Yaphet Kotto, an actor who was best known for his work in Alien and for being the first black James Bond villain in the 1973 movie Live And Let Die, passed away on Sunday night. He was 81 years-old.

Kotto’s wife Tessie Sinahon confirmed his death on Monday evening in a statement posted to Facebook.

“I’m saddened and still in shocked of the passing of my husband Yaphet of 24 years.  He died last night around 10:30pm Philippine time,” she wrote. “This is a very painful [sic] moment for me to inform you all fans, friends and family of my husband.”

Sinahon went on to talk about all the plans that Kotto had for the future prior to his passing.

“We still have a lot of plans honey that we discussed you have a lot of interviews waiting and you have movie offers like G.I. Joe and the movie of Tom Cruise and others,” she said. “You still have plan to release your book and build a religious organization based on Yogananda’s Teachings.”

“You played a villain on some of your movies but for me you’re a real hero and to a lot of people also,” Sinahon concluded. “A good man, a good father, a good husband and a decent human being, very rare to find. One of the best actor in Hollywood a Legend.  Rest in Peace Honey, I’m gonna miss you everyday, my best friend, my rock.I love you and you will always be in my heart. Till we meet again!”

Kotto played two roles in the James Bond movie Live And Let Die, which was the first movie in which Roger Moore portrayed the iconic British spy. Kotto played the drug-pushing kingpin Mr. Big who turns out to be the alter-ego of Caribbean dictator Dr. Kananga. He was the first black man to play a Bond villain, and in 2015, Kotto lamented to The Independent that the studio banned him from promoting the film due to fears of a negative public reception to his race.

“They didn’t play my character up,” he said at the time. “That hurt me a lot, man. I went through a lot of goddamn emotional hell because they were afraid people would be angry that a black guy was not being Sidney Poitier. I was the opposite of everything he created.”

Kotto is survived by his wife and six children. May he rest in peace.