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Yaphet Frederick Kotto 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.
Birth Name
Yaphet Frederick Kotto
Born
Wednesday, 15 November 1939
Died
Sunday, 14 March 2021
Actor Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| Memory: The Origins of Alien | Self - Parker, Alien | 2019 |
| Eli Roth's History of Horror | Parker | 2018 |
| King Cohen | Himself / Self | 2018 |
| James Bond's 'Spectre' with Jonathan Ross | Dr. Kananga / Mr. Big | 2015 |
| The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | Parker | 2015 |
| Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy | Self / Self (archive footage) | 2010 |
| Witless Protection | Ricardo Bodi | 2008 |
| Cinemassacre's Monster Madness | Parker / Doc | 2007 |
| The Beast Within: The Making of 'Alien' | Parker / Self / (archive footage) | 2003 |
| Best Ever Bond | Mr. Big / Dr. Kananga | 2002 |
Actor Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| Memory: The Origins of Alien | Self - Parker, Alien | 2019 |
| Eli Roth's History of Horror | Parker | 2018 |
| King Cohen | Himself / Self | 2018 |
| James Bond's 'Spectre' with Jonathan Ross | Dr. Kananga / Mr. Big | 2015 |
| The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | Parker | 2015 |
| Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy | Self / Self (archive footage) | 2010 |
| Witless Protection | Ricardo Bodi | 2008 |
| Cinemassacre's Monster Madness | Parker / Doc | 2007 |
| The Beast Within: The Making of 'Alien' | Parker / Self / (archive footage) | 2003 |
| Best Ever Bond | Mr. Big / Dr. Kananga | 2002 |
| Baadasssss Cinema | Self | 2002 |
| Stiletto Dance | Captain Rick Sands | 2001 |
| Twentieth Century Fox: The Blockbuster Years | Parker | 2000 |
| The Ride | Carter | 2000 |
| Homicide: The Movie | Al Giardello | 2000 |
| The Alien Legacy | Self | 1999 |
| The Defenders: Payback | Judge Williams | 1997 |
| The Great War: 1914-1918 | Kaphe Kamar | 1996 |
| Two If by Sea | FBI Agent O'Malley | 1996 |
| Out-of-Sync | Quincy | 1995 |
| Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan | Marty Talbot | 1995 |
| Dead Badge | Captain Hunt | 1995 |
| The Puppet Masters | Ressler | 1994 |
| TV Nation | Self | 1994 |
| The Corpse Had a Familiar Face | Detective Martin Talbot | 1994 |
| Late Night with Conan O'Brien | Himself / Self - Guest | 1993 |
| SeaQuest 2032 | Captain Jack Clayton | 1993 |
| Almost Blue | Terry | 1993 |
| Extreme Justice | Larson / Detective Larson | 1993 |
| Homicide: Life on the Street | Al Giardello / Lieutenant Al Giardello | 1993 |
| The American Clock | Isaac | 1993 |
| Intent to Kill | Captain Jackson | 1992 |
| Chrome Soldiers | Perry Beach | 1992 |
| Civil Wars | Judge Louis Decker | 1991 |
| Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare | Doc | 1991 |
| Hangfire | Police Lieutenant | 1991 |
| The Trials of Rosie O'Neill | Kelly | 1990 |
| Law & Order | Al Giardello | 1990 |
| After the Shock | William McElroy | 1990 |
| Hollywood Mavericks | Smokey | 1990 |
| Tripwire | Lee Pitt | 1989 |
| Ministry of Vengeance | Mr. Whiteside | 1989 |
| Prime Target | Gilmore Brown | 1989 |
| The Jigsaw Murders | Doctor Fillmore / Doctor Tyrone Fillmore | 1989 |
