Kiel starred in many smaller and even bigger roles in a number of films



Most of the audience remembers the American actor Richard Dawson Kiel, who passed away on September 10, 2014 three days before his 75th birthday, primarily or maybe even only as Jaws, the awkwardly likeable giant and murderer from two James Bond movies – The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker, both directed by Lewis Gilbert. Thanks to the contracts of a steely smile and an element of humanity in the characterization, Jaws became very popular and appeared in two Bond films. Even though that role marked his entire career, Kiel starred in many smaller and even bigger roles in a number of films, such as the at one time cult The Longest Yard by Robert Aldrich and the entertaining Silver Streak by Arthur Hiller, solid war drama Force 10 from Navarone by Guy Hamilton in which he portrayed the Chetnik leader Dražak, variation of Shane entitled Pale Rider directed by Clint Eastwood, comedy Happy Gilmore by Dennis Dugan and Inspector Gadget by David Kellogg. In the crowd-pleaser The Longest Yard, the anti-totalitarian allegory of the state of the American society and politics of that (and not only that) time told through football, Kiel stars as Samson. According to the director Aldrich and the screenwriter Albert S. Ruddy, the essence of football and politics is the same – authoritativeness and sadism. (Josip Grozdanić)