LOS ANGELES — Richard Kiel, the 7-foot-2 actor best known for portraying the James Bond villain Jaws, has died in Fresno, Calif. He was 74.
Kiel died Wednesday at St. Agnes Medical Center, Kelley Sanchez, director of communications, confirmed to the Los Angeles Times.
Kiel played the hulking, metal-mouthed Bond villain in “The Spy Who Loved Me” and “Moonraker.”
Kiel was also well-known for playing Adam Sandler’s boss in the 1990s comedy “Happy Gilmore.”
Sanchez declined to give a cause of death.
In a statement posted to Facebook, the Kiel family said in part: “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.”
