Fade To Black: Yaphet Kotto

Yaphet Kotto

(1939-2021)

Yaphet Kotto was best known for his roles in Live and Let Die (1973) and Alien (1979) but will ultimately be remembered as a pioneer of elevating the image of the Black man on screen away from stereotypical representation. His outspoken nature often revealed ugly truths of the industry during a time when Hollywood was not so accommodating to Black actors.

Teenaged Kotto aspired to become an actor after watching his idol Marlon Brando star in On the Waterfront (1954). He made his professional debut on stage in a production of Othello (1958) with an all-Black cast, and later on Broadway as an understudy to James Earl Jones in The Great White Hope, who he succeeded in 1969 to portray boxer Jack Jefferson. His film debut in Four for Texas (1963) was uncredited, still he played in numerous films thereafter eventually starring in blockbuster Live and Let Die (1973). Kotto became the first Black Bond villain, Caribbean dictator Dr. Kananga with the alter ego Mr. Big. While

this was a major career breakthrough, his ideals were conflicted as the role was incredibly subjected to the plights of Blaxploitation. "I had to dig deep in my soul and brain and come up with a level of reality that would offset the sea of stereotype crap that Tom Mankiewicz wrote that had nothing to do with the Black experience or culture." This headway enabled Kotto to secure more valued roles in other notable films like, Blue Collar (1978), Alien (1979), Brubaker (1980), The Running Man (1987) and Midnight Run (1988). More importantly, he was in a position to turn down roles that could potentially hinder growth or tarnish his reputation. He refused a role in Glory (1989) because of its White saviour narrative.

"Some other actor may be able to put that on and make it look real, but I couldn’t do it.”

Denzel Washington became that 'some other actor' and won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor. Kotto also turned down the role in Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back (1980) in fear of being typecast for sci-fi, and regrettably Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987).

"I think I made some wrong decisions in my life, man. I should have done that but I walked away. When you're making movies, you would tend to say no to television." Kotto maintained a successful television career nonetheless, earning four NAACP nominations starring in the series Homicide: Life on the Street (1993-1999). In Raid on Entebbe (1976) he portrayed President Idi Amin Dada and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. Kotto also made guest appearances on numerous programmes including The A-Team (1983) and Murder She Wrote (1987). Despite retiring from film in the 1990s, he made his final appearance in Witless Protection (2008) before passing away on March 15th 2021, aged 81. Naomi Phillip n

Live and Let Die

Alien