Walter Gotell
Born March 15, 1924 · Bonn, Germany
6
Films reviewed
6.8
Avg. rating
From Russia with Love
Best-reviewed
1963–1987
Years active
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Walter Gotell (15 March 1926 – 5 May 1997) was a German actor, known for his role as General Gogol, head of the KGB, in the James Bond film series.
Gotell was born in Bonn, Germany; his family emigrated to the United Kingdom after the Nazis came to power. A fluent English speaker, he started in films as early as 1943, usually playing German henchmen, such as in We Dive at Dawn (1943).
He began to have more established roles by the early fifties, starring in The African Queen (1951), Ice-Cold in Alex (1958), The Guns of Navarone (1961), 55 Days At Peking (1963), Lancelot and Guinevere (1963), The Spy Who Came In From The Cold (1965), Lord Jim (1965), Black Sunday (1977), The Boys From Brazil (1978), and Cuba (1979).
Gotell won the role of KGB General Anatol Gogol in The Spy Who Loved Me for being a look-alike of the former head of Soviet secret police Lavrentiy Pavlovitch Beria. His first role in the James Bond films came in 1963, when he played the henchman Morzeny in From Russia with Love. Starting in the late 1970s, he played the recurring role of General Gogol in the James Bond series, beginning with The Spy Who Loved Me in 1977. The character returned in Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983), A View to a Kill (1985) and The Living Daylights (1987). As the Cold War developed, the role of leader of the KGB was seen to change attitudes to the West - from direct competitor to collaborator. His final appearance, as the Cold War began to become less imminent, sees him transferred to a different, more diplomatic role. Gotell is one of a few actors to have played a villain and a Bond ally in the film series (others being Joe Don Baker, Charles Gray and Richard Kiel).
Throughout his career, Gotell also made numerous guest appearances in a wide array of television series. He played Chief Constable Cullen in Softly, Softly: Taskforce between 1969 and 1975. He guested in many series including Danger Man, Knight Rider, The A-Team, Airwolf, The X-Files, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, MacGyver, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Miami Vice, Cagney and Lacey, The Saint, and many others.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Walter Gotell, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
On theIReview.com
Films featuring Walter Gotellthat we've reviewed.
★ 6.7The Living Daylights
as Anatol Gogol, the retired head of the KGB, now a diplomat shown in a cameo at the end of the film
John Glen · 1987
RT 73%
★ 6.3A View to a Kill
as General Anatoly Gogol, the head of the KGB.
John Glen · 1985
RT 36%
★ 6.5Octopussy
as General Anatoly Gogol, director of the KGB.
John Glen · 1983
RT 41%
★ 6.7For Your Eyes Only
as General Anatoly Gogol, head of the KGB.
John Glen · 1981
RT 69%
★ 7.0The Spy Who Loved Me
as General Anatol Gogol
Lewis Gilbert · 1977
RT 82%
★ 7.3From Russia with Love
as Morzeny, a SPECTRE trainer
Terence Young · 1963
RT 97%
Review Highlights
AI-summarized critic and audience reaction, pulled from the Fan & Critic Buzz on their highest-rated films with us.
“Reviewers praised "From Russia With Love" for its spy thriller elements, beautiful locations and scenery, and Sean Connery's performance as Agent 007. Some critics noted that the movie was early in the Bond series and set a different tone than later films. Review excerpts also highlighted the film's romance and chemistry between Bond and his Russian counterpart.”
From the Fan & Critic Buzz on From Russia with Love →
“Roger Moore's third James Bond film received generally positive reviews, although some reviewers found the opening scenes too reliant on green screen. Many praised Moore's chemistry with Barbara Bach as Bond and the exotic locations featured in the film, while others appreciated its blend of action, adventure, and humor. A few critics also noted that the film had a more lighthearted tone compared to other Bond outings.”
From the Fan & Critic Buzz on The Spy Who Loved Me →
Selected Filmography
- The X-Files(1993)TV Series · 1 epas Victor Klemper
- Star Trek: The Next Generation(1987)TV Series · 1 epas Kurt Mandl
- The A-Team(1983)TV Series · 1 epas Ramon DeJarro
- Miami Vice(1984)TV Series · 1 epas Max Klizer
- Knight Rider(1982)TV Series · 1 epas Simon Carascas
- MacGyver(1985)TV Series · 1 epas General Barenov
- The Saint(1962)TV Series · 1 epas Hans Lasser
- Hotel(1982)TV Series · 1 epas Douglas Sloane
- Airwolf(1984)TV Series · 1 epas Oberst Helmut Krüger / Hans Daubert
- Tales from the Crypt(1989)TV Series · 1 epas Mr. Hertz
- Cagney & Lacey(1982)TV Series · 1 epas J.F. Blackwell
- The Professionals(1977)TV Series · 1 epas Sam Baker
- Z-Cars(1962)TV Series · 2 eps
- Scarecrow and Mrs. King(1983)TV Series · 1 ep
- No Hiding Place(1959)TV Series · 1 ep
- Danger Man(1960)TV Series · 1 epas Receptionist
- The Champions(1968)TV Series · 1 epas Captain Jost
- Sunday Night Theatre(1950)TV Series · 1 epas Mir Jaffar
- Freddy's Nightmares(1988)TV Series · 1 epas Kemmerling
- Spenser: For Hire(1985)TV Series · 1 ep