Yaphet Kotto Biography



Early life
Kotto was born in New York City, the son of Gladys Marie, a nurse and army officer, and Avraham Kotto (originally named Njoki Manga Bell), a businessman from Cameroon. In his autobiography titled Royalty, Kotto writes that his father was "the crown prince of Cameroon." Kotto stated that he found out that his family was royal in adult life while studying his family's lineage, and also stated that he is a descendant of Queen Victoria. Kotto's father, who emigrated to the U.S. in the 1920s, was, according to Kotto, an observant Jew who spoke Hebrew, and Kotto's mother reportedly converted to Judaism before marrying his father. Kotto also stated that his great-grandfather King Alexander Bell ruled the Douala region of Cameroon in the late-19th century and was also a practicing Jew. Kotto has said that his paternal family originated from Israel and migrated to Egypt and then Cameroon, and have been African Jews for many generations. His claim of being a descendent of Queen Victoria has been denied by the Buckingham Palace press office.

Being black and Jewish gave other children (both whites and blacks) even more reason, he has said, to pick on him growing up in New York City. "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."

Career
By the age of 16, he was studying acting at the Actor's Mobile Theater Studio, and at 19, he made his professional acting debut in Othello. He also 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 in an uncredited role in 4 For Texas. He performed in Michael Roemer's Nothing But a Man in 1964 and played a supporting role in the 1968 caper film The Thomas Crown Affair. 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 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 also starred as an auto worker in the 1978 film Blue Collar.
The following year he played Parker in the sci-fihorror film Alien. He followed with a supporting role in the 1980 prison drama Brubaker. In 1983, he guest-starred as mobster "Charlie" in the A-Team episode "The Out-of-Towners". In 1987, he appeared in the futuristic sci-fi movie The Running Man and in the 1988 action-comedy Midnight Run, in which he portrayed Alonzo Mosely, an FBI agent.

A memo from Paramount shows 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.
He has written two books: Royalty, and The Second Coming of Christ, and also wrote scripts for Homicide: Life on the Street.

Personal life
Kotto married Tessie Sinahon in July 1998. They currently live in BaltimoreMaryland.

Filmography
4 for Texas (1963)
Nothing But a Man (1964) Jocko
5 Card Stud (1968) — Little George (Mama's bartender)
The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) — Carl
The Liberation of L.B. Jones (1970) — Sonny Boy Mosby
Across 110th Street (1972) — Lt. Pope
Bone (1972) — Bone
Live and Let Die (1973) — Kananga/Mr. Big
Truck Turner (1974) — Harvard Blue
Report to the Commissioner (1975) — Richard 'Crunch' Blackstone
Sharks' Treasure (1975) — Ben Flynn
Friday Foster (1975) — Colt Hawkins
Drum (1976) — Blaise
Monkey Hustle (1976) — C.C. Foxx
Roots (1977) TV miniseries
Raid on Entebbe (1977) (TV) — President Idi Amin Dada
Blue Collar (1978) — Smokey James
Alien (1979) — Parker
Brubaker (1980) — Richard 'Dickie' Coombes
The Star Chamber (1983) — Det. Harry Lowes
Terror in the Aisles (1984) documentary — archival footage
Warning Sign (1985)
Eye of the Tiger (1986) — J. B. Deveraux
The Park is Mine (1986) — Eubanks
The Running Man (1987) — William Laughlin
Midnight Run (1988) — FBI Agent Alonzo Mosely
Tripwire (1990) — Lee Pitt
Homicide: Life on the Street (1993–1999) — Lieutenant Al Giardello
The Puppet Masters (1994) — Ressler
Two If by Sea (1996) — FBI Agent O'Malley
Witless Protection (2008)

IMDB

Witless Protection 
Ricardo Bodi
2001Stiletto Dance (TV movie)

Captain Rick Sands
2000The Ride (TV movie)
Carter
2000

Homicide: The Movie (TV movie)
Al 'Gee' Giardello
1993-1999

Homicide: Life on the Street (TV series)
Lt. Al Giardello
– Lines of Fire (1999) … Lt. Al Giardello (credit only)
– Self Defense (1999) … Lt. Al Giardello
1997

