My Take
Yaphet Kotto is one of those actors who made every room feel smaller just by walking into it, and I mean that as the highest compliment. A 6-foot-3 New Yorker with a stare that could stop traffic, he carved out some of cinema's most unforgettable moments — the menacing Mr. Big in Live and Let Die, the slow-burning tension he brought to Alien as Parker, the wiry comedic energy opposite Robert De Niro in Midnight Run. What I love about his career is the sheer range: villain, everyman, comic foil, and stage-trained serious actor all rolled into one imposing frame. He never got quite the mainstream recognition he deserved, but anyone who's actually watched his work knows exactly how good he was. Gone in March 2021, but his performances are the kind that stick around forever.
Overview
Yaphet Frederick Kotto (November 15, 1939 – March 15, 2021) was an American actor for film and television. His films include the neo-noir action thriller Across 110th Street (1972), the James Bond film Live and Let Die (1973), the science-fiction horror film Alien (1979), the science-fiction action film The Running Man (1987), and the action comedy Midnight Run (1988).
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Yaphet Kotto
- Name (Japanese)
- ヤフェット・コットー
- Reading
- やふぇっと・こっとー
- Born
- November 15, 1939 – March 15, 2021
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Rabbit
- Origin
- New York City, New York, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 190 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- television actor / film actor / stage actor / actor / director
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Live and Let Die | — |
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.