Jim Kelly Of “Enter The Dragon” Fame Dies At 67

Jim Kelly Of “Enter The Dragon” Fame Dies At 67

Jim Kelly, the legendary African American actor that starred in the cult classic “Enter the Dragon” with Bruce Lee passed away this Saturday at the age of 67.

Kelly passed away in San Diego as his ex-wife Marilyn Dishman said, with no clear cause of death being available as of yet.

Kelly talked about his groundbreaking roles in a recent interview where he said how he was the first black martial artist to become a successful movie star. He also added in the same interview that he is grateful that people still remember that, as he hasn’t starred in much lately.

One of the most recognizable actors of all time, Kelly was clearly distinguishable by his giant afro and imposing height, and by some of his memorable lines.

Kelly was raised in San Diego and was a gifted athlete, playing football for the University of Louisville on a full scholarship. He decided that the route to fame was more likely to be through karate and not football, which he delved into by accident after he quit school because of the racist treatment he and his fellow players were subjected to by their coach.

During his career, Jim Kelly said that one of the most, if not the most memorable part was working with Bruce Lee in “Enter The Dragon” as they were both very passionate when it came to martial arts.

Posted by Kade Quinn on Tuesday July 02 2013, 1:58 AM EST. Ref: Cnn. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Entertainment, Featured News. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0