Yaphet Kotto, an American actor known for numerous film roles, has passed away Monday at the age of 81.
Tessie Sinahon, Kotto’s wife, announced his death Monday in a Facebook post. She said he died Monday in the Philippines, according to The McDowell News. Ryan Goldhar, Kotto’s agent, confirmed Kotto’s death.
Sinahon wrote on Facebook, “You played a villain on some of your movies but for me you’re a real hero and to a lot of people.”
Kotto was one of the commanding actors who brought tough magnetism to films including the James Bond movie Live and Let Die, Alien, The Running Man, and Midnight Run.
Standing 6-foot-3-inches, Kotto made his stage debut in a Boston production of Othello. In 1969, he replaced James Earl Jones in the Pulitzer-winning “The Great White Hope” on Broadway, according to The McDowell News. His big-screen breakthrough came as Lieutenant Pope in 1972’s “Across 110th Street.”
Filmmaker Ava DuVernay tweeted, “He’s one of those actors who deserved more than the parts he got. But he took those parts and made them wonderful all the same.”
Kotto was nominated for an Emmy for his role as Idi Amin, Ugandan dictator, in the 1977 television movie Raid on Entebbe.
He was also known for playing Al Giardello from 1993 to 1999 on the NBC series “Homicide: Life on the Street.”
Author David Simon wrote, “Memories and respect for Yaphet Kotto, whose film career was legend even before he came to Baltimore to grace our television drama. But for me, he’ll always be Al Giardello, the unlikeliest Sicilian, gently pulling down the office blinds to glower at detectives in his squadroom.”
Born on November 15, 1939, Kotto studied acting at the Actors Mobile Theater Studio. He was a member of the Actors Studio in New York. Kotto is survived by his wife and six children.
