The descendent of African kings and British royalty, charismatic African-American actor Yaphet Kotto began studying the performing arts at age 16 at the Actor's Mobile Theater Studio in NYC. Three years later, he made his professional debut in the title role of "Othello". He also inherited two stage roles created by James Earl Jones: boxer Jack Johnson in the Broadway production of "The Great White Hope" and Troy Maxson in the Washington (DC) and London stage productions of August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning "Fences" (1990). Kotto's imposing physical presence lent itself well to the portrayal of assertive, aggressive, rebellious characters. He made his film debut in a gem of a movie, Michael Roemer's insightful look into black life in the South, "Nothing But a Man" (1964), and received raves for his role as Sonny Boy Mosby, murderer of a bestial cop, in William Wyler's "The Liberation of L. B. Jones" (1968).Kotto earned an Emmy Award nomination for his superb performance as Idi Amin in the TV docudrama "Raid on Entebbe" (NBC, 1977) and has appeared in numerous other TV-movies, including "Badge of the Assassin" (CBS, 1985), "Desperado" (NBC, 1987) and "Prime Target" (1989). Among his many film roles, Kotto provided the drug-dealing nemesis for Roger Moore's 007 in "Live and Let Die" (1973), was a doomed crew member in "Alien" (1979), managed (just barely) not to lose control as the incompetent FBI lead man in "Midnight Run" (1988) and played yet another FBI guy in "Two if by Sea" (1996). A guest star in series like "The Big Valley", "Gunsmoke" and "Mannix", Kotto landed his first regular role as Sergeant James 'China' Bell in the short-lived NBC drama "Love and Honor" (1983-84) but really scored big as Lieutenant Al Giardello in the critically-acclaimed "Homicide: Life on the Street" (NBC, 1993- ), even writing the "Narcissus" episode for its 1996-97 season.
Kotto made his feature directorial debut with "The Limit" (1972), also producing and starring in the film written from his story. His autobiography, "Royalty" (1997), revealed the results of more than 15 years of research into his lineage, perhaps explaining the regal bearing he brings to his roles. Not only is he the Crown Prince of the Royal Bell family of the Doualla region of West Africa's Cameroon, he also uncovered proof that he is the great-great-great-grandson of Britain's Queen Victoria. According to Kotto, the queen's son Prince Albert Edward VII had an illicit affair with Princess Nakande, daughter of King Doualla Manga Bell, producing the light-skinned Alexander Bell, Kotto's great-grandfather, but the deputy press secretary to Queen Elizabeth categorically refuted the story claiming, " . . . Edward VII never visited Cameroon." Kotto also edited and wrote the introduction for a spiritual book called "The Second Coming of Christ".
Profession(s):
Actor, producer, director, screenwriter
Sometimes Credited As:
Yaphet Frederick Kotto
Family
daughter:Mirabai Kotto (Born c. 1978; mother Toni Pettyjohn)
daughter:Natascha Kotto (Born c. 1966; mother Rita Dittman)
daughter:Salina Kotto (Born c, 1980; mother Toni Pettyjohn)
daughter:Sarada Kotto (Born c. 1976; mother Toni Pettyjohn)
father:Abraham Kotto (Immigrated from Cameroon to New York in the 1920s; changed his name from Njoki Manga Bell when he arrived in New York from Cameroon; converted to Judaism while in Cameroon; divorced Kotto's mother c. 1940)
great-grandfather:Alexander Bell (Ruled the Douala region of Cameroon in the late 19th century)
great-great-great-grandmo:Queen Victoria (According to 15 years of research revealed in Kotto's autobiography Royalty)
mother:Gladys Marie Kotto (Divorced Kotto's father c. 1940)
son:Frederick Kotto (Born c. 1968; mother Rita Dittman)
son:Robert Kotto (Born c. 1971; mother Rita Dittman)
wife:Tessie Sinahon (Filipina; born c. 1969; together from 1992; married in a civil ceremony in 1997; remarried on July 12, 1998 in a religious ceremony)
wife:Antoinette Pettyjohn (Born c. 1947; married Jan. 29, 1975, reportedly within a week of Kotto's divorce from Dittman; seperated c. 1988; has three children with Kotto)
wife:Rita Dittman (German immigrant; married from c. 1957 to c. 1975; has three children with Kotto)
Companion(s)
Rosemary Gayon
, Companion
, ```..Born c. 1967; engaged briefly in 1994; no longer together
2008 Cast in the comedy "Witless Protection" starring Larry The Cable Guy
1997 Published Royalty, an autobiography linking him to the British royal family
1996 Had another turn as an FBI agent in "Two if by Sea" starring Sandra Bullock and Denis Leary
1993 - 1999 Played Lieutenant Al Giardello in the popular NBC series "Homicide: Life on the Street"; also scripted an episode
1990 Starred in the Washington, DC and London stage productions of the acclaimed August Wilson play, "Fences"
1988 Cast as an inept FBI lead man in "Midnight Run" co-starring Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin
1983 - 1984 First regular series role in the short-lived NBC drama "Love and Honor"
1979 Portrayed a doomed crewmember in "Alien"
1977 Portrayed Idi Amin in the acclaimed NBC TV-movie, "Raid on Entebbe"; received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor
1973 Played the drug-dealing nemesis of Roger Moore's 007 in "Live and Let Die"
1972 Feature directing debut, "The Limit" (also produced and starred in this movie written from his story)
1968 Received raves for his role in William Wyler's "The Liberation of L.B. Jones"
1964 Film debut, Richard Roemer's "Nothing But a Man"
1956 Made professional debut in title role of "Othello"
1953 Began studying the performing arts at the Actor's Mobile Theater Studio
