It seems that we've been plagued with celebrity deaths over the last few weeks, and were unfortunately met with another just a few days ago. Richard Kiel, who played iconic James Bond adversary Jaws in both The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker, has passed away that the age of 74. Apart from playing the steel-grilled henchman who gave 007 a run for his money, Kiel appeared in a variety of television shows and films. The 7'2" actor tried hard to avoid typecasting, and got his start on television in 1960. He appeared on the famous Twilight Zone episode "To Serve Man," in addition to such shows as Laramie, Thriller, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Monkees, I Spy, Gilligan's Island, and The Rifleman, just to name a few. He was also a prolific film actor, landing roles in movies like The Phantom Planet, Silver Streak, Pale Rider, The Longest Yard, and Happy Gilmore. He even nearly landed the role of the Incredible Hulk on television in 1977, but lost the role to Lou Ferrigno. Kiel's family released the following statement to announce his passing:
It is with very heavy hearts that we announce that Richard has passed away, just three days shy of his 75 th birthday. Richard had an amazing joy for life and managed to live every single day to the fullest. Though most people knew of him through his screen persona, those who were close to him knew what a kind and generous soul he was. His family was the most important thing in his life and we are happy that his last days were spent surrounded by family and close friends. Though his passing was somewhat unexpected, his health had been declining in recent years. It is nice to think that he can, once again, stand tall over us all. With love, The Kiel Family
Our deepest condolences go out to his family and friends. That's it for this week, folks! Tell us, what did you think of the news this week? Were you a Richard Kiel fan? How do you feel about the new Batmobile? Will you be tuning in to a Teen Titans series, a Married... With Children spin-off, and Fincher and Ellroy's noir series? Sound off in the comments below!James is a mild-mannered reporter who travels the globe in search of the weeks biggest movie and TV news. He does this from the comfort of his own sofa, of course, but regularly documents his travels on Twitter.
James is a 24 year old writer and filmmaker living in Portland, OR. He attended college for graphic design and writes for various sources on the web about film, television, and entertainment.
You can view all of his work on his website, www.thereeljames.wordpress.com
