Jim Kelly
Occupation
Actor
Actor Jim Kelly Loses His Battle With Cancer Aged 67
By Elinor Cosgrave in Lifestyle / Showbiz on 02 July 2013
Jim Kelly, the first Black Martial Arts actor, passed away on Saturday (29th June) following his battle with cancer. He was famous for appearing in Bruce Lee's 'Enter The Dragon'.
Martial Arts actor Jim Kelly died aged 67 on Saturday (29th June 2013). He was best known for his role in Enter The Dragon alongside Bruce Lee and John Saxon. The film, made in 1977, combines martial arts, spying and crime. He appeared in other Martial Arts films including Black Samurai, Hot Potato and Three The Hard Way.
Famous for bringing martial arts to the black community – in films at least – Kelly paved the way for Afro Caribbean and African Americans to both watch and get involved in Martial Arts. This was exemplified best by looking at the Afro Samurai video game series, and the subsequent animated adaption, which almost certainly wouldn’t have existed without Kelly’s intervention in the fighting genre.
Continue reading: Jim Kelly – Actor And Marital Arts Expert – Dies Ages 67