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.

Career Overview

Yaphet Kotto has 90 screen credits in a career dating back to 1955. Their work spans 8 cinematic universes — most prominently A Nightmare on Elm Street with 1 titles. Signature works include Homicide: Life on the Street, Alien, Live and Let Die. Explore the interactive character relationship maps on each title page to trace how their roles connect across franchises.

Personal Facts

Known For: Acting
Gender: male
Known Credits: 90
Birth Date: 1939-11-16 00:00:00
Birth Place: New York City, New York, U.S.A

Known For

Associated Universes

Universe traveler — spans 8 universes

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1 titles)
Midnight Run Collection (1 titles)
The Perry Mason TV Movie Collection (1 titles)
Desperado Collection (1 titles)
Alien (1 titles)
Mandingo Collection (1 titles)
James Bond (1 titles)
The Thomas Crown Affair (1 titles)

Frequent Collaborators

Mel Scott-Thomas (2 collaborations)
Richard Belzer (1 collaborations)
Giancarlo Esposito (1 collaborations)
Peter Gerety (1 collaborations)
Clark Johnson (1 collaborations)
Michael Michele (1 collaborations)
Kyle Secor (1 collaborations)
Jon Seda (1 collaborations)
Callie Thorne (1 collaborations)
Toni Lewis (1 collaborations)

Credits

actors (87 credits)
- King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2018
- Witless Protection
  Ricardo Bodi
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2008
- BaadAsssss Cinema
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2002
- Stiletto Dance
  Captain Rick Sands
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2001
- The Ride
  Carter
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2000
- Homicide: The Movie
  Al Giardello
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2000
- Inside 'Live and Let Die'
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1999
- The Defenders: Payback
  Judge Williams
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1997
- Two If by Sea
  FBI Agent O'Malley
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1996
- The World of James Bond
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1995
- Out-of-Sync
  Quincy
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1995
- Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan
  Marty Talbot
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1995
- Dead Badge
  Captain Hunt
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1995
- The Puppet Masters
  Ressler
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1994
- The Corpse Had a Familiar Face
  Detective Martin Talbot
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1994
- Almost Blue
  Terry
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1993
- Extreme Justice
  Larson
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1993
- It's Nothing Personal
  Lt. Tom Riley
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1993
- Homicide: Life on the Street
  Al Giardello
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  - Forgive Us Our Trespasses (1999) ... Al Giardello actor actors
  
  - The Why Chromosome (1999) ... Al Giardello actor actors
  
  - Lines of Fire (1999) ... Al Giardello actor actors
  
  - Identity Crisis (1999) ... Al Giardello actor actors
  
  - Self Defense (1999) ... Al Giardello actor actors
  
  1993
- The American Clock
  Isaac
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1993
- seaQuest DSV
  
  - Treasures of the Tonga Trench (1993) ... Captain Jack Clayton actor actors
  
  1993
- Intent to Kill
  Captain Jackson
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1992
- Chrome Soldiers
  Perry Beach
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1992
- Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare
  Doc
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1991
- Hangfire
  Police Lieutenant
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1991
- After the Shock
  William McElroy
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1990
- Law & Order
  
  - Baby, It's You (I) (1997) ... Al Giardello actor actors
  
  1990
- Tripwire
  Lee Pitt
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1989
- Ministry of Vengeance
  Mr. Whiteside
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1989
- Prime Target
  Gilmore Brown
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1989
- The Jigsaw Murders
  Doctor Tyrone Fillmore
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1989
- A Whisper to a Scream
  Jules Tallard
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1989
- Midnight Run
  Alonzo Mosely, Special Agent, F.B.I.
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1988
- Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel
  General Sorenson
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1987
- The Running Man
  William Laughlin
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1987
- Terminal Entry
  Col. Styles
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1987
- In Self Defense
  Lt. Tyrell
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1987
- Desperado
  Bede
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1987
- Pretty Kill
  Harris
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1987
- The Park Is Mine
  Eubanks
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1986
- Eye of the Tiger
  J.B. Deveraux
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1986
- Harem
  Agha Kislar
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1986
- Warning Sign
  Major Connolly
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1985
- Playing with Fire
  Fire Chief Walker
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1985
- Badge of the Assassin
  Detective Cliff Fenton NYPD
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1985
- The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents
  
