Jim Kelly

James Milton "Jim" Kelly (May 5, 1946 – June 29, 2013) was an American athlete, martial artist, and actor best known for his roles in 1970s action and blaxploitation films. Born in Millersburg, Kentucky, Kelly excelled in athletics from a young age, participating in multiple sports before dedicating himself to Okinawan karate. He became a decorated karate champion, winning several prestigious titles in 1971 and opening his own dojo in Los Angeles. His appearance alongside Bruce Lee in "Enter the Dragon" (1973) launched his acting career, leading to starring roles in films like "Black Belt Jones" (1974) and "Three the Hard Way" (1974). Beyond martial arts and acting, Kelly was also a professional tennis player, achieving a high ranking in senior men's doubles in California. Jim Kelly, who was 6'2" (1.88 m), died on June 29, 2013, in San Diego, California, due to cancer. He is remembered as the first Black martial arts film star, who broke down the color barrier and left a memorable presence on screen.

Known For: Acting

Born: Paris, Kentucky, USA, 1946-05-05

Died: 2013-06-29

No.	Year	Title	Role	Vote Average
1	1972	Melinda	Charles Atkins	40
2	1973	Location: Hong Kong with Enter the Dragon	Self	0
3	1973	Enter the Dragon	Williams	74
4	1974	Black Belt Jones	Black Belt Jones	59
5	1974	Three the Hard Way	Mister Keyes	63
6	1974	Golden Needles	Jeff	43
7	1975	Take a Hard Ride	Kashtok	53
8	1976	Hot Potato	Jones	43
9	1976	Black Samurai	Robert Sand	56
10	1978	Mr. No Legs		58
11	1978	Death Dimension	Lt. Detective J. Ash	43
12	1978	The Tattoo Connection	Lucas	53
13	1982	One Down, Two to Go	Chuck	45
14	1984	Bruce Lee: The Legend	Self (archive footage) (uncredited)	80
15	1993	Death by Misadventure: The Mysterious Life of Bruce Lee	Self	81
16	1994	Stranglehold	Executive #4	58
17	1994	Ultimatum	Executive	60
18	1995	Afros, Macks & Zodiacs	(archive footage)	0
19	1995	Top Fighter	Self	64
20	1998	Bruce Lee: In His Own Words	Self (archive footage)	78
21	2002	BaadAsssss Cinema	Self	61
22	2004	The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made	Black Belt Jones (archive footage)	46
23	2004	Macked, Hammered, Slaughtered and Shafted	Self	0
24	2009	Afro Ninja	Cleavon Washington	47
25	2015	Kings of Cult	(archive footage)	75
26	2019	Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror	Self (archive footage)	72

No.

Year

Title

Role

Vote Average

1972