Law & Order (TV series)
Lt. Al Giardello
– Baby, It's You (1997) … Lt. Al Giardello
1997

The Defenders: Payback (TV movie)
Judge Williams
1996

Almost Blue
Terry
1996

Two If by Sea
FBI Agent O'Malley
1996

The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century (TV series)
Kaphe Kamar
– Total War (1996) … Kaphe Kamar (voice)



1995Out-of-Sync
Quincy
1994

The Puppet Masters
Ressler
1994

The Corpse Had a Familiar Face (TV movie)
Detective Martin Talbot
1994

Dead Badge
Captain Hunt
1993

SeaQuest 2032 (TV series)
Captain Jack Clayton
– Treasures of the Tonga Trench (1993) … Captain Jack Clayton
1993

The American Clock (TV movie)
Isaac
1993

Extreme Justice
Larson
1993

It's Nothing Personal (TV movie)
Lt. Riley
1992

Intent to Kill (video)
Captain Jackson
1992

Civil Wars (TV series)
Judge Louis Decker
– Drone of Arc (1992)
– Pro Se Can You See (1992) … Judge Louis Decker
1992

Chrome Soldiers (TV movie)
Perry Beach
1991-1992

The Trials of Rosie O'Neill (TV series)
Kelly
– Lady Luck (1992)
– A Conflict of Interest (1991) … Kelly
1991Hangfire
Police Lieutenant
1990

After the Shock (TV movie)
William McElroy
1990

Father Dowling Mysteries (TV series)
Lt. Fleming
– The Stone Killer Mystery (1990) … Lt. Fleming
1989

Tripwire
Lee Pitt
1989

The Jigsaw Murders
Doctor Fillmore
1989

Ministry of Vengeance
Mr. Whiteside
1989

Prime Target (TV movie)
Gilmore Brown



1989A Whisper to a Scream
Jules Tallard
1988

Terminal Entry
Col. Styles

1987

Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel (TV movie)
General Sorenson
1987

Murder, She Wrote (TV series)
Lt. Bradshaw
– Steal Me a Story (1987) … Lt. Bradshaw
1987

The Running Man
William Laughlin
1987

In Self Defense (TV movie)
Lt. Tyrell
1987

Desperado (TV movie)
Bede
1987

Tomorrow's a Killer
Harris
1986

Eye of the Tiger
J.B. Deveraux
1986

Harem (TV movie)
Agha Kislar
1986

The Park Is Mine (TV movie)
Eubanks
1985

Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV series)
Convict
– Prisoners (1985) … Convict
1985

Badge of the Assassin (TV movie)
Detective Cliff Fenton NYPD
1985

Hill Street Blues (TV series)
Calvin Matthias
– Blues in the Night (1985) … Calvin Matthias
1985

Warning Sign
Major Connolly
1985

Playing with Fire (TV movie)
Fire Chief Walker
1983-1984

For Love and Honor (TV series)
Platoon Sgt. James "China" Bell / Platoon Sgt. James 'China' Bell
1983

Women of San Quentin (TV movie)

Sgt. Therman Patterson
1983

The Star Chamber
Det. Harry Lowes
1983

The A-Team (TV series)
Charles 'East-Side Charlie' F. Struthers
– The Out-of-Towners (1983) … Charles 'East-Side Charlie' F. Struthers
1983

Fantasy Island (TV series)
Big Gus Belly
1982/I

Fighting Back
Ivanhoe Washington
1982

A House Divided: Denmark Vessey's Rebellion (TV movie)
Denmark Vessey
1980

Rage! (TV movie)
Ernie
1980

Brubaker
Richard 'Dickie' Coombes
1979

Alien
Parker
1978

Blue Collar
Smokey
1977

Roots (TV mini-series)
1976

Raid on Entebbe (TV movie)
President Idi Amin - Jr.
1976

The Monkey Hu$tle
Daddy Foxx
1976

Drum
Blaise
1976

Crunch (TV movie)
Crunch
1975

Friday Foster
Colt Hawkins
1975

Sharks' Treasure
Ben Flynn
1975

Report to the Commissioner
Richard 'Crunch' Blackstone
1972

Across 110th Street
Lt. Pope
1972

The Limit
Mark Johnson
1972

Bone
Bone
1971

Rod Serling's Night Gallery (TV series)
Buckner
1970

Night Chase (TV movie)
Ernie Green
1970

Gunsmoke (TV series)
Piney Biggs
– The Scavengers (1970) … Piney Biggs
1970

The Name of the Game (TV series)
Wyman Jackson
– The Time Is Now (1970) … Wyman Jackson
1970

