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Yaphet Kotto

Highest Rated: 100% King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen (2017)

Lowest Rated: 4% Witless Protection (2008)

Birthday: Nov 15, 1939

Birthplace: New York, New York, USA

A commanding presence in features and television since the early 1970s, Yaphet Kotto played physically powerful, often intimidating African-American men in such popular films as "Live and Let Die" (1973), "Blue Collar" (1978), "Alien" (1979) and "Midnight Run" (1988). He emerged from the New York stage in the early 1960s, working steadily in small but significant roles in features like "The Thomas Crown Affair" (1967) before moving up to supporting roles and leads in "Across 110th Street" (1971). His star-making turn came as the villainous Dr. Kananga in "Live and Let Die" (1973), which marked Roger Moore's debut as James Bond and preceded a long run as a popular character actor in such major features as "Alien" (1979) and "Brubaker" (1980). Kotto was stranded in minor-league acting features for much of the 1980s, though he rebounded in the early 1990s as the formidable Lt. Al Giardello on the critically acclaimed "Homicide: Life on the Street" (NBC, 1993-2000). Throughout his long and varied career, Kotto's performances were marked by an unerring sense of gravity, honesty and intelligence, which served him well in avoiding many of the career pitfalls suffered by African-American actors.

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Highest rated movies

100% 84% King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen Watchlist
98% 88% Nothing But a Man
Watchlist
96% 88% Blue Collar
Watchlist
95% 87% Midnight Run
Watchlist
94% 95% Alien: The Director's Cut
Watchlist
93% 94% Alien Watchlist
83% 74% Homicide: The Movie
Watchlist
83% 78% Across 110th Street
Watchlist
77% 42% The Star Chamber
Watchlist
74% 74% Brubaker
Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
100% 84% King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen Self - 2017
4% 46% Witless Protection Alonzo Moseley (Character) $4.1M 2008
94% 95% Alien: The Director's Cut Chief Engineer J.T. Parker (Character) - 2003
No Score Yet 9% Stiletto Dance Captain Rick Sands (Character) - 2001
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Ride Carter (Character) - 2000
83% 74% Homicide: The Movie Al "Gee" Giardello (Character) - 2000
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Defenders: Payback Judge Williams (Character) - 1997
13% 23% Two if by Sea FBI Agent O'Malley (Character) $9.8M 1996
No Score Yet No Score Yet Out of Sync Quincy (Character) - 1995
No Score Yet No Score Yet Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan Marty Talbot (Character) - 1995
29% 33% The Puppet Masters Ressler (Character) $8.6M 1994
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Corpse Had a Familiar Face Detective Martin Talbot (Character) - 1994
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dead Badge Captain Hunt (Character) - 1994
No Score Yet 31% Extreme Justice Larson (Character) - 1993
No Score Yet 22% Intent to Kill Captain Jackson (Character) - 1993
No Score Yet No Score Yet It's Nothing Personal Lt. Riley (Character) - 1993
No Score Yet No Score Yet American Clock Isaac (Character) - 1993
No Score Yet 17% Almost Blue Terry (Character) - 1992
No Score Yet No Score Yet Chrome Soldiers Perry Beach (Character) - 1992
No Score Yet 40% Hangfire Police Lieutenant (Character) - 1991
22% 32% Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare Doc (Character) $34.0M 1991
No Score Yet 14% Tripwire Lee Pitt (Character) - 1990
No Score Yet No Score Yet After the Shock William McElroy (Character) - 1990
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Jigsaw Murders Doctor Fillmore (Character) - 1989
No Score Yet 14% Ministry of Vengeance Mr. Whiteside (Character) - 1989
95% 87% Midnight Run Alonzo Mosely (Character) $36.3M 1988
No Score Yet No Score Yet A Whisper to a Scream Jules Tallard (Character) - 1988
No Score Yet No Score Yet In Self Defense Lt. Tyrell (Character) - 1987
No Score Yet No Score Yet Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel General Sorenson (Character) - 1987
67% 61% The Running Man William Laughlin (Character) $38.0M 1987
No Score Yet 60% Desperado Bede (Character) - 1987
No Score Yet No Score Yet Terminal Entry Col. Styles (Character) - 1987
No Score Yet No Score Yet Prettykill Harris (Character) - 1987
20% 45% Eye of the Tiger J.B. Deveraux (Character) - 1986
No Score Yet 57% Harem Agha Kislar (Character) - 1986
20% 44% Warning Sign Major Connolly (Character) - 1985
No Score Yet 60% The Park Is Mine Eubanks (Character) - 1985
No Score Yet No Score Yet Playing With Fire Fire Chief Walker (Character) - 1985
No Score Yet 40% Badge of the Assassin Detective Cliff Fenton NYPD (Character) - 1985
77% 42% The Star Chamber Det. Harry Lowes (Character) - 1983
No Score Yet No Score Yet Women of San Quentin Sgt. Therman Patterson (Character) - 1983
No Score Yet No Score Yet For Love and Honor Platoon Sgt. "James China" Bell (Character) - 1983
No Score Yet No Score Yet A House Divided: Denmark Vessey's Rebellion Denmark Vessey (Character) - 1982
20% 44% Fighting Back Ivanhoe Washington (Character) - 1982
74% 74% Brubaker Richard `'Dickie'` Coombes (Character) - 1980
No Score Yet No Score Yet Othello Othello (Character) - 1980
No Score Yet No Score Yet Rage Ernie (Character) - 1980
93% 94% Alien Chief Engineer J.T. Parker (Character) $82.6M 1979
96% 88% Blue Collar Smokey James (Character) - 1978
No Score Yet 64% Raid on Entebbe President Idi Amin - Jr. (Character) - 1977
No Score Yet 20% The Monkey Hustle Daddy Foxx (Character) - 1976
No Score Yet 38% Sharks' Treasure Ben Flynn (Character) - 1975
43% 63% Report to the Commissioner Richard "Crunch" Blackstone (Character) - 1975
No Score Yet 41% Friday Foster Colt Hawkins (Character) - 1975
No Score Yet No Score Yet Crunch Crunch (Character) - 1975
60% 73% Truck Turner Harvard Blue (Character) - 1974
67% 64% Live and Let Die Kananga/Mr. Big (Character) - 1973
No Score Yet 71% Man and Boy Nate Hodges (Character) - 1972
57% 75% Bone Bone (Character) - 1972
83% 78% Across 110th Street Lt. Pope (Character) - 1972
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Limit Mark Johnson (Character),
Director,
Producer
- 1972
No Score Yet No Score Yet Night Chase Ernie Green (Character) - 1970
63% 86% The Liberation of L.B. Jones Sonny Boy Mosby (Character) - 1970
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Time Is Now Wyman Jackson (Character) - 1970
No Score Yet 51% Five Card Stud Little George (Character) - 1968
70% 74% The Thomas Crown Affair Carl (Character) - 1968
98% 88% Nothing But a Man Jocko (Character) $12.4K 1964
11% 36% Four for Texas Unknown (Character) - 1963

