Yaphet Kotto

Yaphet Frederick Kotto (born November 15, 1939) is 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/horror film Alien (1979), and the Arnold Schwarzenegger science-fiction/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.

For the hardcore punk band of the same name, see Yaphet Kotto (band).

Yaphet Kotto
Kotto in 1995
Born	Yaphet Frederick Kotto (1939-11-15) November 15, 1939 New York City, New York, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1963-2014
Height	6 ft 4 in (193 cm)[1]
Political party	Republican[2]
Spouse(s)	Rita Dittman ​ ( m. 1959; div.  1976) Toni Pettyjohn ​ ( m. 1976; div.  1989) Tessie Sinahon ( m. 1998)
Children	6

Early life

Kotto was born in New York City. His mother was Gladys Marie, a nurse and U.S. Army officer. His father is Avraham Kotto (according to his son, originally named Njoki Manga Bell), a businessman from Cameroon who immigrated to the United States in the 1920s. In his autobiography titled Royalty, Kotto writes that his father was "the crown prince of Cameroon." However, Cameroon is a republic and its local monarchs have limited responsibilities as auxiliaries of the state, which they must support at all times, Cameroon being a typical example of an African state with sub-national monarchies.[3]

Kotto said he learned that his father's family was royal in adult life while studying his family's lineage, and said he is also a descendant of Queen Victoria, through Princess Nakande, daughter of King Manga Ndumbe Bell of the Bell Town, who Kotto says had an affair with Britain's Edward VII while he was the prince of Wales in the late 19th century. This is an allegation that has little if any support from any sources independent of Kotto.[4][5] According to Kotto, his father was an observant Jew who spoke Hebrew. Kotto's mother, who was of Panamanian descent, converted to Judaism before marrying his father.[6] Kotto claims that his great-grandfather, whom he names "King Alexander Bell" ruled the Douala region of Cameroon in the late-19th century and was also a practicing Jew.[3] Notwithstanding the lack of evidence connecting his own family to the Bells, the extent of the Bell rule seems overstated by Kotto and the claim of Jewishness also is little supported by the historical record.

Kotto has said that his paternal family originated from Israel many centuries ago, migrating to Egypt and then Cameroon, and have been African Jews for many generations.[7][8] His claim of being a descendant of Queen Victoria has been denied by the Buckingham Palace press office, who confirmed Edward VII had never visited Cameroon.[4][9]

Kotto has said that being a black Jew made it more difficult for him as a child. "It was rough coming up," Kotto said. "And then going to shul, putting a yarmulke on, having to face people who were primarily Baptists in the Bronx meant that on Fridays, I was in some heavy fistfights."[10][11]

Career

By the age of sixteen, Kotto was studying acting at the Actors Mobile Theater Studio, and at 19, he made his professional acting debut in Othello. He was a member of the Actors Studio in New York. Kotto got his start in acting on Broadway, where he appeared in The Great White Hope, among other productions.

His film debut was in 1963, aged 23, in an uncredited role in 4 For Texas.[12] He performed in Michael Roemer's Nothing But a Man (1964) and played a supporting role in the caper film The Thomas Crown Affair (1968). He played John Auston, a confused Marine Lance Corporal, in the 1968 episode, "King of the Hill", on the first season of Hawaii Five-O.

In 1967 he released a single, "Have You Ever Seen The Blues"/"Have You Dug His Scene" (Chisa Records, CH006).[13]

In 1973 he landed the role of the James Bond villain Mr. Big in Live and Let Die, as well as roles in Across 110th Street and Truck Turner. Kotto portrayed Idi Amin in the 1977 television film Raid on Entebbe. He starred as an auto worker in the 1978 film Blue Collar. The following year he played Parker in the sci-fi–horror film Alien. He followed with a supporting role in the 1980 prison drama Brubaker. In 1983, he guest-starred as mobster Charlie "East Side Charlie" Struthers in The A-Team episode "The Out-of-Towners". In 1987, he appeared in the futuristic sci-fi movie The Running Man, and in 1988, in the action-comedy Midnight Run, in which he portrayed Alonzo Moseley, an FBI agent. A memo from Paramount indicates that Kotto was among those being considered for Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, a role which eventually went to Patrick Stewart.[14]

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

Kotto was cast as a religious man living in the southwestern desert country in the 1967 episode, "A Man Called Abraham", on the syndicated anthology series, Death Valley Days, hosted by Robert Taylor. In the story line, Abraham convinces a killer named Cassidy (Rayford Barnes) that Cassidy can change his heart despite past crimes. When Cassidy is sent to the gallows, Abraham provides spiritual solace. Bing Russell also appeared in this segment.[15]

Kotto portrayed Lieutenant Al Giardello in the long-running television series Homicide: Life on the Street. He has written the book Royalty and also wrote scripts for Homicide: Life on the Street (1993–99). In 2014, he voiced "Parker" for the video game Alien: Isolation, reprising the same role he played in the movie Alien in 1979.[16]

