'James Bond,' 'Happy Gilmore' Actor Richard Kiel Dies
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.
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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."