TV

Credit
91% 90% Homicide: Life on the Street Unknown (Character),
Director,
Writer
1993-1999
No Score Yet 83% Law & Order Unknown (Guest Star) 1997
No Score Yet No Score Yet Civil Wars Judge Louis Decker (Guest Star) 1992
No Score Yet 89% Murder, She Wrote Lt. Bradshaw (Guest Star) 1987
No Score Yet No Score Yet Alfred Hitchcock Presents Unknown (Character) 1985
97% 85% Hill Street Blues Calvin Matthias (Guest Star) 1985
No Score Yet No Score Yet For Love and Honor Platoon Sgt. James "China" Bell (Character) 1983-1984
No Score Yet 71% The A-Team Charles 'East-Side Charlie' F. Struthers (Guest Star) 1983
No Score Yet No Score Yet Fantasy Island Unknown (Guest Star) 1983
No Score Yet 100% Night Gallery Unknown (Character) 1971
No Score Yet No Score Yet Gunsmoke Piney Biggs (Guest Star) 1970
No Score Yet No Score Yet Name of the Game Unknown (Guest Star) 1970
No Score Yet No Score Yet Daniel Boone Unknown (Guest Star) 1968-1969
No Score Yet No Score Yet Mannix Gabe Johnson / Gabriel Dillon (Guest Star) 1969
No Score Yet No Score Yet Hawaii Five-0 LCpl. John T. Auston (Guest Star) 1969
No Score Yet No Score Yet The High Chaparral Unknown (Guest Star) 1968
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bonanza Unknown (Guest Star) 1968
No Score Yet No Score Yet Tarzan Kesho (Guest Star) 1967