Actor Richard Kiel, who gained considerable fame in portraying the villain Jaws in two James Bond movies, has died at the age of 74, TMZ has reported.

A family member informed the publication that Kiel died Wednesday afternoon.

The 7'2" actor passed away this Sept. 10, three days before he turns 75, in a Fresno hospital in California.

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While the "Bond" actor had suffered a leg injury earlier this week, it is still unclear whether such incident contributed to his death.

Kiel costarred with Roger Moore in "The Spy Who Loved Me" and "Moonraker", and also made an appearance as a golf spectator in the comedy film "Happy Gilmore", starring Adam Sandler.

The Detroit-born actor began his acting career in the TV series "Laramie" in an episode called "Street of Hate" and rose to fame as he portrayed Voltaire, an assistant to villain Miguelito Loveless, in 1965's "The Wild, Wild West." He also appeared in the prison football movie "The Longest Yard" by Burt Reynolds.

In 1992, Kiel was involved in a car accident from which he suffered severe head injuries, causing him to use a cane or a scooter to walk and get around.

In 2003, the actor's voice had been featured in a "James Bond" videogame and in 2010, Kiel was chosen to lend his voice as Vlad for the animated movie "Tangled."

He also released his autobiography "Making It Big in the Movies" in 2002. Despite his distinctive height, Kiel suffered from an extreme fear of heights which made the crew of "Moonraker" call in a stunt double to replace the actor in filming on top of a cable car at more than 2,000 feet.

His religious conversion to becoming a born-again Christian reportedly aided him in overcoming alcohol abuse.

No cause of death has been determined and/or reported at this point. 

TagsRichard Kiel, James Bond, Jaws, Moonraker, The Spy Who Loved Me, Happy Gilmore, The Wild Wild West