Geoffrey Holder, the 6'6 footer actor is reckoned as a director, dancer, costume designer, Broadway performer, and choreographer. Infamous for his role as "Baron Samedi" in the James Bond film "Live and Let Die," the prominent performer died at the age of 84 on Oct. 5 due to pneumonia complications according to Charles M. Mirotznik, the family's spokesman.

Geoffrey Lamont Holder was born in Trinidad and Tobago, Spain on August 1, 1930. At an early age, he learned how to dance and paint from his brother Arthur. At 7, he became the leading performer and director of the Holder Dancing Company. From 1955 to 1956, he was the lead dancer with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet in New York. Holder proved that his talent is more than what he has learned in his childhood days.

The 'man of many talents' will always be remembered for his remarkable role as "un-cola," for the soft drink 7-Up, a tribal chief Willie Shakespeare in the original "Doctor Dolittle," and as Samedi in "House of Flowers," (a Caribbean-themed Broadway musical), and the mystical Punjab musical "Annie" in the 1982.

He never forgets painting inspite of his busy career, Holder, a multi-talented artist exhibit his visual art paintings at the Guggenheim Museum and Washington D.C.'s Corcoran Gallery. He also entered costume and set designing in which proofs are "The Wiz" and the "The Firebird." He was recognized for best costume design at the Tony Awards, and slammed recognition for his musical direction on an all-black version of The Wizard of Oz titled The Wiz in 1975. He was also nominated in the 1978 Broadway musical "Timbuktu!" for best costume design. He is the director and choreographer of "Timbuktu!"

Inspite of his success, the Trinidadian actor didn't limit himself even in the field of cooking. His friends admire his exceptional writing and culinary talent. He authored two books including "Black Gods, Green Islands" in 1959, and a volume of "Geoffrey Holder's Caribbean Cookbook" in 1974 which features enticing recipes for salt-fish pie, orange rice, king turtle stew, and coconut chicken sigurd.

He is survived by his wife, Carmen de Lavallade and their son Leo.