When Yaphet Kotto walks onscreen you take notice. His broad 6’6” figure looms. He delivers lines with vocal cords that sound like they’ve been massaged with sandpaper. In films like Alien (1979) he dominates the frame – immovable, mountainous, impossible to scale. He has an air of regality about him, but then this to be expected. Kotto is after all, the descendant of kings.
His father Njoki Manga Bell was a Cameroonian Crown Prince who immigrated to New York in the 1920s. It was in this city that Kotto was born and that mix of street kid and son of a prince would inform his personality onscreen. He can be both a regular Joe (the disgruntled worker in Blue Collar) or a powerful leader (he has played Othello more than once).
But growing up in New York City was tough. Kotto, a black Jew, found discrimination around every corner and learnt early on the need for character.
His father Njoki Manga Bell was a Cameroonian Crown Prince who immigrated to New York in the 1920s. It was in this city that Kotto was born and that mix of street kid and son of a prince would inform his personality onscreen. He can be both a regular Joe (the disgruntled worker in Blue Collar) or a powerful leader (he has played Othello more than once).
But growing up in New York City was tough. Kotto, a black Jew, found discrimination around every corner and learnt early on the need for character.
- 3/14/2011
- by Tom Fallows
- Obsessed with Film
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.