Richard Kiel Biography

(Best Known for His Role in the Movie 'Happy Gilmore')

Birthday: September 13, 1939 (Virgo)

Born In: Detroit, Michigan, United States

Richard Kiel was an American actor, voice over artist and comedian, best remembered for playing the role of metal-mouthed James Bond villain, Jaws, in ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ and ‘Moonraker’. He is one of the few Bond villains to have appeared in more than one film of the franchise. His unique stature and glimmering teeth made him a henchman whose image was etched in the audience’s memory. In real life, Kiel was a gentle soul with a mischievous smile. He was born with acromegaly, a hormonal condition that can cause abnormal growth in the individual suffering from it. While his height proved to be advantageous in his film career, as he got many roles because of it, he also tried to attain a stature independent of it. He was often seen playing the roles of thugs and monsters in movies. Kiel also had several comic appearances in movies like ‘The Longest Yard’ and ‘Happy Gilmore’. Apart from working in cinema, Kiel also appeared in more than a hundred television shows, including ‘The Wild, Wild West’ and ‘Barbary Coast’.

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Quick Facts

Also Known As: Richard Dawson Kiel

Died At Age: 74

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Diane Rogers (m. 1974 – his death. 2014), Faye Daniels (m. 1960 – div. 1973)

children: Bennett Kiel, Christopher Kiel, Jennifer Kiel, Richard George Kiel

Born Country: United States

Actors American Men

Height: 2.18 m

Died on: September 10, 2014

place of death: Fresno, California, United States

Ancestry: German American

Diseases & Disabilities: Acromegaly

Grouping of People: Gigantism

: Coronary Artery Disease

City: Detroit, Michigan

Cause of Death: Heart Attack

U.S. State: Michigan

  • 1

    Where was Richard Kiel born?

    Richard Kiel was born in Detroit, Michigan, USA.
  • 2

    What role did Richard Kiel play in the James Bond movies?

    Richard Kiel played the iconic role of Jaws, a henchman with metal teeth, in the James Bond movies "The Spy Who Loved Me" and "Moonraker."
  • 3

    What other movies did Richard Kiel appear in besides James Bond?

    Richard Kiel appeared in movies such as "The Longest Yard," "Happy Gilmore," and "Pale Rider."
  • 4

    Did Richard Kiel write any books?

    Yes, Richard Kiel authored an autobiography titled "Making It Big in the Movies."
  • 5

    What was Richard Kiel's cause of death?

    Richard Kiel passed away in 2014, due to a heart attack.

Career
Richard Kiel did many odd jobs before becoming an actor. He worked as a night club bouncer and cemetery plot salesman before Hollywood came calling. He started acting in 1960 and his earliest roles were in the TV shows ‘Klondike’ (1960) and ‘Laramie’ (1961). Kiel made his debut film appearance in the black and while military drama film ‘The D.I.’, wherein he appeared as an extra. He got his first credited role in the 1961 sci-fi movie ‘The Phantom Planet’, and was then seen in the horror movie ‘Eegah’ (1962). In the early 1960s, he also worked as a math instructor in a night school in Burbank, California for additional income. After appearing in a string of small movie and TV roles, he was finally noticed by the James Bond film producers who saw him on the TV show ‘Barbary Coast’ and cast him as a Bond villain in 1977. He was roped in to play the unstoppable steel-toothed henchman ‘Jaws’ in the James Bond movie ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ (1977). He then went on to reprised his role in another movie of the James Bond franchise called ‘Moonraker’ (1979).
Kiel’s other memorable films were ‘Force 10 From Navarone’ (1978) with Harrison Ford and ‘Pale Rider’ (1985) with Clint Eastwood. Due to his towering height, Kiel was often cast in villainous roles in films and television shows, and that resulted in him playing some very memorable screen roles. Throughout his acting career, he appeared in numerous television shows, including ‘Kolchak: The Night Stalker’ and ‘Barbary Coast’. Kiel co-wrote, produced and acted in the 1991 movie ‘The Giant of Thunder Mountain’. He then penned his autobiography titled ‘Making It Big in the Movies’ in 2002. Some of his last film works were in ‘The Corpse of Albert Cradette’ (2010), ‘The Awakened’ (2009) and ‘Tangled’ (2010). He reprised his role of ‘Jaws’ in the video game ‘James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing’ in 2004.
Family & Personal Life
Richard Kiel was born on September 13, 1939, in Detroit, Michigan. He was born with acromegaly, a hormonal condition that can cause abnormal growth in the individual suffering from it. When he was eight years old, his family moved to Los Angeles, California, where his parents started running an appliance store. Kiel was enrolled at the ‘Baldwin Park High School’. After graduating from there, he did numerous odd jobs, such as working as a nightclub bouncer, cemetery plot salesman and door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman. He started his acting career in 1960 and got several villainous roles because of his distinctive height. At 7 feet 1.5 inches, he was one of the tallest actors in Hollywood.
Kiel suffered from acrophobia (fear of heights) and refused to shoot on tall structures during stunt scenes. He met with an accident in 1992, which affected his balance. He then started using a walking stick and a battery-powered scooter to cover long distances. He married Faye Daniels in 1960, but the couple got divorced in 1973. In 1974, he married Diane Rogers, and they lived together until his death in 2014. The couple had three sons; Richard, Bennett and Christopher; and a daughter named Jennifer. He was a born-again Christian and reportedly, religious conversion helped him overcome alcohol addiction. Kiel sustained a leg injury in 2014, and was admitted to a hospital in Fresno, California for its treatment. While in hospital, he had a heart attack and died on September 10, 2014, just three days shy of turning 75.
Facts About Richard Kiel
He was known for his iconic role as Jaws, the steel-toothed villain in the James Bond films "The Spy Who Loved Me" and "Moonraker."
In addition to his acting career, Kiel was also a published author, writing a series of children's books called "Eeko and Boo" with his wife.
Despite his imposing stature on screen, Kiel was described by many who knew him as a gentle giant with a great sense of humor.
Kiel was actively involved in charity work, supporting various organizations and causes throughout his life.

See the events in life of Richard Kiel in Chronological Order

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Article Title
- Richard Kiel Biography
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- Editors, TheFamousPeople.com
Website
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URL
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/richard-kiel-44493.php

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