Jaws actor from Bond films Richard Kiel dies at 74

Richard Kiel, the towering actor best known for portraying steel-toothed villain Jaws in a pair of James Bond films, has died. He was 74.

Kelley Sanchez, director of communications at Saint Agnes Medical Center, confirmed Wednesday that Kiel was a patient at the hospital and died. Kiel’s agent, Steven Stevens, also confirmed his death. Both declined to provide further details.

The 7-foot-2-inch performer famously played the cable-chomping henchman who tussled with Roger Moore’s Bond in 1977’s “The Spy Who Loved Me” and 1979’s “Moonraker.” Bond quipped of the silent baddie: “His name’s Jaws. He kills people.”

A resident of Fresno County, Kiel made an appearance in Merced last year at the Vintage Toy and Collectible Show, held at the Merced Elks Lodge. During an interview with the Merced Sun-Star, Kiel said playing Jaws in the James Bond movies led to many roles. “We made movies in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Yugoslavia, all over the world,” he said. “I made commercials in Japan, France. It was good for the family. I took my wife and kids with me everywhere I went,” he said.

Kiel told the Sun-Star that of all the movies he acted in, his favorite was 1974’s “The Longest Yard,” with Burt Reynolds. While filming the movie, Kiel met his wife, Diane.

Wherever Kiel went, however, he couldn’t shake the legacy of playing the popular James Bond nemesis. “I can’t go anywhere without being recognized. Sunglasses and a hat don’t work for me,” Kiel told the Sun-Star, laughing.

Kiel appeared in numerous films, including “Happy Gilmore,” “Cannonball Run” and “Tangled,” along with numerous classic television shows such as “The Twilight Zone,” “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” “The Wild, Wild West” and “The Monkees.”

Born in Detroit, Kiel began appearing in TV shows and films in the 1960s, debuting in an episode of the Western series “Laramie.” He published an autobiography in 2002 titled “Making It Big in the Movies.”

This story was originally published September 10, 2014 at 7:42 PM.