Yaphet Frederick Kotto, whose authoritative, resonant voice graced some 95 film and TV credits in an acting career spanning a half-century, has died of unspecified causes in the Philippines at the age of 81. His wife, Tessie Sinahon, made the announcement on his Facebook page.
Born in Harlem to an African Jew and a Panamanian mother (he traced his lineage back to pre-colonial Cameroonian royalty), the double stigma of being Black and Jewish made him the focus of bullies in the hardscrabble Bronx neighborhood where his grandparents raised him. Attracted to performing by his dance instructor aunt who taught Marlon Brando (whom he cited as a major inspiration to pursue the craft of acting) and James Dean, he started out in theater before making his film debut in 1964’s “Nothing But a Man.”
Notable roles included the first Black (James) Bond villain in “Live and let Die” (1973), the Ugandan despot Idi Amin in “Raid on Entebbe” (1976), and as a victimized auto worker alongside Harvey Keitel and Richard Pryor in 1978’s “Blue Collar.”
Kotto was married twice, to Ingrid Rita Pittman and Antoinette Pettyjohn before he wed Philippine national Tessie Sinahon in 1998.
His eldest son Fred achieved success as a running back for the University of Washington, and in law enforcement as a career officer with the San Jose Police Department.
Kotto’s commanding presence made him a natural choice to play the heavy (although he was popular as military leaders and policemen). He later noted that he was excluded from publicity promoting “Live and let Die.”
“…they were afraid people would be angry that a Black guy was not being Sidney Poitier. I was the opposite of everything he created.” he recalled.
