The James Bond movie villain has died at the age of 74.
Fox News reported that the actor was confirmed to have died at St. Agnes Medical Center in Fresno, California. The medical institution's director of communications, Kelley Sanchez, said that Richard Kiel was indeed treated at the hospital but did not make it. No cause of death was revealed on Wednesday's confirmation.
The actor, towering at 7 ft. and 2 in., gained popularity after appearing in a couple of James Bond movies, "The Spy Who Loved Me" from 1977 and "Moonraker" from 1979. He took the role of Jaws, a villain who uses his steel teeth to kill.
Kiel revealed in a recent interview with BBC's radio program "The Reunion", that he initially didn't find the villain role appealing. "I was very put off by the description of the character and I thought, well, they don't really need an actor, he's more a monster part," he said in the interview, as quoted by BBC.
"So I tried to change that view of it... I said if I were to play the part, I want to give the character some human characteristics, like perseverance, frustration," he added.
Jaws, though a villain, seems to have been a fan-favorite character, Kiel revealed in the radio interview. The actor said that the character was set to die in "The Spy Who Loved Me" but was later on made to survive the supposedly killer shark attack.
"That was one of the big moments for me, watching the blue-collar screening of the movie, The Spy Who Loved Me, and having the reaction of the crowd at the theatre when Jaws popped out of the ocean, survived and swam away. There were hoots and howling, applause. I couldn't believe it," he shared in the interview.
Kiel also showcased his acting chops in several other films- 6 of which are below.
"So Fine" (1981) where he played the role of Mr. Eddie, a loan shark.
"Cannonball Run II" (1984) where he played the role of famous Asian actor Jackie Chan's driver.
"The Giant of Thunder Mountain" (1991) where he took the role of Eli Weaver and also co-wrote the screenplay.
"Happy Gilmore" (1996) where he took the role of Mr. Larson, Adam Sandler's (Happy Gilmore) boss.
"Inspector Gadget" (1999) for a cameo role of Famous Bad Guy with Silver Teeth in reference to his Jaws character in the James Bond movies.
"Tangled" (2010) where he voiced Vladimir, the ceramic unicorn-loving pub thug.
What's your favorite Richard Kiel movie?
