Birth Name: Frederick S. Kotto
Date of Birth: November 15, 1939
Place of Birth: New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Death: March 15, 2021
Place of Death: Philippines
Ethnicity: Jewish Cameroonian/Duala [African] and Panamanian [African-Panamanian]
Yaphet Kotto was an American actor. He was known for his roles in the films The Running Man, Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, Alien, and many others, and the series Homicide: Life on the Street.
His parents were both black. His first name means “beautiful” in Hebrew. Yaphet’s father, Avraham Kotto (originally named Njoki Manga Bell), was a businessperson from Cameroon, who was Jewish. He was said to be “the crown prince of Cameroon.”
Yaphet’s mother, Gladys Marie, was a nurse and U.S. Army officer. Gladys was of Panamanian [African-Panamanian] descent. She converted to Judaism.
Yaphet was a practicing Jew.
Yaphet was married to Tessie Sinahon, until his death. He had three children with his former wife Rita Ingrid Dittman, and three children with his former wife Antoinette Pettyjohn.
He is said to have been descended from King Bell V, August Manga Ndumbé.
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