Jim Kelly (actor)
Jim Kelly (actually James M. Kelly ; born May 5, 1946 in Paris , Kentucky , † June 29, 2013 in San Diego ) was an American karateka and actor .
Life
Kelly was already a successful athlete in various disciplines during his school days; he celebrated his greatest successes as karateka, which sport he had started at the University of Louisville . As a karate teacher, he taught Calvin Lockhart for a film role to be played by him and thus got his first own engagements as an actor.
After the success of Enter the Dragon , he was awarded a contract for several films by Warner Brothers . Until the late 1970s he played regularly in blaxploitation films, after which he occasionally appeared in international productions.
Kelly stayed true to the sport and became a professional among senior tennis players and coach for the sport. In June 2013 he died of cancer.
Filmography (selection)
- 1973: Enter the Dragon (Enter the Dragon)
- 1974: Free Ride into the Hereafter (Black Belt Jones)
- 1975: One slammed in front of the bib (La parola di un fuorilegge ... è legge!)
- 1978: The Lone Fighter (Death Dimension)
- 1978: The Brotherhood of the Red Dragon (E yu tou hei sha xing)
Web links
- Jim Kelly in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Biography at USA-Dojo
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Kelly, Jim |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Kelly, James M. (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American karateka and actor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 5, 1946 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Paris , Kentucky, United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 29, 2013 |
| Place of death | San Diego |