Yaphet Kotto's News

Witless Protection 
Ricardo Bodi

2001Stiletto Dance (TV movie) 
Captain Rick Sands

2000The Ride (TV movie) 
Carter

2000Homicide: The Movie (TV movie) 
Al 'Gee' Giardello

1993-1999Homicide: 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 »

1997Law & Order (TV series) 
Lt. Al Giardello

– Baby, It's You (1997) … Lt. Al Giardello

1997The Defenders: Payback (TV movie) 
Judge Williams

1996Almost Blue 
Terry

1996Two If by Sea 
FBI Agent O'Malley

1996The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century (TV series) 
Kaphe Kamar

– Total War (1996) … Kaphe Kamar (voice)

1995Out-of-Sync 
Quincy

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

1994The Puppet Masters 
Ressler

1994The Corpse Had a Familiar Face (TV movie) 
Detective Martin Talbot

1994Dead Badge 
Captain Hunt

1993SeaQuest 2032 (TV series) 
Captain Jack Clayton

– Treasures of the Tonga Trench (1993) … Captain Jack Clayton

1993The American Clock (TV movie) 
Isaac

1993Extreme Justice 
Larson

1993It's Nothing Personal (TV movie) 
Lt. Riley

1992Intent to Kill (video) 
Captain Jackson

1992Civil Wars (TV series) 
Judge Louis Decker

– Drone of Arc (1992)

– Pro Se Can You See (1992) … Judge Louis Decker

1992Chrome Soldiers (TV movie) 
Perry Beach

1991-1992The Trials of Rosie O'Neill (TV series) 
Kelly

– Lady Luck (1992)

– A Conflict of Interest (1991) … Kelly

1991Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare 
Doc

1991Hangfire 
Police Lieutenant

1990After the Shock (TV movie) 
William McElroy

1990Father Dowling Mysteries (TV series) 
Lt. Fleming

– The Stone Killer Mystery (1990) … Lt. Fleming

1989Tripwire 
Lee Pitt

1989The Jigsaw Murders 
Doctor Fillmore

1989Ministry of Vengeance 
Mr. Whiteside

1989Prime Target (TV movie) 
Gilmore Brown

1989A Whisper to a Scream 
Jules Tallard

1988Terminal Entry 
Col. Styles

1988Midnight Run 
Alonzo Mosely

1987Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel (TV movie) 
General Sorenson

1987Murder, She Wrote (TV series) 
Lt. Bradshaw

– Steal Me a Story (1987) … Lt. Bradshaw

1987The Running Man 
William Laughlin

1987In Self Defense (TV movie) 
Lt. Tyrell

1987Desperado (TV movie) 
Bede

1987Tomorrow's a Killer 
Harris

1986Eye of the Tiger 
J.B. Deveraux

1986Harem (TV movie) 
Agha Kislar

1986The Park Is Mine (TV movie) 
Eubanks

1985Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV series) 
Convict

– Prisoners (1985) … Convict

1985Badge of the Assassin (TV movie) 
Detective Cliff Fenton NYPD

1985Hill Street Blues (TV series) 
Calvin Matthias

– Blues in the Night (1985) … Calvin Matthias

1985Warning Sign 
Major Connolly

1985Playing with Fire (TV movie) 
Fire Chief Walker

1983-1984For 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 »

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

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

1983The Star Chamber 
Det. Harry Lowes

1983The A-Team (TV series) 
Charles 'East-Side Charlie' F. Struthers

– The Out-of-Towners (1983) … Charles 'East-Side Charlie' F. Struthers

1983Fantasy Island (TV series) 
Big Gus Belly

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

1982/IFighting Back 
Ivanhoe Washington

1982A House Divided: Denmark Vessey's Rebellion (TV movie) 
Denmark Vessey

1980Rage! (TV movie) 
Ernie

1980Brubaker 
Richard 'Dickie' Coombes

1980Othello 
Othello

1979Alien 
Parker

1978Blue Collar 
Smokey

1977Roots (TV mini-series) 

1976Raid on Entebbe (TV movie) 
President Idi Amin - Jr.

1976The Monkey Hu$tle 
Daddy Foxx

1976Drum 
Blaise

1976Crunch (TV movie) 
Crunch

1975Friday Foster 
Colt Hawkins

1975Sharks' Treasure 
Ben Flynn

1975Report to the Commissioner 
Richard 'Crunch' Blackstone

1974Truck Turner 
Harvard Blue

1973Live and Let Die 
Kananga / Mr. Big

1972Across 110th Street 
Lt. Pope

1972The Limit 
Mark Johnson

1972Bone 
Bone

1971Rod Serling's Night Gallery (TV series) 
Buckner

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

1971Man and Boy 
Nate Hodges

1970Night Chase (TV movie) 
Ernie Green

1970Gunsmoke (TV series) 
Piney Biggs

– The Scavengers (1970) … Piney Biggs

1970The Name of the Game (TV series) 
Wyman Jackson

– The Time Is Now (1970) … Wyman Jackson

1970The Liberation of L.B. Jones 
Sonny Boy Mosby

1968-1969Daniel Boone (TV series) 
Jonah / Luke

– Jonah (1969) … Jonah

– Big, Black and Out There (1968) … Luke

1969Mannix (TV series) 
Gabe Johnson / Gabriel Dillon

– Death in a Minor Key (1969) … Gabe Johnson/Gabriel Dillon

1969Hawaii Five-O (TV series) 
Marine Lance Corporal John T. Auston

– King of the Hill (1969) … Marine Lance Corporal John T. Auston

1968The High Chaparral (TV series) 
Sgt. Major Creason

– The Buffalo Soldiers (1968) … Sgt. Major Creason

1968Bonanza (TV series) 
Child Barnett

– Child (1968) … Child Barnett (as Yaphet Cotto)

19685 Card Stud 
Little George

1968The Thomas Crown Affair 
Carl

1966-1967The Big Valley (TV series) 
Damien / Lobo Brown

– The Buffalo Man (1967) … Damien

– The Iron Box (1966) … Lobo Brown

1967Tarzan (TV series) 
Kesho

– Thief Catcher (1967) … Kesho

1967Cowboy in Africa (TV series) 
Musa

– Incident at Derati Wells (1967) … Musa

1967Death Valley Days (TV series) 
Abraham

– A Man Called Abraham (1967) … Abraham

1964Nothing But a Man 
Jocko

19634 for Texas 
Undetermined Minor Role (uncredited)

Show Writer (2 titles)

Show Director (1 title)

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Show Thanks (2 titles)

Show Self (12 titles)

Show Archive Footage (10 titles)

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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 » 

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Publicity Listings:

 2 Interviews  | 1 Article  | See more »

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Official Sites:

 Official Site | Yaphet Kotto Enterprises | See more »

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Alternate Names:

 Yaphet Cotto

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Height:

 6' 4" (1.93 m)

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Did You Know?

Personal Quote:

 (On Homicide: Life on the Street) I felt like I was a beggar doing Homicide. Begging to act. Begging for scenes. The writing was not obviously for me. It mainly focused on others. I went from a movie star playing leads to a bit player doing one line here and one line there. The rest of the week I would be hanging around Fells Point waiting to come in and do my one line... See more »

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Trivia:

 Campaigned for Steve Forbes during his bid for the Republican nomination for the Presidency in the 2000 primaries. See more »

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Trademark:

 Often plays police detectives and military officers See more »

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Star Sign:

 Scorpio

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