[Spotlight Post] Remembering Richard Kiel
This has been a season of memorial posts. I know things come in waves, but still. This week, the Science Fiction/Fantasy world lost Graham Joyce. I don’t recall having met him, but many on my social media networks knew him, respected him, and liked him. According to the posts, Joyce lost his battle with cancer. This news and this loss hit a lot of my friends, fellow professionals, and readers hard. I am so sorry for you – and this loss.
Wednesday, I heard about the loss of actor, Richard Kiel, and though I only encountered him one time. His loss saddened me. Tomorrow would’ve been his 75th birthday. I told a little of the story on Facebook Wednesday night. I’m going to do a longer version here. Back in 2008 Ben Daw and his Lazy Dragon Crew put on a convention up in either Plano or McKinney. They brought in Richard Kiel, James Hampton, and some lovely sounding British Guys I can’t remember now. This was one of those weird conventions where everything seemed to be done right but the people just didn’t come.
Anyway, Jimmy and I decided to have a good dinner that first night – Friday or Saturday, it’s been a while – and the only good place within walking distance was a Japanese Hibachi Grill. So we trekked over there. The Kiel/Hampton party had just been seated. We did say hello – since we were part of the same convention, but intended to go our own way, not wanting to intrude on what was obviously a couple of good friends. They invited us to fill out their grill anyway, so we did.
Not only was the dinner a show – Hibachi Grills are AWESOME! – but so was listening to Kiel and Hampton talk about shows they’ve worked on, Hollywood, things they were planning on doing. I did mention that Jaws was my favorite Bond Henchman of all time. You see, I often talk about how Dad and I would watch Star Trek and how that influenced me – the other Dad/Daughter Bonding was…well, Bond. Dad LOVES James Bond. We would see every movie when it was on television or opened in the theater. Moonraker was one of my favorites – because Jaws got the girl, and there was a space station. The fact I was able to tell him that means there’s one less unseized opportunity.
As we were about to leave, I noticed a bunch of the young Japanese waitresses pointing and whispering. They finally asked if Kiel was who he was, and if they could get pictures. He graciously agreed – on the condition you didn’t see the scooter in the shot. That was his rule. And you know, that’s not an unreasonable request because it also makes framing the shots a lot easier. We finally got our pictures in the parking lot as we walked back to the hotel – and I was able to call my dad for the “Guess who I got to have dinner with” neener/neener call.
I loved that evening. It remains a treasured memory. I haven’t had the opportunity to work with either man again – though I look forward to seeing James Hampton again – but Lazy Dragon Con was a lot of fun and Richard Kiel was and always will be one of the sweetest, nicest, biggest man – in heart and height that I’ve ever encountered. I hope his family finds peace and comfort in the days ahead.