  - Prisoners (1985) ... Convict actor actors
  
  1985
- Murder, She Wrote
  
  - Steal Me a Story (1987) ... Lt. Bradshaw actor actors
  
  1984
- Women of San Quentin
  Sgt. Therman Patterson
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1983
- For Love and Honor
  Sgt. China Bell
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1983
- The Star Chamber
  Detective Harry Lowes
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1983
- The A-Team
  
  - The Out-of-Towners (1983) ... Charles Struthers actor actors
  
  1983
- Fighting Back
  Ivanhoe Washington
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1982
- A House Divided: Denmark Vesey's Rebellion
  Denmark Vessey
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1982
- Hill Street Blues
  
  - Blues in the Night (1985) ... Calvin Matthias actor actors
  
  1981
- Rage!
  Ernie
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1980
- Brubaker
  Dickie Coombes
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1980
- Othello
  Othello
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1980
- Alien
  Parker
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1979
- Blue Collar
  Sam 'Smokey' James
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1978
- Raid on Entebbe
  President Idi Amin - Jr.
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1976
- The Monkey Hustle
  Daddy Foxx
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1976
- Drum
  Blase
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1976
- Crunch
  Richard "Crunch" Blackstone
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1976
- Friday Foster
  Colt Hawkins
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1975
- Sharks' Treasure
  Ben Flynn
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1975
- Report to the Commissioner
  Richard 'Crunch' Blackstone
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1975
- Truck Turner
  Blue
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1974
- Live and Let Die
  Kananga/Mr. Big
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1973
- Bond 1973: The Lost Documentary
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1973
- Across 110th Street
  Lt. William Pope
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1972
- The Limit
  Mark Johnson
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1972
- Bone
  Bone
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1972
- Man and Boy
  Nate Hodges
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1971
- Night Chase
  Ernie Green
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1970
- The Liberation of L.B. Jones
  Sonny Boy Mosby
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1970
- Night Gallery
  
  - The Messiah on Mott Street / The Painted Mirror (1971) ... Buckner actor actors
  
  1970
- 5 Card Stud
  Little George
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1968
- The Thomas Crown Affair
  Carl
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1968
- Hawaii Five-O
  
  - King Of The Hill (1969) ... LCpl. John T. Auston actor actors
  
  1968
- Mannix
  
  - Death in a Minor Key (1969) ... Gabe Johnson / Gabriel Dillon actor actors
  
  1967
- The High Chaparral
  
  - The Buffalo Soldiers (1968) ... Sgt. Major Creason actor actors
  
  1967
- The Big Valley
  
  - The Buffalo Man (1967) ... Damien actor actors
  
  - The Iron Box (1966) ... Lobo Brown actor actors
  
  1965
- Nothing But a Man
  Jocko
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1964
- Daniel Boone
  
  - Jonah (1969) ... Jonah actor actors
  
  - Big, Black and Out There (1968) ... Luke actor actors
  
  1964
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
  
  - Episode 208 (1969) ... Self actor actors
  
  1962
- Bonanza
  
  - Child (1968) ... Child Barnett actor actors
  
  1959
- Gunsmoke
  
  - The Scavengers (1970) ... Piney Biggs actor actors
  
  1955
writing (1 credits)
- The Limit
  
  story
  
  writing
  
  1972
production (1 credits)
- The Limit
  
  producer
  
  production
  
  1972
directing (1 credits)
- The Limit
  
  director
  
  directing
  
  1972

Content sources

Related entry on Wikidata (Q266270), public domain (CC0).