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RIP Yaphet Kotto, Bond Villain and ‘Alien’ Star, Dies at 81

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by GRENDEL, Mar 16, 2021.

  1. GRENDEL

    GRENDEL Member

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    [​IMG]

    Yaphet Kotto, an actor known for his performances in “Alien,” the James Bond film “Live and Let Die” and the television series “Homicide: Life on the Street,” has died, his agent Ryan Goldhar confirmed to Variety. He was 81.

    Kotto’s wife, Tessie Sinahon, first posted about Kotto’s death on Facebook Monday night.

    “I’m saddened and still in shocked of the passing of my husband Yaphet of 24 years. He died last night around 10:30pm Philippine time,” sge wrote. “…You played a villain on some of your movies but for me you’re a real hero and to a lot of people also. A good man, a good father, a good husband and a decent human being, very rare to find. One of the best actor in Hollywood a Legend. Rest in Peace Honey, I’m gonna miss you everyday, my bestfriend, my rock.”

    In 1973’s “Live and Let Die,” Kotto pulled double-duty portraying the corrupt Caribbean dictator Dr. Kananga as well as his drug pushing alter ego Mr. Big. Described in the novel as a monstrously obese kingpin with yellow eyes, gray skin and a head twice the size of a normal man, Kotto’s dapper version of the character dispensed with the physical grotesqueries and added a charismatic dose of stylish villainy.

    Kotto also famously played technician Dennis Parker in 1979’s “Alien” and William Laughlin alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1987 action film “The Running Man.” He had a strong career in television as well, playing Al Giardello in the NBC series “Homicide: Life on the Street” from 1993 to 1999.

    Kotto was born in New York City on Nov. 15, 1939, and began studying acting at the age of 16 at the Actors Mobile Theater Studio. By 19, he made his professional theater debut in “Othello,” and continued on to perform on Broadway in “The Great White Hope.” Kotto’s first few film projects included “Nothing But a Man” in 1964 and “The Thomas Crown Affair” in 1968. In 1969, Kotto held a guest-starring role as Marine Lance Corporal on “Hawaii Five-O.”

    After landing the role in “Live and Let Die,” Kotto also nabbed roles in 1974’s “Truck Turner” and 1978’s “Blue Collar” as Smokey. Following his starring turn in “Alien,” Kotto went on to hold a supporting role as Richard “Dickie” Coombes in “Brubaker” in 1980 and starred alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1987 action film “The Running Man.” Kotto’s other TV roles include an appearance on “The A-Team” in 1983, “For Love and Honor,” “Murder She Wrote,” “Death Valley Days” and “Law & Order.”

    One of Kotto’s last and longest roles was that of Al Giardello on “Homicide: Life on the Street,” for which he also holds several scriptwriting credits. He also starred in “Homicide: The Movie” in 2000, and most recently voiced Parker in the “Alien: Isolation” video game.

    He is survived by his wife and six children.

    https://variety.com/2021/film/news/...jgQAPi8SBGrXgAw0AyyNqp381K-ndaCRTzsVKL_7Rwdkc
     
    #1 GRENDEL, Mar 16, 2021
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  2. rocketsjudoka

    rocketsjudoka Member

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    Loved his role in Alien as the grouchy working man dealing with something he wanted nothing to do with. A very different role than his bond villian that he had been famous for. Just showing the great range that he had.
     
    #2 rocketsjudoka, Mar 16, 2021
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  3. boomboom

    boomboom I GOT '99 PROBLEMS

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    I remember him mainly from his Bond role...which was fantastic. A little bit from Alien. A little more from The Running Man. Rest well.
     
    #3 boomboom, Mar 16, 2021
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  4. The Captain

    The Captain ...and I'm all out of bubblegum

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    Rip, man with a Star Wars name
     
    #4 The Captain, Mar 16, 2021
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  5. TimDuncanDonaut

    TimDuncanDonaut Member

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    Back in the day, I was a big fan of NBC's Homicide Life on the Streets. It was appointment television for the family. Yaphet played the police commissioner of the department. He had nice quips, and the occasional meaty dramatic dialogue. Good actor.

    r.i.p.
     
