RIP Jaws: James Bond Villain Richard Kiel Dies At 74

Actor Richard Kiel, best known for playing Bond henchman Jaws, has died at the age of 74.

Kiel passed away at the Saint Agnes Medical Center in Fresno, California on Wednesday.

A cause of death has not been released but reports have revealed that Kiel broke his leg last week. It is not known if there is any link between the two incidents.

Kiel is one of the very few actors to have appeared in more than one Bond movie who wasn't playing the title role. The 7 foot 1 inch tall giant gave Roger Moore's Bond a run for his money in 1977's The Spy Who Loved Me and 1979's Moonraker.

Jaws - so-called because of his steel teeth - was based on a character called Horror, created by Flemming for his novel The Spy Who Loved Me. The big screen version however proved popular with audiences, even siding with Bond eventually and enjoying a happy ending following the events of Moonraker.

He made a third appearence in James Bond video game Everything or Nothing in 2004, lending his likeness and voice alongside a cast of Bond regulars like Judi Dench and Pierce Brosnan.

Kiel was born in Detroid, Michigan and made his acting debut in 1960 at the age of 21. His first screen appearence was in TV western Laramie, which opened up doors for the rest of his career. He will always be most-fondly remembered for his time in Bond, but over the years he also enjoyed parts in Happy Gilmore opposite Adam Sandler and Disney animation Tangled.

Richard Kiel is survived by a wife and four children.