Personal life

Kotto's first marriage was to a German immigrant, Rita Ingrid Dittman, whom he married in 1959. They had three children together before divorcing in 1976. A week after his divorce, Kotto married Toni Pettyjohn, and they also had three children together, before divorcing in 1989. Kotto married his third wife, Tessie Sinahon, on July 12, 1998.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1963	4 for Texas	Extra	Uncredited
1964	Nothing But a Man	Jocko
1968	The Thomas Crown Affair	Carl
1968	5 Card Stud	Little George (Mama's bartender)
1970	The Liberation of L.B. Jones	Sonny Boy Mosby
1970	Night Chase	Ernie Green
1971	Man and Boy	Nate Hodges
1972	Bone	Bone
1972	The Limit	Mark Johnson	Also director
1972	Across 110th Street	Lt. Pope
1973	Live and Let Die	Dr. Kananga / Mr. Big
1974	Truck Turner	Harvard Blue
1975	Report to the Commissioner	Richard "Crunch" Blackstone
1975	Sharks' Treasure	Ben Flynn
1975	Friday Foster	Colt Hawkins
1976	Drum	Blaise
1976	The Monkey Hustle	Big Daddy Foxx
1976	Crunch	Richard "Crunch" Blackstone
1976	Raid on Entebbe	President Idi Amin Dada	Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
1978	Blue Collar	Smokey James
1979	Alien	Technician Dennis Parker
1980	Othello	Othello	No Commercial Release
1980	Brubaker	Richard 'Dickie' Coombes
1980	Rage!	Ernie
1982	A House Divided: Denmark Vessey's Rebellion	Denmark Vessey
1982	Fighting Back	Ivanhoe Washington
1983	The Star Chamber	Det. Harry Lowes
1983	For Love and Honor	Sgt. China Bell
1983	Women of San Quentin	Sgt. Therman Patterson
1984	Terror in the Aisles	Himself
1985	Playing With Fire	Fire Chief Walker
1985	Warning Sign	Major Connolly
1985	The Park is Mine	Eubanks
1985	Badge of the Assassin	Det. Cliff Fenton NYPD
1986	Harem	Agha Kislar
1986	Eye of the Tiger	J. B. Deveraux
1987	Prettykill	Harris
1987	Desperado	Bede
1987	In Self Defense	Lt. Tyrell
1987	Terminal Entry	Conl. Styles
1987	The Running Man	William Laughlin
1988	Midnight Run	FBI Special Agent Alonzo Mosely
1989	The Jigsaw Murders	Doctor Filmore
1989	Whisper To A Scream	Jules Tallard
1989	Prime Target	Gilmore Brown
1989	Ministry of Vengeance	Mr. Whiteside
1989	Tripwire	Lee Pitt
1990	After the Shock	William McElroy
1991	Hangfire	Police Lieutenant
1991	Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare	Doc
1992	Chrome Soldiers	Perry Beach
1993	Extreme Justice	Larson
1994	The Puppet Masters	Ressler
1995	Out of Sync	Quincy
1996	Two If by Sea	FBI Agent O'Malley
2008	Witless Protection	Ricardo Bodi (alias Alonzo Mosley)	Final Film Role

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1967	The Big Valley (Death Valley Days)	Lobo Brown Damien Abraham	Season 2, episode 11: "The Iron Box" Season 3, episode 15: "The Buffalo Man" Season 15, episode 26: "A Man Called Abraham"
1968	Bonanza	Joshua "Child" Barnett	Season 10, episode 2: "Child"
1968	The High Chaparral	Sergeant Major	Episode 38: "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	black jazz musician Gabe Johnson	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	Episode 294: "The Scavengers"
1971	Night Gallery	Buckner	Season 2, episode 13: "The Messiah on Mott Street"
1977	Roots
1983	The A-Team	East-Side Charlie Struthers	Series 1 Episode 8 "The Out-0f-Towners" (1983)
1983	For Love and Honor	Platoon Sgt. James "China" Bell	"The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel" (1987)
1985	Alfred Hitchcock Presents	Convict	Season 1, Episode 10: "Prisoners"
1987	Murder, She Wrote	Lt. Bradshaw	Season 4, Episode 8: "Steal Me a Story" (1987)
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
2000	Homicide: The Movie	Al Giardello	Television film

References

1. Williams, Monte (January 31, 1994). "The Soul of Diversity". People. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
2. https://www.nndb.com/people/808/000022742
3. Faxx, Israel (May 6, 1999). "Lt. Giardello Doesn't Skip His Prayers". allbusiness.com. Archived from the original on April 17, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
4. Zwecker, Bill (March 11, 1997). "Yaphet Kotto tells of royal `link'". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
5. "Yaphet Kotto Biography". filmreference.com. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
6. Crockett, Sandra (February 10, 1993). "Tough act For Yaphet Kotto, seeking softer roles is his life's story". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
7. "Yaphet Kotto Has Jewish Marriage Ceremony". The Tuscaloosa News. July 13, 1998. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
8. Williams, Monte (1994-08-31). "The Soul of Diversity". People. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
9. Jet, vol. 97, no. 20, 7 April 1997, Johnson Publishing, p. 36
10. Bluestein, Gene (1998). Anglish/Yinglish: Yiddish in American Life and Literature. University of Nebraska Press. p. 119. ISBN 9780803219144.
11. Thomas, Bob (July 17, 1969). "Jewish Negro Actor Lands Broadway Role". Kentucky New Era. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
12. "Yaphet Kotto Filmography". AllMovie. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
13. https://www.45cat.com/record/ch006
14. Letters of Note: STAR TREK/Casting, lettersofnote.com; August 2010.
15. "A Man Called Abraham on Death Valley Days". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
16. Yaphet Kotto on IMDb

Further reading

• The Royalty: A Spiritual Awakening (1997), autobiography; ISBN 0-9655950-1-3

External links

• Yaphet Kotto on IMDb
• Yaphet Kotto at the Internet Broadway Database
• Yaphet Kotto at the Internet Off-Broadway Database