Yaphet Kotto

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 4 nominations See more awards »

Known For

Alien (1979)

Homicide: Life on the Street (1993)

Live and Let Die (1973)

The Running Man (1987)

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Filmography

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Actor (93 titles)

2008 Witless Protection
Ricardo Bodi

2001 Stiletto Dance (TV movie)
Captain Rick Sands

2000 The 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

– Forgive Us Our Trespasses (1999) … Lt. Al Giardello

– The Why Chromosome (1999) … Lt. Al Giardello

– Lines of Fire (1999) … Lt. Al Giardello (credit only)

– Identity Crisis (1999) … Lt. Al Giardello

– Self Defense (1999) … Lt. Al Giardello

See all 122 episodes »

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)

1995 Out-of-Sync
Quincy

1995 Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan (TV movie)
Marty Talbot

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

1991 Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare
Doc

1991 Hangfire
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

1989 A Whisper to a Scream
Jules Tallard

1988 Terminal Entry
Col. Styles

1988 Midnight Run
Alonzo Mosely

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

– Bloodline (1984) … Platoon Sgt. James 'China' Bell

– The Real Thing (1984) … Platoon Sgt. James 'China' Bell

– The Price of Dreams (1983) … Platoon Sgt. James "China" Bell

– Mixed Signals (1983) … Platoon Sgt. James "China" Bell

– Team Work (1983) … Platoon Sgt. James "China" Bell

See all 12 episodes »

1983 Women of San Quentin (TV movie)
Sgt. Therman Patterson

1983 For Love and Honor (TV movie)
Sgt. China Bell

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

– Return to the Cotton Club/No Friends Like Old Friends (1983) … 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

1980 Othello
Othello

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

1974 Truck Turner
Harvard Blue

1973 Live and Let Die
Kananga / Mr. Big

1972 Across 110th Street
Lt. Pope

1972 The Limit
Mark Johnson

1972 Bone
Bone

1971 Rod Serling's Night Gallery (TV series)
Buckner (segment "The Messiah on Mott Street")

– The Messiah on Mott Street/The Painted Mirror (1971) … Buckner (segment "The Messiah on Mott Street")

1971 Man and Boy
Nate Hodges

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)

1968 5 Card Stud
Little George

1968 The Thomas Crown Affair
Carl

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 (uncredited)

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Writer (2 titles)

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Director (1 title)

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Producer (1 title)

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Thanks (2 titles)

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Self (12 titles)

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Archive Footage (10 titles)

Personal Details

Other Works:

Appears unbilled as one of the shirtless simitar guards in "The Avengers" episode titled "Honey For The Prince". The episode appeared in season 4 and was episode 26 with an original air date of Mar 22 1966. See more »

Publicity Listings:

2 Interviews | 1 Article | See more »

Official Sites:

Official Site | Yaphet Kotto Enterprises | See more »

Alternate Names:

Yaphet Cotto

Height:

6' 4" (1.93 m)

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Did You Know?

Personal Quote:

I do have a favorite kind of director, which is the kind who allows me to create. Some haven't allowed me to create and I think by doing that they don't need an actor. They need a puppet. See more »

Trivia:

Moved from Littleton, Colorado to Canada, because he felt it would be safer to live there. Two years after moving, he saw the news coverage on Columbine, and recognized some of the kids fleeing the school. See more »

Trademark:

Often plays police detectives and military officers See more »

Star Sign:

Scorpio

Yaphet Kotto

Trivia:

Born:

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Known For

Filmography

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Personal Details

Other Works:

Publicity Listings:

Official Sites:

Alternate Names:

Height:

Did You Know?

Personal Quote:

Trivia:

Trademark:

Star Sign: