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.

Filmography

• 2008Witless Protection — Ricardo Bodi
• 2001Stiletto Dance — Captain Rick Sands
• 2000Homicide: The Movie — Al Giardello
• 2000The Ride — Carter
• 1999Inside 'Live and Let Die'
• 1997The Defenders: Payback — Judge Williams
• 1996Two If by Sea — FBI Agent O'Malley
• 1995Dead Badge — Captain Hunt
• 1995Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan — Marty Talbot
• 1995Out-of-Sync — Quincy
• 1994The Corpse Had a Familiar Face — Detective Martin Talbot
• 1994The Puppet Masters — Ressler
• 1993Almost Blue — Terry
• 1993Extreme Justice — Larson
• Homicide: Life on the Street — Al Giardello
• 1993It's Nothing Personal — Lt. Tom Riley
• 1993The American Clock — Isaac
• seaQuest DSV — Captain Jack Clayton
• 1992Chrome Soldiers — Perry Beach
• 1992Intent to Kill — Captain Jackson
• 1991Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare — Doc
• 1991Hangfire — Police Lieutenant
• 1990After the Shock — William McElroy
• Law & Order — Al Giardello
• The Trials of Rosie O'Neill — Kelly, ADA Kelley
• 1989A Whisper to a Scream — Jules Tallard
• Father Dowling Mysteries — Lt. Fleming
• 1989Ministry of Vengeance — Mr. Whiteside
• 1989Prime Target — Gilmore Brown
• 1989The Jigsaw Murders — Doctor Tyrone Fillmore
• 1989Tripwire — Lee Pitt
• 1988Midnight Run — Alonzo Mosely, Special Agent, F.B.I.
• 1987Desperado — Bede
• 1987In Self Defense — Lt. Tyrell
• 1987Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel — General Sorenson
• 1987Pretty Kill — Harris
• 1987Terminal Entry — Col. Styles
• 1987The Running Man — William Laughlin
• 1986Eye of the Tiger — J.B. Deveraux
• 1986Harem — Agha Kislar
• Harem — Agha Kislar
• 1986The Park Is Mine — Eubanks
• 1985Badge of the Assassin — Detective Cliff Fenton NYPD
• 1985Playing with Fire — Fire Chief Walker
• The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents — Convict
• 1985Warning Sign — Major Connolly
• Murder, She Wrote — Lt. Bradshaw
• 1983For Love and Honor — Sgt. China Bell
• For Love and Honor
• The A-Team — Charles Struthers
• 1983The Star Chamber — Detective Harry Lowes
• 1983Women of San Quentin — Sgt. Therman Patterson
• 1982A House Divided: Denmark Vesey's Rebellion — Denmark Vessey
• American Playhouse — Jocko
• 1982Fighting Back — Ivanhoe Washington
• Hill Street Blues — Calvin Matthias
• 1980Brubaker — Dickie Coombes
• 1980Othello — Othello
• 1980Rage! — Ernie
• 1979Alien — Parker
• 1978Blue Collar — Sam 'Smokey' James
• 1976Crunch — Richard "Crunch" Blackstone
• 1976Drum — Blase
• 1976Raid on Entebbe — President Idi Amin - Jr.
• 1976The Monkey Hustle — Daddy Foxx
• Doctors' Hospital
• 1975Friday Foster — Colt Hawkins
• 1975Report to the Commissioner — Richard 'Crunch' Blackstone
• 1975Sharks' Treasure — Ben Flynn
• 1974Truck Turner — Blue
• 1973Live and Let Die — Kananga/Mr. Big
• 1972Across 110th Street — Lt. William Pope
• 1972Bone — Bone
• 1972The Limit — Mark Johnson, Director, Story, Producer
• 1971Man and Boy — Nate Hodges
• 1970Night Chase — Ernie Green
• Night Gallery — Buckner
• 1970The Liberation of L.B. Jones — Sonny Boy Mosby
• Hawaii Five-O — Lance Corporal John T. Auston
• 19685 Card Stud — Little George
• The Name of the Game — Wyman Jackson
• 1968The Thomas Crown Affair — Carl
• Cowboy in Africa — Musa
• Mannix — Gabe Johnson / Gabriel Dillon
• The High Chaparral — Sgt. Major Creason
• Tarzan
• The Big Valley — Lobo Brown, Damien
• Daniel Boone — Luke, Jonah
• 1964Nothing But a Man — Jocko
• Bonanza — Child Barnett
• Gunsmoke — Piney Biggs

Appearances as themselves (5)

• 2018King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen — Self
• 2002BaadAsssss Cinema — Self
• 1995The World of James Bond — Self
• 1973Bond 1973: The Lost Documentary — Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — Self