The giant who was Jaws on Skyfall, Goldfinger and videogames…
Bond 50 shepherds all 22 official James Bond movies into one Blu-ray boxset. To celebrate the release, we chatted to actor Richard Kiel, who played the series’ most iconic baddie, Jaws.
Read on for our interview, in which Kiel talks about the new videogame, 007 Legends , and his favourite Bond heroes and villains:
When we last saw Jaws he was in space. What’s he doing now?
“Well, he’s in the new videogame put out by Activision called 007 Legends so it’s like he’s in another movie. It starts off with the Moonraker mission and the rocket sequences are unbelievable.”
Does Jaws have any lines?
“I only had the one line in the two movies I was in so he won’t be talking much. Jaws isn’t a very talkative guy; he’s more a man of action.”
And an icon too. Why is that?
“Hopefully it’s because he was entertaining and made people laugh. He scared people and was a formidable opponent but he was vulnerable too; he had human qualities of persistence and frustration.
“People appreciated he was trying to do his job and that he gave Bond a run for his money.”
Apart from Jaws, who’s your favourite villain?
“I would have to say Goldfinger. I liked that he had a sense of humour, like when he was using that laser beam cutting through the gold slab, going right towards Bond’s crotch. It was kind of a dry humour.”
What do you make of the direction the Bonds have taken recently?
“I think it was probably time for a change in direction and I like the way Daniel Craig plays Bond. However, I also enjoyed Roger Moore’s suave, debonair personality and I grew up as a young man watching Sean Connery. Each has their own special talent.”
Neil Smith is a freelance film critic who has written for several publications, including Total Film. His bylines can be found at the BBC, Film 4 Independent, Uncut Magazine, SFX, Heat Magazine, Popcorn, and more.
