Yaphet Kotto was an American actor of the stage and screen.

Kotto is best known for his work portraying police lieutenant Al Giardello on the television series Homicide: Life on the Street and for his dual roles as Kananga and Mr. Big in the James Bond film Live and Let Die (1973).

He also had a recurring role in the series For Love and Honor and guest starred in a number of other programs including The Big Valley, Bonanza, Mannix, Hawaii Five-O, Gunsmoke, Night Gallery, Fantasy Island, The A-Team, Hill Street Blues, Murder, She Wrote, Law & Order, and The Wire.

A prominent figure on the big screen, Kotto was a part of the Nostromo crew in Alien (1979), he chased Robert De Niro cross country in Midnight Run (1988), and had a number of other memorable roles in films such as The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), The Limit (1972), Brubaker (1980), Fighting Back (1982), The Star Chamber (1983), Running Man (1987), and Extreme Justice (1993).

In 1977, Kotto was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Special, for his work on Raid on Entebbe.

Kotto died March 14, 2021, in Manila, Philippines. He was 81.