Scavengers"
1970 Night Chase Ernie Green Television film
1971 Night Gallery Buckner Season 2, episode 13: "The Messiah on Mott Street"
1976 Raid on Entebbe President Idi Amin Dada Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
1976 Crunch Richard "Crunch" Blackstone Television film
1980 Rage! Ernie Television film
1982 A House Divided: Denmark Vesey's Rebellion Denmark Vesey Television film
1983 The A-Team Charlie "East-Side Charlie" Struthers Series 1, episode 8: "The Out-of-Towners" (1983)
1983 For Love and Honor Sergeant James "China" Bell Television film
1983 Women of San Quentin Sergeant Therman Patterson Television film
1983–1984 For Love and Honor Sergeant James "China" Bell 12 episodes
1985 Playing With Fire Fire Chief Walker Television film
1985 Park is Mine, TheThe Park is Mine Eubanks Television film
1985 Badge of the Assassin Detective Cliff Fenton NYPD Television film
1985 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Convict Season 1, episode 10: "Prisoners"
1986 Harem Agha Kislar Television film
1987 Desperado Bede Television film
1987 In Self Defense Lieutenant Tyrell Television film
1987 Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel General Sorenson Television film
1987 Murder, She Wrote Lieutenant Bradshaw Season 4, episode 8: "Steal Me a Story" (1987)
1989 Prime Target Gilmore Brown Television film
1990 After the Shock William McElroy Television film
1992 Chrome Soldiers Perry Beach Television film
1993 It's Nothing Personal Lieutenant Riley Television film
1993 The American Clock Isaac Television film
1993 seaQuest DSV Captain Jack Clayton Season 1, episode 6: "Treasures of the Tonga Trench"
1993–2000 Homicide: Life on the Street Lieutenant Al Giardello Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series (1996–1999)
1994 The Corpse Had a Familiar Face Detective Martin Talbot Television film
1994 TV Nation Himself Pilot episode
1995 Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan Marty Talbot Television film
1997 The Defenders: Payback Judge Williams Television film
2000 Homicide: The Movie Al "Gee" Giardello Television film
2000 The Ride Carter Television film
2001 Stiletto Dance Captain Rick Sands Television film

Video games

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2014 Alien: Isolation Dennis Parker, Technician Voice role; Nostromo Edition

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Yaphet Kotto para niños

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