Geoffrey Holder, one of the most iconic James Bond villains, died earlier this week in New York. Known mostly for his role as voodoo criminal Baron Samedi in Live And Let Die, the first James Bond film featuring Roger Moore, who would then go on to play agent 007 in six more movies.
The James Bond villain died of complications of pneumonia last Sunday in New York. Though Holder was mostly known for his role in the New Orleans-set film which also stared Jane Seymour, the Trinitarian-born actor was a prolific artist in many areas: from voice-over acting to choreography, costume design and even painting.
While the James Bond villain died, he is sure to be remembered for a long time to come, from his Tony Award-winning directing stunts, like directing the musical The Wiz, a retelling of the children's classic The Wizard of Oz featuring an all-black cast - the musical would later go on to be adapted to the screen a few years later, featuring an all-star cast including Diana Ross as Dorothy, Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow, Lena Horne as Glinda the Good Witch and Richard Pryor as The Wiz.
The James Bond villain died at 82 after a long and prolific career in the entertainment business, covering many stages of artistry on and off the screen. As remembered by Sky News, in television Holder played roles like Tarzan, pitched 7-Up as the "un-cola" in a commercial while wearing a white suit and hat - and, most recently, he was the narrator in Tim Burton's reimagining of the Roald Dahl children's classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
The man best known as a James Bond villain died surrounded by his loved ones in New York, and is survived by his wife of 59 years, Carmen, and by their only son, Léo.
