- Date Of Birth: November 15, 1939
- Date Of Death: March 15, 2021
- Spouse: Rita Ingried Dittman (m. 1959; div. 1976), Toni Pettyjohn (m. 1975; div. 1989), Tessie Sinahon (m. 1998)
- Occupation: Actor
- State: New York City
Yaphet Frederick Kotto (born Frederick Samuel Kotto; November 15, 1939 – March 15, 2021) was an American acto known for numerous film roles, as well as starring in the NBC television series Homicide: Life on the Street (1993–1999) as Lieutenant Al Giardello. His most well-known films include the science-fiction horror film Alien (1979), the science-fiction action film The Running Man (1987), the James Bond film Live and Let Die (1973), in which he portrayed the main villain Dr. Kananga, and the comedy thriller Midnight Run (1988) opposite Robert De Niro.
Kotto’s first marriage was to a German immigrant, Rita Ingrid Dittman, whom he married in 1959. They had three children together before divorcing in 1976. Later, Kotto married Toni Pettyjohn, and they also had three children together, before divorcing in 1989. Kotto married his third wife, Tessie Sinahon, who is from the Philippines, in 1998.
Kotto was versed in the Hebrew liturgy and incorporated Jewish prayers at turning points throughout his life. He said his father “instilled Judaism” in him.
Kotto supported Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020 elections. He also expressed support for Black Lives Matter and QAnon, despite their conflicting views and the conflicts between both groups.
In 2000, he was living in Marmora, Ontario, Canada.
He died on March 15, 2021, at the age of 81 near Manila, Philippines. His wife, who announced the news on Facebook, did not reveal the cause of his death. – Available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License from Wikipedia.
