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Actor Yaphet Kotto, 'Alien' Star And Bond Villain, Dies At 81

Wizard World Portland Comic Con
PORTLAND, OR - JANUARY 24: Actor Yaphet Kotto speaks at Wizard World Comicon at Oregon Convention Center on January 24, 2015 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Suzi Pratt/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Actor Yaphet Kotto, best known for his roles in "Alien," "Live and Let Die" and "Midnight Run," died Sunday at the age of 81, his wife announced Monday.

In a social media post shared on Kotto's Facebook page, Tessie Sinahon said she was "saddened and still in shocked of the passing of my husband Yaphet of 24 years."

She said Kotto, who played the James Bond villain Mr. Big, died Sunday night in the Philippines.

"You played a villain on some of your movies but for me you're a real hero and to a lot of people also," Sinahon wrote. "A good man, a good father, a good husband and a decent human being, very rare to find. One of the best actor in Hollywood a Legend."

The circumstances surrounding Kotto's death were not immediately known.

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