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Prince Yaphet Frederick Kotto (born November 15, 1937, in New York City) is an American actor.

Early life

His parents were from Cameroon. His father, Abraham Kotto, was royalty, the Crown Prince of the Royal Bell family of the Douala region of Central Africa's Cameroon. [The Edmonton Journal May 28, 2000].

Kotto is a devout, practicing Jew.

Being Black and Jewish gave other kids even more reason, he said, to pick on him growing up in New York City.[1] "It was rough coming up," Kotto said. "And then going to shul, putting a yarmulke on, having to face people who were primarily Baptists in the Bronx meant that on Fridays I was in some heavy fistfights." [2]

Career

Theater

By the age of 16 he was studying acting very seriously at the Actor's Mobile Theatre Studio, and at 19 made his professional acting debut in Othello. He also was a member of the Actors Studio in New York.

Kotto got his start in acting on Broadway, where he appeared in The Great White Hope, among other productions.

Film

His film debut was in 1963 in an uncredited role in 4 For Texas, but his first big break came in Nothing But a Man in 1964.

Later, he landed the role of the James Bond villain Mr. Big in Live and Let Die, as well as roles in Across 110th Street and Truck Turner. He also starred as an auto worker alongside Richard Pryor and Harvey Keitel in the commercial failure Blue Collar.

The following year he played one of his best-known roles, as Parker in the successful sci-fi/horror film Alien.

Television

He played Baltimore police Lieutenant Al Giardello in the television series Homicide: Life on the Street.

Writer

He has written two books: "Royalty," and "The Second Coming of Christ."

Family

• Kotto has been married three times, and has 5 children.

• He married Tessie Sinahon in July 1998, and they currently live in Baltimore, Maryland.

• His son Fredrick Kotto is a police officer with the City of San Jose, California.

• His son Robert recently had his first child.

• Kotto's father immigrated in the 1920s, and changed his name from Njoki Manga Bell when he arrived in New York.

• Kotto's great-grandfather King Alexander Bell ruled the Douala region of Cameroon in the late 19th century. Kotto is entitled to a chieftaincy in Cameroon should he decide to return to the land of his family roots.

• Kotto claims to have 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 (later King 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 Queen Elizabeth's deputy press secretary denied the story, saying "Edward VII never visited Cameroon."[3]

Miscellaneous

• Has a Bay Area hardcore metal punk band named after him.

• Campaigned for Steve Forbes's bid for the Republican Presidential nomination in the 2000 primaries.

Selected filmography

Among his better known films and television performances are:

• 4 for Texas (1963)
• 5 Card Stud (1968) Little George (Mama's bartender)
• Across 110th Street (1972) Lt. Pope
• Live and Let Die (1973) Kananga/Mr. Big
• Roots (1977) TV miniseries
• Raid on Entebbe (1977) (TV) President Idi Amin Dada
• Blue collar (1978) Smokey James
• Alien (1979) Parker
• Brubaker (1980) Richard 'Dickie' Coombes
• The Star Chamber (1983) Det. Harry Lowes
• The Running Man (1987) William Laughlin
• Midnight Run (1988) FBI Agent Alonzo Mosely
• Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) Doc
• Homicide: Life on the Street (1993-1999) Lt. Al Giardello
• The Puppet Masters (1994) Ressler
• Two If by Sea (1996) FBI Agent O'Malley

External links

• The Royalty: A Spiritual Awakening (1997) Autobiography ISBN 0-9655950-1-3

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