Walter Jack Gotell was a German-British 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 . He began to have more established roles by the early 1950s, starring in The African Queen , The Red Beret for Albert R. Broccoli, Ice Cold in Alex , The Guns of Navarone , Road to Hong Kong , 55 Days At Peking , Lancelot and... Guinevere , The Spy Who Came In From The Cold , Lord Jim , Black Sunday , The Boys From Brazil and Cuba . His first role in the James Bond film series was in 1963, when he played the henchman Morzeny in From Russia with Love. From the late 1970s, he played the recurring role of General Gogol in the series, beginning with The Spy Who Loved Me . Gotell gained the role of KGB General Anatol Gogol because of his resemblance to the former head of Soviet secret police Lavrentiy Beria.
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| Birthdate: | March 15, 1924 |
| Birthplace: | Bonn |
| Date of death: | May 5, 1997 |