Personal Info
Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
November 16, 1939
Place of Birth:
New York City, New York, U.S.A
Social Media
Yaphet Kotto
Biography
Yaphet Frederick Kotto (November 16, 1939 – March 15, 2021) was an American actor known for numerous film roles, as well as starring in the NBC television series Homicide: Life on the Street (1993-99) as Lieutenant Al Giardello. His films include the science-fiction and horror film Alien (1979), and the Arnold Schwarzenegger science-fiction and action film The Running Man (1987). He portrayed the main villain Dr. Kananga/Mr. Big in the James Bond movie Live and Let Die (1973). He appeared opposite Robert De Niro in the comedy thriller Midnight Run (1988) as FBI Agent Alonzo Mosley.
Known For
Filmography
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | King Cohen | Self |
| 2008 | Witless Protection | Ricardo Bodi |
| 2003 | The Beast Within: Making Alien | (archive footage) |
| 2002 | BaadAsssss Cinema | Self |
| 2002 | Best Ever Bond | Mr. Big / Dr. Kananga (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| 2001 | Stiletto Dance | Captain Rick Sands |
| 2000 | Homicide: The Movie | Al Giardello |
| 2000 | The Ride | Carter |
| 1999 | Inside 'Live and Let Die' | |
| 1997 | The Defenders: Payback | Judge Williams |
| 1996 | Two If by Sea | FBI Agent O'Malley |
| 1995 | Out-of-Sync | Quincy |
| 1995 | Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan | Marty Talbot |
| 1995 | Dead Badge | Captain Hunt |
| 1995 | The World of James Bond | |
| 1994 | The Puppet Masters | Ressler |
| 1994 | The Corpse Had a Familiar Face | Detective Martin Talbot |
| 1993 | Extreme Justice | Larson |
| 1993 | It's Nothing Personal | Lt. Tom Riley |
| 1993 | The American Clock | |
| 1993 | Almost Blue | Terry |
| 1992 | Chrome Soldiers | Perry Beach |
| 1992 | Intent to Kill | Captain Jackson |
| 1991 | Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare | Doc |
| 1991 | Hangfire | Police Lieutenant |
| 1990 | After the Shock | William McElroy |
| 1989 | Tripwire | Lee Pitt |
| 1989 | Ministry of Vengeance | Mr. Whiteside |
| 1989 | A Whisper to a Scream | Jules Tallard |
| 1989 | The Jigsaw Murders | Doctor Tyrone Fillmore |
| 1989 | Prime Target | Gilmore Brown |
| 1988 | Midnight Run | Alonzo Mosely, Special Agent, F.B.I. |
| 1988 | Terminal Entry | Col. Styles |
| 1987 | The Running Man | William Laughlin |
| 1987 | In Self Defense | Lt. Tyrell |
| 1987 | Pretty Kill | Harris |
| 1987 | Desperado | Bede |
| 1987 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel | General Sorenson |
| 1986 | Eye of the Tiger | J.B. Deveraux |
| 1986 | The Park Is Mine | Eubanks |
| 1986 | Harem | Agha Kislar |
| 1985 | Warning Sign | Major Connolly |
| 1985 | Badge of the Assassin | Detective Cliff Fenton NYPD |
| 1985 | Playing with Fire | Fire Chief Walker |
| 1983 | The Star Chamber | Detective Harry Lowes |
| 1983 | Women of San Quentin | Sgt. Therman Patterson |
| 1983 | For Love and Honor | Sgt. China Bell |
| 1982 | Fighting Back | Ivanhoe Washington |
| 1982 | A House Divided: Denmark Vessey's Rebellion | Denmark Vessey |
| 1980 | Brubaker | Richard 'Dickie' Coombes |
| 1980 | Othello | Othello |
| 1980 | Rage! | Ernie |
| 1979 | Alien | Parker |
| 1978 | Blue Collar | Sam 'Smokey' James |
| 1976 | Raid on Entebbe | President Idi Amin - Jr. |
| 1976 | The Monkey Hustle | Daddy Foxx |
| 1976 | Drum | Blase |
| 1976 | Crunch | Richard "Crunch" Blackstone |
| 1975 | Report to the Commissioner | Richard 'Crunch' Blackstone |
| 1975 | Friday Foster | Colt Hawkins |
| 1975 | Sharks' Treasure | Ben Flynn |
| 1974 | Truck Turner | Blue |
| 1973 | Live and Let Die | Kananga/Mr. Big |
| 1973 | Bond 1973: The Lost Documentary | Self |
| 1972 | Across 110th Street | Lt. William Pope |
| 1972 | Bone | Bone |
| 1972 | The Limit | Mark Johnson |
| 1971 | Man and Boy | Nate Hodges |
| 1970 | The Liberation of L.B. Jones | Sonny Boy Mosby |
| 1970 | Night Chase | Ernie Green |
| 1968 | The Thomas Crown Affair | Carl |
| 1968 | 5 Card Stud | Little George |
| 1964 | Nothing But a Man | Jocko |
| Year | TV Show | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | seaQuest DSV | Captain Jack Clayton |
| 1993 | Homicide: Life on the Street | Al Giardello |
| 1990 | Law & Order | Al Giardello |
| 1990 | The Trials of Rosie O'Neill | Kelly |
| 1990 | The Trials of Rosie O'Neill | ADA Kelley |
| 1989 | Father Dowling Mysteries | Lt. Fleming |
| 1986 | Harem | Agha Kislar |
| 1985 | The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Convict |
| 1984 | Murder, She Wrote | Lt. Bradshaw |
| 1983 | The A-Team | Charles Struthers |
| 1983 | For Love and Honor | |
| 1981 | Hill Street Blues | Calvin Matthias |
| 1975 | Doctors' Hospital | |
| 1970 | Night Gallery | Buckner |
| 1968 | Hawaii Five-O | LCpl. John T. Auston |
| 1968 | The Name of the Game | Wyman Jackson |
| 1967 | Mannix | Gabe Johnson / Gabriel Dillon |
| 1967 | The High Chaparral | Sgt. Major Creason |
| 1967 | Cowboy in Africa | Musa |
| 1966 | Tarzan | |
| 1965 | The Big Valley | Lobo Brown |
| 1965 | The Big Valley | Damien |
| 1964 | Daniel Boone | Luke |
| 1964 | Daniel Boone | Jonah |
| 1962 | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Self |
| 1959 | Bonanza | Child Barnett |
| 1955 | Gunsmoke | Piney Biggs |