I'm sad to hear actor Richard Kiel passed away today. He recently gave me a signed copy of his book in prep to do an interview here on Spy Vibe. I met Richard a number of times over the years and he was always a gentle sweet guy. Like many others, I grew up watching his great performances in The Wild Wild West, The Spy Who Loved Me, and Moonraker. He was sensitive and thoughtful about his roles, and he often brought a lot of heart and spirit to what otherwise might have been two-dimensional characters. His portrayal of Jaws, for example, was so empathetic and popular that he was able to continue over two Bond films- and was voted the best Bond villain in the history of the franchise. Richard was hospitalized over the weekend for a broken leg and had to miss the 007 film fest event with Raymond Benson and Maud Adams. His family has just released this statement: "It is with very heavy hearts that we announce that
Richard has passed away, just three days shy of his 75 th birthday. Richard had
an amazing joy for life and managed to live every single day to the fullest.
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."
Spy Vibers, have you entered the new contest? Spy Vibe passed one million visitors recently and I'm celebrating by giving away cool vintage prizes. You can win original James Bond, The Avengers, and The Saint books, a Man From U.N.C.L.E. comic, spy DVDs, and more! Deadline for entry is September 17th. Details here.
