'James Bond' villain Richard Kiel has passed away just three days shy of his 75th birthday.
James Bond villain Richard Kiel has passed away just three days shy of his 75th birthday.
Kiel died in a California hospital in Fresno, Calif. on Wednesday, Sept. 10. His cause of death has not been confirmed.
VIDEO: Hugh Jackman Recalls Singing at Joan Rivers' Funeral
The 74-year-old actor was the villain Jaws in two of the Sir Roger Moore's Bond movies, The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979), but to a younger audience, he's recognized for his cameo in Adam Sandler's 1996 comedy Happy Gilmore.
Moore, 86, reacted to his co-star's passing via Twitter, writing:
I am totally distraught to learn of my dear friend Richard Kiel's passing. We were on a radio programme together just a week ago. Distraught
— Sir Roger Moore (@sirrogermoore) September 11, 2014I Dream of Jeannie star Barbara Eden also paid tribute to Kiel, tweeting:
Kiel was hard to miss on the big screen and in real life. He was 7 feet, 2 inches tall and had a hormonal condition called acromegaly that gave him distinct facial features.
His rep Steven Stevens told ABC News that Kiel was "a giant actor, a giant man [and] a giant friend."