Yefet Koto, who starred in the films "Live and Let Die" and "Midnight Pursuit" and in the masterpiece series "Murder from Red to Black", passed away at the age of 81 • He was the first black actor in the James Bond film
Koto in "Live and Let Die" with Roger Moore
American actor Yefet Koto, who starred in the TV series "Murder from Red to Black" and in movies like "Live and Let Die" and "The Eighth Passenger," has died at the age of 81. His wife, Tessie Sinhun, reported his death on Facebook.
Koto was born in New York in 1939 and began acting at the age of 16. After a decade of combining lead roles on Broadway with small roles in movies and TV series (such as "Bonanza" and "Hawaii Five Zero"), in 1973 Koto made his major film breakthrough. When he did a double role in "Beast and Let Die" and became the first black actor to play the villain in the James Bond movie.
Other notable films in which Koto has starred during his varied career include "The Eighth Traveler," in which he plays one of Sigourney Weaver's unlucky cast members, "Blue Collar" with Harvey Keitel and Richard Prior, and the action movie "The Chased One" alongside him. Of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
In addition, Koto also played FBI agent Alonzo Moseley in the beloved action comedy "Midnight Chase," starring Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin.
For most of the 1990s, Coto played Lieutenant Al Giardello, the tough but paternalistic police chief in the masterful television series "Murder from Red to Black" by Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana.
Coto played Giardello between 1993 and 2000, and although the series has never enjoyed high ratings, over the years the role has become the most identified with him.
