Richard Kiel's Giant Legacy

Easily recognizable, thanks to his 7-foot-2 frame, Kiel enjoyed a long and fruitful career in Hollywood.

Easily recognizable, thanks to his 7-foot-2 frame, Richard Kiel (1939 - 2014) enjoyed a long and fruitful career in Hollywood. He appeared in dozens of films and television shows during his 49 years as an actor, including classics "The Longest Yard," "Pale Rider," and "The Twilight Zone." 

But Kiel is remembered best for his turn as Jaws, the villainous henchman who battled James Bond in "The Spy Who Loved Me" and "Moonraker."

Here are some of his best moments as the character that came to define his legacy.

Jaws and James Bond fight on the trams.

Jaws escapes from captivity by biting through a chain lock.

An antagonist Jaws attacks a van in the film "The Spy Who Loved Me."

Bond has his first encounter with the steel-toothed giant here.

Bond faces his steel-toothed nemesis a second time on a train. It's an electrifying encounter!

James Bond encounters Jaws once again on board the aquatic base Atlantis in the climax of the film.

Talk show host David Letterman interviews Richard Kiel in 1985.