Richard Kiel's Colourful Life: Bond, Health Problems And Darth Vader

He was best known as Jaws, the man with the metal teeth who terrorized Roger Moore as James Bond in ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ and ‘Moonraker’.

But 7’2” actor Richard Kiel, who has died aged 74, had a colourful life which ranged far beyond 007.

Growing up in Michigan, he suffered from the hormonal condition acromegaly, which is what caused him to grow so tall and also accounted for his oversize features.

The disease caused him to be born blind in one eye while other symptoms can include increased risk of high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis.

Before becoming an actor, he spent time as a cemetery plot salesman, using his imposing appearance to good effect.

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Having decided to try and make it as an actor, he moved to Hollywood, but initially found work hard to come by. He worked as a nightclub bouncer to make ends meet and it was after meeting a drunk patron – who happened to work at NBC – that he scored his first role as a bare knuckle fighter in TV show ‘Klondike’.

He started to work steadily in TV and scored movie jobs in ‘The Longest Yard’ with Burt Reynolds and ‘Silver Streak’ with Gene Wilder. It was while filming the former that he met his second wife Diane, who was 5’1” (he was married to Faye Daniels between 1960 and 1973). They were both at a dance club when their eyes locked from across the room. They ended up having four children together. One, Richard Jr, had a cameo in Kiel’s first Bond outing and subsequently became a doctor.

Because of his size, the star also played several villain parts. His second movie was ‘Eegah’ (1962), in which he played a caveman who comes back to life and goes on a killing spree. It’s ranked #35 on IMDB’s list of all-time worst films.

He was also hired to play The Incredible Hulk in the Seventies TV series about the big, green monster. Unfortunately, he found it difficult to wear the contact lenses required for the character and found the green make-up got all over his bedsheets. It was that – and his less muscley body shape – that eventually led to him being replaced by Lou Ferrigno.

But his real breakthrough came after the opportunity came to play the iconic henchman Jaws in ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ (1977), Roger Moore’s third outing as James Bond.

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He was summoned to producer Cubby Broccoli’s house who explained the role. David Prowse, a.k.a. the man who embodied Darth Vader (it’s rumoured Kiel was offered and turned down the ‘Star Wars’ role), was also in the running. In the end, it was Kiel’s more impressive acting credentials which won out.

He and Roger Moore got on like a house on fire (they remained friends until his death), although Kiel’s fear of heights meant that Moore’s significantly shorter stuntman did many of his stunts.

Initially, Jaws was scheduled to die at the end of ‘Spy’, but Kiel, along with various other members of the production, argued that he should emerge unscathed from his apparent demise by shark. Broccoli agreed to film an alternate ending where Jaws survived, which led him to return in ‘Moonraker’ (1979).

Perhaps the most famous moment in that film is when Jaws gets a girlfriend (played by French actress Blanche Ravalec). But the love affair with the petite pigtailed blonde could have been so different.

“That almost didn’t happen,” Kiel revealed to Den Of Geek. “Mr Broccoli had found a 7’7” woman who he wanted to play Dolly. It would have been a funny thing but it would have been a quick laugh and that would have been it….I had to talk him into not doing that and going with a tiny woman…I said, ‘My wife is 5’1” and I have two children and one on the way, so obviously it works. Opposites attract.”

Since becoming part of the Bond pantheon, Kiel focused more on promotional work and concentrated on smaller, less frequent roles. His career was threatened following a 1992 car accident, which affected his balance and meant he had to walk using a cane or a mobility scooter.

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When he filmed ‘Happy Gilmore’ in 1996, camera trickery was used to make it look like he was standing upright.

“[They] worked with my handicap by letting me lean on things and people in a way that still worked,” he told Den of Geek. “They even made it look like I was running after [the character of] Shooter by pushing me on a dolly and shooting me with other people running alongside me.”

He wrote an autobiography in 2002 and co-authored a book about abolitionist pioneer Cassius Clay in 2007. He also embraced his Christianity, which he admitted helped him through a period of alcoholism.

More recently, he dabbled in real estate, writing a book which he sold via his official website called ‘How To Sell Your House Fast And Save Money’. “I figured the system out after my wife and I had been listing our house for six months, and not selling it,” he told Diablo magazine. “Some people were coming by just to meet Jaws—it became kind of a pain for my wife to have to keep meeting James Bond fans who didn’t really want to see the house. But the system really works. Unfortunately, we did a little informational video on our website and I think it had too much information in it! People just watched the video and said ‘OK, I get it,’ and never bought the book.”

Kiel died in hospital in Fresno, California, having been admitted after breaking his leg.

Photos: PA/Moviestore/Everett/Rex/Most Wanted