| Father Dowling Mysteries | Lt. Fleming | 1989 |
| A Whisper to a Scream | Jules Tallard | 1989 |
| Midnight Run | Alonzo Mosely | 1988 |
| Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel | General Sorenson | 1987 |
| Terminal Entry | Col. Styles | 1987 |
| Biography | Self | 1987 |
| Tomorrow's a Killer | Harris | 1987 |
| The Running Man | William Laughlin / Laughlin | 1987 |
| In Self Defense | Lt. Tyrell | 1987 |
| Eye of the Tiger | J.B. Deveraux | 1986 |
| Harem | Agha Kislar | 1986 |
| The Park Is Mine | Eubanks | 1985 |
| Warning Sign | Major Connolly | 1985 |
| Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Convict | 1985 |
| Playing with Fire | Fire Chief Walker | 1985 |
| Badge of the Assassin | Detective Cliff Fenton NYPD | 1985 |
| Murder, She Wrote | Lt. Bradshaw | 1984 |
| Women of San Quentin | Sgt. Therman Patterson | 1983 |
| For Love and Honor | Platoon Sgt. James "China" Bell / Platoon Sgt. James 'China' Bell | 1983 |
| The Star Chamber | Detective Harry Lowes | 1983 |
| The A-Team | Charles 'East-Side Charlie' F. Struthers | 1983 |
| Fighting Back | Ivanhoe Washington | 1982 |
| A House Divided: Denmark Vessey's Rebellion | Denmark Vessey | 1982 |
| Hill Street Blues | Calvin Matthias | 1981 |
| Rage! | Ernie | 1980 |
| Brubaker | Richard 'Dickie' Coombes | 1980 |
| Othello | Othello | 1980 |
| Alien | Parker | 1979 |
| Blue Collar | Smokey / Smokey James | 1978 |
| Fantasy Island | Big Gus Belly | 1977 |
| Raid on Entebbe | President Idi Amin - Jr. / President Idi Amin Jr. | 1976 |
| The Monkey Hu$tle | Daddy Foxx | 1976 |
| Drum | Blase / Blaise | 1976 |
| Friday Foster | Colt Hawkins | 1975 |
| Arena | Self | 1975 |
| Doctors' Hospital | Dr. Perry Wells | 1975 |
| Sharks' Treasure | Ben Flynn | 1975 |
| Report to the Commissioner | Richard 'Crunch' Blackstone | 1975 |
| Truck Turner | Blue | 1974 |
| Live and Let Die | Mr. Big / Kananga / Kananga/Mr. Big | 1973 |
| Across 110th Street | Lt. Pope / Lt. William Pope | 1972 |
| The Limit | Mark Johnson | 1972 |
| Bone | Bone | 1972 |
| Man and Boy | Nate Hodges / Nate | 1971 |
| The Liberation of L.B. Jones | Sonny Boy Mosby | 1970 |
| Night Gallery | Buckner (segment "The Messiah on Mott Street") | 1969 |
| The Joe Namath Show | Self | 1969 |
| The David Frost Show | Self | 1969 |
| The Name of the Game | Wyman Jackson | 1968 |
| Hawaii Five-O | LCpl. John T. Auston | 1968 |
| 5 Card Stud | Little George | 1968 |
| The Thomas Crown Affair | Carl | 1968 |
| Mannix | Gabe Johnson / Gabriel Dillon | 1967 |
| Cowboy in Africa | Musa | 1967 |
| The High Chaparral | Sgt. Major Creason | 1967 |
| NBC Experiment in Television | Grandfather | 1967 |
| Tarzan | Kesho | 1966 |
| The Big Valley | Lobo Brown / Damien | 1965 |
| Nothing But a Man | Jocko | 1964 |
| Daniel Boone | Jonah / Luke | 1964 |
| The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Himself - Guest | 1962 |
| Bonanza | Child Barnett | 1959 |
| Gunsmoke | Piney Biggs | 1955 |
| Death Valley Days | Abraham | 1952 |
Director Filmography
| Title | Year |
|---|
| The Limit | 1972 |
Producer Filmography
| Title | Year |
|---|
| The Limit | 1972 |
| Year | Type | Category | Won |
|---|
| 1977 | Emmy | Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Special | Nominated |
