Billy Blanks

Muscular African American sports star, actor, media identity and inventor of the phenomenally popular "Tae Bo" fitness system, derived from his extensive martial arts training. Blanks was born in Eerie, Pennsylvania in 1955 amongst humble backgrounds and grew up as one of 15 children, battling dyslexia and tendon problems. However that didn't stop him from starting his martial arts training at age 14 and eventually achieving black belts in tae kwon do & several other arts, and winning numerous US martial arts tournaments. Blanks first popped up on movie screens in the mid 1980s in tough guy parts utilizing his athletic background and grim faced looks. Films roles included Tango & Cash (1989), Driving Force (1989) and A.W.O.L.: Absent Without Leave (1990). Things looked up in 1991, when Blanks scored the minor role of drug addicted running back "Billy Cole" in the explosive The Last Boy Scout (1991)....and further work followed often sharing lead billing in low budget - high action fare such as Talons of the Eagle (1992), TC 2000 (1993) and Expect No Mercy (1995). In the late 1990s, Billy's innovative and exciting "Tae Bo" workout routine swept around the world like wildfire, and propelled him into the position of one of the world's most recognizable and biggest selling fitness trainers. The remarkable Blanks continues to refine and promote his unique "Tae Bo" fitness system, and he operates the Billy Blanks World Training Center in Sherman Oaks, California. 7th Degree Black Belt Billy Blanks had one of the greatest karate fight records in the sport's long history. Blanks was a 7-time world karate champion, the first Amateur Athletic Union Champ in 1975, the 1984 Massachusetts Golden Gloves Boxing Champion, and the Tri-State Golden Gloves Champion of Champions. He was the captain of the United States Karate Team and won over 30 gold medals in international competition. He was the number 1 or number 2 rated full-contact karate fighter in the United States for almost seven straight years. His epic battles with "Nasty" Anderson are legends among martial arts fans. He posted over 300 career victories. In 1982, Billy Blanks was honored by being inducted into the Karate Hall of Fame.

Known For: Acting

Born: Erie - Pennsylvania - USA, 1955-09-01

Died: null

No.	Year	Title	Role	Vote Average
1	1989	Bloodfist	Black Rose	45
2	1990	Driving Force	Pool	47
3	1990	The King of the Kickboxers	Khan	67
4	1991	The Last Boy Scout	Billy Cole	68
5	1992	The Master	Hawks Gang Member	65
6	1992	Talons of the Eagle	Tyler Wilson	50
7	1993	TC 2000	Jason Storm	51
8	1993	Showdown	Billy Grant	58
9	1994	Back in Action	Billy	53
10	1995	Tough and Deadly	John Portland	55
11	1995	Expect No Mercy	Justin Vanier	44
12	1995	Encyclopedia of Martial Arts: Hollywood Celebrities	Self	100
13	1996	Balance of Power	Niko	61
14	1997	Assault on Devil's Island	Craegan	40
15	1998	Masters of the Martial Arts Presented by Wesley Snipes	Self	85
16	2003	Billy's Bootcamp 2: Tae Bo		0
17	2003	Billy's Bootcamp 1: Tae Bo		0
18	2003	Billy Blanks: Tae Bo Cardio		0
19	2003	Billy Blanks: Tae Bo Flex		48
20	2004	Billy's Bootcamp: Cardio Bootcamp Live!		0
21	2004	Billy Blanks - Tae Bo: Strength Power	Billy Blanks	0
22	2006	Billy's BootCamp Elite: Mission One - Get Started		0
23	2006	Billy's BootCamp Elite: Mission Two - Maximum Power		0
24	2006	Billy's BootCamp Elite: Mission Three - Rock Solid Abs		0
25	2006	Billy's Bootcamp Elite: Mission Spot Training - Lower Body		0
26	2006	Billy's BootCamp Elite: 8 Minute Supercharge Cardio		0
27		Devotion	Billy Blanks	0
28	1986	Low Blow	Guard	46
29	1989	Tango & Cash	Prison Thug (uncredited)	65
30	1990	China O'Brien II	Baskin's Fighter #1 (uncredited)	51
31	1990	Lionheart	African Legionnaire	66
32	1991	Timebomb	Mr. Brown	52
33	1992	Invincible	Billy	70
34	1997	Kiss the Girls	Instructor	65
35	1999	Billy Blanks' Tae Bo: Advanced Workout	Himself	0
36	1999	Billy Blanks' Tae Bo: Basic Workout	Himself	0
37	1999	Billy Blanks' Tae Bo: Instructional	Himself	0
38	1999	Billy Blanks' Tae Bo: 8-Minute Workout	Himself	0
39	2000	Billy Blanks' Tae Bo: Gold	Himself	0
40	2001	TaeBo II: Get Ripped - Advanced 1 Workout	Himself	0
41	2001	TaeBo II: Get Ripped - Advanced 2 Workout	Himself	0
42	2001	TaeBo II: Get Ripped - 8-Minute Workout	Himself	0
43	2001	TaeBo II: Get Ripped - Basic 1 Workout		0
44	2002	The Best of TaeBo: Ultimate Upper Body	Himself	0
45	2003	Billy Blanks' TaeBo Believer's Workout: The Strength Within	Himself	0
46	2005	Billy Blanks' Tae Bo: Total Body Fat Blaster	Himself	0
47	2005	Billy Blanks: Tae Bo Kicks	Himself	0
48	2005	Billy's BootCamp: Basic Training Bootcamp	Billy Blanks	0
49	2005	Billy's BootCamp: Ultimate BootCamp	Himself	0
50	2007	Billy Blanks: Ultimate Tae Bo	Billy Blanks	0
51	2007	Billy Blanks Tae Bo: Amped Fat Burn Accelerator	Billy Blanks	0
52	2010	Billy Blanks: This Is Tae Bo	Himself	0
53	2011	Jack and Jill	Billy Blanks	44
54	2012	Billy Blanks TaeBo Express	Instructor	0
55	2014	Billy Blanks: Tae Bo Platinum Collection	Self	0
56	2015	The Real Miyagi	Self	65
57	2015	Dark Moon Rising	Sheriff Tom	32
58	2017	The Ultimate Goal		0
59	2017	Almost Amazing	Mr. Wilson	58
60	2018	The Clapper	Billy Blanks	49
61	2019	Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks	Self	68
62	2024	The Circuit 4: Faith Fighter	Samson	40
63	2024	The Last Kumite	Master Loren	69
64	2024	American Expendables: The Films of North American Pictures	Self (archive footage)	50

No.	Year	Title	Role	Vote Average
1	1992	Melrose Place		59
2	1994	ER	Tae-Bo Instructor	78
3	1995	The Parent 'Hood		73
4	1996	Sabrina, the Teenage Witch	Billy Blanks	78
5	1998	V.I.P.	Self	53
6	1999	The Parkers		82
7	2003	The Ellen DeGeneres Show	Self	57
8	2004	The Tony Danza Show	Self	61

Billy Blanks

Film

Television