What was Yaphet Kotto’s net worth? A look at late Bond villain's fortune who also starred with Robert De Niro
Known for his iconic role in the sci-fi/horror film ‘Alien’ and James Bond movie ‘Live and Let Die’, Hollywood legend Yaphet Kotto died on Monday, March 15. His wife Tessie Sinahon shared the unfortunate news on his official Facebook account although the reason behind his death is yet to be revealed. The late actor is survived by his wife and six children. He was 81.
While sharing the sad news on social media, Kotto’s wife wrote, “I’m saddened and still in shock of the passing of my husband Yaphet of 24 years. He died last night around 10:30 pm Philippine time.”
She added, “You played a villain on some of your movies but for me you’re a real hero and to a lot of people also. A good man, a good father, a good husband and a decent human being, very rare to find. One of the best actor in Hollywood a Legend. Rest in Peace Honey, I’m gonna miss you everyday, my bestfriend, my rock.”
The early days
The renowned actor made his debut with the film ‘4 for Texas’ in 1963 but his actual career began when he first appeared in a theatre production of Othello at the age of 19. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kotto wa\s born on November 15, 1939, to a businessman father and a mother who was a nurse. His father, Abraham, was a Black Jew from Cameroon whereas his mother had Panamanian roots.
It is also believed that his parents parted ways when he was young and he was then taken by his grandparents in the Bronx while his mother served in the US Army. Yaphet Kotto apparently dropped out of school at the age of 16 and pursued acting after getting inspired by Marlon Brando’s work in ‘On the Waterfront’.
Road to success
Eventually, Kotto got famous for playing the supervillain Dr. Kananga/Mr. Big in James Bond movie ‘Live and Let Die’ and also bagged roles in 1974’s ‘Truck Turner’ and 1978’s ‘Blue Collar’. His other career-best roles came in the form of movies ‘Alien’, ‘Brubaker’ and the 1987 action film ‘The Running Man’ starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead.
His television series ‘Homicide: Life on the Street’ also catapulted his career to new heights. Kotto was also seen alongside Robert De Niro in the comedy thriller ‘Midnight Run’ where he portrayed the role of an FBI Agent. He was married thrice, first in 1959 to Rita Ingrid Dittman, Toni Pettyjohn reportedly in 1965 and finally to Tessie Sinahon in 1998.
Yaphet Kotto’s net worth
During his elaborated career, Yaphet Kotto was seen in several movies but some of his roles stood out which also allowed home to pocket impressive money. If the report published by the website Celebrity Net Worth is to be believed, the actor had a net worth of a whopping $5 million.
Apart from his love for the silver screen, Kotto was frequently seen on TV shows as well which ultimately added to his growing net worth.
In 1964, Kotto was seen in the movie ‘Nothing But a Man’ and played on Broadway in the 1965 musical comedy ‘The Zulu and the Zayda’. His other notable movies include ‘5 Card Stud’, ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’, ‘The Liberation of L.B. Jones’ and the comedy flick ‘Bone’. If we shed light on his TV career, he acted in ‘The Big Valley’, ‘Bonanza’, ‘The High Chaparral’ and ‘Mannix’.
His other TV roles include an appearance on ‘The A-Team’, ‘For Love and Honor’, ‘Murder She Wrote’, ‘Death Valley Days’ and ‘Law & Order’