Richard Kiel

(3/21/14-3/23/14) Signed autographs at The Mad Monster Party in Charlotte, NC. Was also on a The Twilight Zone (1959) panel on March 22 with William Shatner and Anne Serling, Rod Serling's daughter.

Towering 7' 2" tall actor who has cornered the market on playing giants, intimidating henchmen, bayou swamp monsters and steel toothed villains! Kiel worked in numerous jobs including as a night club bouncer and a cemetery plot salesman, before breaking into film & TV in several minor roles in the late 1950s / early 1960s.

Noted among these was the alien "Kanamit" in the classic The Twilight Zone (1959) episode "To Serve Man", and terrorizing Arch Hall Jr..

while clad in a loincloth in the prehistoric caveman meets virile teenage drama Eegah (1962).

Once said that people are always confusing him with André the Giant, Fred Gwynne ("Herman Munster" from The Munsters (1964)), or Ted Cassidy ("Lurch" from The Addams Family (1964)), all of whom are deceased.

Signed autographs at the Sims and Hankow Astronaut Autograph Show in Burbank, CA, due to his portrayal of "Ali" in I Dream of Jeannie (1965). Uses a walking stick normally, but at convention he used a battery powered scooter. [September 2004]

Kiel turned up in two episodes of the classic horror TV series Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974). On one occasion playing a Native American evil spirit with the ability to transform into various animals. On his second appearance, Kiel was unrecognizable as a Spanish moss covered, Louisiana swamp Monster brought to life by a patient involved in deep sleep therapy.

Died three days before his 75th birthday in a hospital after a fall at home in which he broke his right leg. He may have died from the amount of anesthetic because of his height which may have affected his enlarged heart.

Originally played the "Jaws" character with the metal teeth in the Richard Pryor / Gene Wilder movie Silver Streak (1976) before repeating the character in the James Bond movies. In "Silver Streak", however, his character was referred to as "Reece", as "Jaws" was a copyrighted name that belonged to the "James Bond" producers.

However, his biggest break came in 1977 when he was cast as the unstoppable, steel toothed henchman "Jaws" in the finest Roger Moore film of the Bond series The Spy Who Loved Me (1977).

Such was Kiel's popularity with movie audiences, that his character was brought back for the next Bond outing Moonraker (1979). However, audiences were quite split on opinions when Kiel's "Jaws" character changes sides near the film's conclusion and assists 007, Roger Moore, in saving the Earth. Over the next few years, Kiel appeared in relatively non-demanding comedy or fantasy type films taking advantage of his physical stature and presence.

Completed Kentucky Lion, The Cassius Marcellus Clay Story, a historical novel which is co-authored by Pamela Wallace who co-wrote the Academy Award winning screenplay for the movie, Witness (1985), with Harrison Ford. [2003]

Kiel then decided to try his hand behind the camera and co-wrote and produced, plus took the lead role, in the well received family movie The Giant of Thunder Mountain (1990).

Demand for Kiel's unique attributes dropped very sharply in the 1990's, leading to only a handful of roles including reprising his "Jaws" character in the Matthew Broderick film Inspector Gadget (1999).

In 1992 he was in a serious automobile accident that affected his auto-balance, and afterwards walked using a walking stick or riding a battery-powered scooter around if he has to go very far. In Happy Gilmore (1996) he is never seen walking and almost all of his scenes are from the waist up. There are only two full-body scenes and both times he is leaning on something--the first is a post, the second is a man.

Attended The Scandinavian Sci-Fi, Game & Film Convention in Malmö, Sweden. [May 2000]

Wrote his autobiography "Making It BIG In The Movies. Published by Reynolds & Hearne of London, England. [2002]

Interviewed in Tom Weaver's books "Eye on Science Fiction" (McFarland & Co., 2003) and "A Sci-Fi Swarm and Horror Horde" (McFarland & Co., 2010).

Signed autographs at a DVD trading market in Cologne, Germany. [January 2004]

Attended autograph session at Bally's Hotel/Casino, Las Vegas, NV. [December 2006]

Signed autographs and sold books at OmegaCon. [March 2008]

Attended Wondercon in San Francisco, signing autographs. [February 2009]

Beaulieu, Hampshire, UK: Selling books and signing autographs at the Motor Museum [May 2013]