    #5 TimDuncanDonaut, Mar 16, 2021
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  6. peleincubus

    peleincubus Member

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    Holy hell that guy is 81?? I’m getting old as hell haaa

    RIP good sir
     
    #6 peleincubus, Mar 16, 2021
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  7. Rocket River

    Rocket River Member

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    I loved him in Midnight Run
    And alot of blaxplotation movies in the 70s

    Rocket River
     
    #7 Rocket River, Mar 16, 2021
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  8. Roc Paint

    Roc Paint Member

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    I think he was in the star chamber if I’m not mistaken
     
    #8 Roc Paint, Mar 16, 2021
  9. OkayAyeReloaded

    OkayAyeReloaded Member

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    Rest in Peace, he was an excellent actor with a certain charisma in how he took on roles.


    WATCH: The Haunting Yaphet Kotto Monologue From Homicide: Life on the Street
    ANDY HUNSAKER
    TUESDAY 3/16/2021 AT 2:31PM EDT



    Yaphet Kotto has passed away at the age of 81.

    Kotto is probably best known to TV viewers for his role as Al "Gee" Giardello, the half-black, half-Italian lieutenant from the criitically acclaimed series Homicide: Life on the Street. In this haunting clip following the suicide of Detective Steve Crosetti, Giardello speaks from the heart of a tired, lonesome man who has lost hope, his wife, and everything else that isn't his job, and finds himself "folding in" — and that's a downward spiral he wants to stop.

    Homicide: Life on the Street ran from 1993 to 1999 on NBC.

    https://www.primetimer.com/watch/th...to-monologue-from-homicide-life-on-the-street
     
    #9 OkayAyeReloaded, Mar 17, 2021
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  10. Buck Turgidson

    Buck Turgidson Member

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    Midnight Run is a great flick.
     
    #10 Buck Turgidson, Mar 17, 2021
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  11. jiggyfly

    jiggyfly Member

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    This thread should be much longer just on his inclusion in Homicide

    https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-features/yaphet-kotto-obit-appreciation-1142712/

    He turned down some enormous roles, including Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back and Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

    It was while filming Alien that Kotto says he was offered the Lando role in The Empire Strikes Back, whose director, Irvin Kershner, had previously helped Kotto get an Emmy nomination for his performance as dictator Idi Amin in the 1977 TV-movie Raid on Entebbe. “I wanted to get back down on Earth,” explained in a 2003 interview. “I was afraid that if I did another space film after having done [Alien] then I’d be typed.” Concern with how his career would be viewed prevented him from joining the Star Trek universe, too. He said he regretted turning down the Picard role in Next Generation, admitting, “I think I made some wrong decisions in my life, man. I should have done that but I walked away. When you’re making movies, you’d tend to say no to TV. It’s like when you’re in college and someone asks you to the high school dance. You say no.”
     
    #11 jiggyfly, Mar 25, 2021
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  12. rocketsjudoka

    rocketsjudoka Member

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    That's interesting stuff. I have a hard time seeing Kotto as Lando. I think Billy Dee Williams hit the right note as the suave rogue Lando and while Kotto would've done it well it's hard to see him having the smoothness of Williams. Jean Luc Picard would've been very interesting and while it would've been very different than Patrick Stewart I think he could've hit it out of the park.

    I'm wondering if the casting and writing of Benjamin Sisko on DS9 had anything to do with the idea of casting Kotto as Picard. Instead of a black French captain a Creole captain.
     
    #12 rocketsjudoka, Mar 25, 2021
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  13. jiggyfly

    jiggyfly Member

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    Your right it would have been a very different Lando but I don't think it would have lessened the character.

    Him doing Picard would have been an interesting turn but I think I like the aloofness of Stewart better that Kotto.
     
    #13 jiggyfly, Mar 26, 2021
  14. rocketsjudoka

    rocketsjudoka Member

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    I have a hard time seeing even 1979 Kotto pulling off the cape look and trying to flatter Leia.


    I think Kotto could've pulled off the aloofness of Picard and had the gravitas. It would've been different because of how physically imposing he is. Imagine him standing next to Riker and Worf on the bridge.
     
    #14 rocketsjudoka, Mar 26, 2021
  15. jiggyfly

    jiggyfly Member

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    I have seen Kotto be charming it would just have been in a different way.

    Kotto is not quiet in his acting I think he would have been more Kirk than Picard.
     
    #15 jiggyfly, Mar 26, 2021
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