Harold Sakata Toshiyuki " Harold " Sakata ( July 1 , 1920 – July 29 , 1982 ) was an American Olympic weightlifter , professional wrestler , and film actor of Japan ese descent who is most famous for his role as the villain Oddjob in the James Bond film " Goldfinger " . Career . Toshiyuki Sakata was born on July 1 , 1920 in Holualoa , Hawaii . He moved to the United States mainland and began to go by the more Western name " Harold . " At the age of eighteen , he weighed only 113 lb ( 8 st 1 lb ) ( 51 kg ) at a height of 5 ft 8 in ( 1 . 73 m ) . Wanting to " look as good as the other guys " , he started lifting weights . He spent his early life training as a weightlifter and won a silver medal for the United States at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London , lifting a total of 410 kg in the heavyweight division . He also did a stint as a professional wrestler under the name Tosh Togo from the early 1950s until the early 1960s , becoming Canadian Tag Team Champion . Bond producers Harry Saltzman and Albert R . Broccoli took notice of Sakata because of his heavy build — he stood 5 ft 10 in ( 1 . 78 m ) and weighed 284 lb ( 129 kg ) — which , when coupled with his intimidating gaze , made him the perfect choice for the part of Oddjob . He had no acting background at all besides pro wrestling but the film character was to be mute and would require little theatrical skill . Before Sakata had secured the role of Oddjob , another former wrestler , British actor Milton Reid , had auditioned for the role . In 1964 Reid challenged Sakata to a wrestling contest and suggested that the winner ought to get the role . However , given that Reid had been in " Dr . No " and that his character had been killed off , the producers decided to go with Sakata and the wrestling match did not take place . As Oddjob , he was bodyguard to Bond villain Auric Goldfinger and his sharpened , steel - brimmed bowler hat became a famous and much - parodied trademark of the Bond series . While filming Oddjob ' s death scene , Sakata ' s hand was badly burnt , but he held on until he heard director Guy Hamilton say " Cut " . Sakata appeared in several other movies in similar roles and took on " Oddjob " as an informal middle name ( he was seen in the film " The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington " credited as Harold " Oddjob " Sakata ) . With time , Sakata ' s acting skills improved . He co - starred opposite William Shatner in the 1974 movie " Impulse " , in which he played the character Karate Pete . He also guest starred on a " Gilligan ' s Island " episode as Rory Calhoun ' s henchman . In 1971 , Sakata was a regular on the short - lived TV series , " Sarge " , starring George Kennedy . He appeared as Oddjob in a series of TV commercials for Vicks Formula 44 cough syrup in the 1970s . The advertisement showed Oddjob with a nasty cough , which results in him demolishing the neighborhood and frightening a woman inside her house as his cough spasms grow worse and worse . The woman grabs a bottle of Vicks Formula 44 and races for the door , only to see Oddjob karate chop through it . She quickly opens the door and gives him a spoonful of the cough syrup , which cures his cough . The two bow to each other , and the woman looks past Oddjob to see the destruction he has caused . He made an appearance on the " The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson " on which he parodied the commercial by destroying Carson ' s set . Sakata died of liver cancer on July 29 , 1982 , in Honolulu , Hawaii .