The Liberation of L.B. Jones
Sonny Boy Mosby
1968-1969

Daniel Boone (TV series)
Jonah / Luke
– Jonah (1969) … Jonah
– Big, Black and Out There (1968) … Luke
1969

Mannix (TV series)
Gabe Johnson / Gabriel Dillon
– Death in a Minor Key (1969) … Gabe Johnson/Gabriel Dillon
1969

Hawaii Five-O (TV series)
Marine Lance Corporal John T. Auston
– King of the Hill (1969) … Marine Lance Corporal John T. Auston
1968

The High Chaparral (TV series)
Sgt. Major Creason
– The Buffalo Soldiers (1968) … Sgt. Major Creason
1968

Bonanza (TV series)
Child Barnett
– Child (1968) … Child Barnett (as Yaphet Cotto)

19685 Card Stud
Little George
1966-1967

The Big Valley (TV series)
Damien / Lobo Brown
– The Buffalo Man (1967) … Damien
– The Iron Box (1966) … Lobo Brown
1967

Tarzan (TV series)
Kesho
– Thief Catcher (1967) … Kesho
1967

Cowboy in Africa (TV series)
Musa
– Incident at Derati Wells (1967) … Musa
1967

Death Valley Days (TV series)
Abraham
– A Man Called Abraham (1967) … Abraham
1964

Nothing But a Man
Jocko
1963

4 for Texas
Undetermined Minor Role (uncredited)
Show ShowWriter (2 titles)
Show ShowDirector (1 title)
Show ShowProducer (1 title)
Show ShowThanks (2 titles)
Show ShowSelf (12 titles)
Show ShowArchive Footage (10 titles)
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Personal Details

Other Works:

 Appears unbilled as one of the shirtless simitar guards in "The Avengers" episode titled "Honey For The Prince". The episode appea


References
  1. ^ http://www.allbusiness.com/middle-east/israel/395997-1.html
  2. ^ Yaphet Kotto Biography (1944-)
  3. a b c Lt. Giardello Doesn't Skip His Prayers. | Society, Social Assistance & Lifestyle > Religion & Spirituality from AllBusiness.com
  4. ^ "Yaphet Kotto Has Jewish Marriage Ceremony". Tuscaloosa News. 1998-07-13. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
  5. ^ Williams, Monte (1994-08-31). "The Soul of Diversity". People. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
  6. ^ http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4381151.html
  7. ^ People, places & things in the news, South Coast Today.
  8. ^ Thomas, Bob (1969-07-17). "Jewish Negro Actor Lands Broadway Role". Kentucky New Era. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
  9. ^ Letters of Note: STAR TREK/Casting Further reading
  10. ^ (Gunsmoke; The Scavengers; Episode 294)


Further Reading


External links
  • Yaphet Kotto at the Internet Movie Database
  • (Book Review)Yaphet Kotto’s Alien Diary: I don’t want to hear I’m seeing things," by Yaphet Kotto, is original, gripping, alive! It succeeds in actually conveying the personality of an FBI agent behind the badge. It takes a talented government figure, somewhat vague from the mist of federal administrators, and sharpens His outline ...until the reader can see, feel and understand his compelling charm and power. Victor Roman learns he is the reincarnation of an east Indian mystic, and is knowledgeable of a spiritual technique meant to rapidly accelerate spiritual development bring about super consciousness which , he must use to battle against an assortment of dangerous creatures produced by Reptilian forces living in underground strongholds. These chapter headings hint at the contents. Every science fiction enthusiast student should read it! Bernon Goldstein.



Yaphet Kotto’s Alien Diary tells the story of Victor Roman,, an FBI agent in New York, whose life changes after his father had an encounter with an unidentified flying object and has been abducted, taken.. a culture clash between two characters, Charlotte Roman, a Creole woman of the Old South, and Victor Roman, a rising agent of the Federal Bureau of investigation, and his urban, working class brother.

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