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Jim Kelly

Jim Kelly

Actor · Died June 29, 2013, aged 67 · Paris, Kentucky, USA

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.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 5, 1946
Died
June 29, 2013 (aged 67)
From
Paris, Kentucky, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
11 on MovieCove · 20 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 17% in 30 days

What are Jim Kelly's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.

Genres

Action6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 35th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Documentary4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
26%
Survival
21%
Bonds
12%
Society
11%
Self
10%
Ideas
10%
Power
10%
Justice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge2 titles, browse their movies with this themeMortality2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFame2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 11 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 9 · Serious 2 · Dark 0

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 5 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 3 · Charged 5 · Intense 3

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 4 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 4

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 10 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 10 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

7 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 4 of 7 analyzed roles.

Hero
4 of 7
Ally
3 of 7
Show the 7 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Thrilling
7
Tense
5
Absurd
4
Contemplative
3
Warm
2
Other
5

How their films linger

Fun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet2
  • Ambiguous3
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Jim Kelly's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 11 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jim Kelly's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

20 credits, 11 with a MovieCove page; 6 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Kings of Cult (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as (archive footage)

  • Trailer War(2012)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Afro Ninja (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Cleavon Washington

  • The Unbeatable Bruce Lee(2001)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Afros, Macks & Zodiacs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as (archive footage)

  • Ultimatum (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Executive

  • Stranglehold(1994)

    as Executive #4

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Highway to Heaven(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Reporter

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows

  • One Down, Two to go(1982)

    as Chuck

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • The Tattoo Connection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Lucas

  • Death Dimension(1978)

    as Lt. Detective J. Ash

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Mr. No Legs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Actor

  • Black Samurai (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Stunt Coordinator · as Robert Sand

  • Hot Potato (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Jones

  • Take a Hard Ride(1975)

    as Kashtok

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Golden Needles(1974)

    as Jeff

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Three the Hard Way(1974)

    as Mister Keyes

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Black Belt Jones(1974)

    as Black Belt Jones

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Enter the Dragon(1973)

    as Williams

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Melinda (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Charles Atkins

Career shape

Star power in the 91st percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 19 titles from 1972 to 2015; peak year 1973.

Biggest box office

Enter the Dragon (1973)

$117K worldwide

Highest rated

Enter the Dragon (1973)

Midcredits 96th

Film career

19722015

Peak 1973 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 1 MovieCove title. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting19 of 19: 18 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score42ndOther crew1 of 19: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

By decade

1970s11 · 11 acting · 1 crew1980s2 · acting1990s3 · acting2000s2 · acting2010s1 · acting

Billing

usually 1st · top billed in 50% of 6 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Jim Kelly's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 44th percentile, the median of all 10; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 59th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Approval · how many liked their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 11 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th1
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 11 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · actor

The Unbeatable Bruce Lee (2001)

84th percentile spread · 19% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Enter the Dragon (1973)

Midcredits 96th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the acting 52/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles; fans 62, detractors 34. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Jim Kelly work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jim Kelly's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Robert Clouse shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers