The Best Black Actors and Actresses in James Bond Film History
Yaphet Kotto as Dr. Kananga aka Mr. Big
Live and Let Die (1973)
In Live and Let Die, the Evil Mastermind was a smooth talking Hatian politician by day and a Harlem gangster by night. This film premiered when Blaxplotation films were at a peak and the James Bond flick of the day took on as many of those film tropes as it could: heroine pushing black mobsters, jive talk and a boss named Mr. Big. It was all deftly rolled in with typical Bond fair, which worked well at the box offices. Little known fact, Bronx-native Yaphet Kotto was born and raised a Jew. Whaaaat?