Actors with Black Belts
By Jay de Leon

In the action genre, there are many stars who have used martial arts expertise as their springboard to action stardom. These would include luminaries like Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal, Don “The Dragon” Wilson, Cynthia Rothrock, Jet Li, Jackie Chan, and the list goes on.

Lorenzo Lamas and I used to go to different dojos in Burbank, California about the same time in the early 1980’s. We both got our black belts and he went on to star in TV series like Falcon Crest and Renegade, and I am here writing about him.

Lorenzo Lamas is the son of actor Fernando Lamas and actress Arlene Dahl.
You will probably remember him for his work in the TV series Falcon Crest (1981), Renegade (1992) and The Immortal (2000). He continues to work in films and TV appearances. For the record, I enjoy writing about Lorenzo, as he and I have worked together for WorldBlackBelt.

JAMES CAAN
Every time I see James Caan onscreen, I always have two images in my mind—Sonny Corleone being riddled with tommy gun bullets in the causeway, and James Caan as Tak Kubota’s black belt. I used to chat with karate master Tak Kubota in his dojo in Glendale, CA in the 1980’s, and one cannot help but notice James Caan’s almost lifesize photos on his walls.

James Caan as Sonny Corleone in the movie “The Godfather” (extreme left) with Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and John Cazale.

James Caan is a long-time black belt in Tak Kubota’s gosoku-ryu system. In fact, he was featured in the January 2005 issue of Inside Kung-fu Magazine. You can also watch James Caan on TV right now in his exciting series Las Vegas, shot on location in Las Vegas’s Mandalay Bay Casino.

BRANDON LEE

True, his father Bruce Lee had him doing jeet kune do as soon as he could toddle, but Brandon Lee decided to break into movies as an actor, not as a martial artist. He had worked diligently at his acting craft, appearing in several bit parts and movies until his big break in a starring role in The Crow (1994).

Sadly, he was killed accidentally during the filming of this movie when the prop gun that was supposed to fire a blank instead launched a projectile inadvertently left in the gun that tore into his abdomen. His body of work includes Kung Fu: The Movie (1986), Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991) and Rapid Fire (1992). His accidental death made it to E’s 101 Most Shocking Moments in Entertainment.

MICKEY ROURKE

Okay, Mickey Rourke does not have a black belt in martial arts, but I suggest that you do not object too strenuously about throwing him in the mix. You see, Mickey Rourke happens to be an amateur boxer, with a record of 20-4 with 17 knockouts, and a professional boxer, with an undefeated record of 6-0-2. In fact, he actually interrupted his respectable movie career to climb in the ring professionally and seek a world title shot.

His movies include Body Heat (1981), Diner (1981), The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984), Year of the Dragon (1985), 9 1/2 Weeks (1986) and Barfly (1987). Unfortunately, his foray into professional boxing and his increasingly erratic behavior temporarily derailed his movie career. He is currently making a strong comeback in his movie career.

Born in London of an Italian mother and a British father, Adrian Paul was a model, a dancer and a choreographer in Europe before coming to the United States to pursue a dance and modeling career. Instead, after several film and TV appearances, he was cast in his signature role, that of Duncan MacLeod in The Highlander in 1992.

He is an advanced student in choy li fut, hung gar, taekwondo and boxing, and has trained extensively with the Japanese katana. He continues to work steadily in films and television, including the movie Highlander: Endgame (2000).

I first saw Russell Wong in the TV series Vanishing Son (1995) and I thought then that he had the complete package—looks, physique, acting ability and unbelievable martial arts skills. Born to a Chinese father and a Caucasian mother, he first broke into television with a guest appearance on 21 Jump Street(1989).

He then starred in films such as The New Jack City (1991), The Joy Luck Club (1993), and Romeo Must Die (2000).  He continues to be busy with TV series and guest appearances (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, 2004) and films (Twisted, 2004 and Honor, 2005).

WESLEY SNIPES

Movie poster for “Passenger 57” starring Wesley Snipes.

Wesley Snipes is currently one of the top action and martial arts stars in the business. My understanding is that he does not mind being known as a martial arts star, but he did not start out to become one. In fact, he did not introduce martial arts in his characters until he was already a major actor, starting with the movie Passenger 57.

ERIC ROBERTS

Movie poster for “Best of the Best” starring Eric Roberts (top, right).

Eric Roberts is the brother of film star Julia Roberts and is probably known to many martial artists because of his Best of the Best movies. But Eric Roberts is also a working actor, with numerous film and TV appearances to his credit.

As an actor, Dustin Nguyen hid his martial arts prowess, as he did not want to be typecast as an Asian martial arts actor. His acting career took off when he landed a starring role on 21 Jump Street, which took a number of young unknown young actors including Johnny Depp and cast them as undercover cops.

ELVIS PRESLEY

Elvis Presley (right) spars with Kenpo master Ed Parker

Although most of Elvis Presley’s movies were simply vehicles for him to showcase his singing talents, he did make at least one action movie, a Western called Flaming Arrow (1960). Predictably, this movie was one of the least successful at the box office but his most critically acclaimed work. He did show off some martial arts moves in his movie G.I Blues, made after his release from the U.S. army and Roustabout, as well as insome of his concerts.

Elvis Presley as we want to remember him. Note the Parker kenpo logo on his guitar.

Initially, he learned karate while in the military in Germany, and continued with private instruction in the U.S., notably from kenpo great Ed Parker, who also doubled as his bodyguard. I know it is hard now to picture Elvis, with his subsequent weight and drug problems, as a hardcore black belt, but he was one. He is also reputed to have promoted kenpo extensively, including financing a dojo in Memphis called The Tennessee Karate Institute, emblazoning the IKKA Parker kenpo crest in his black Gibson guitar, and often mentioning kenpo in radio broadcasts.

JOHN SAXON

John Saxon (right) with Bruce Lee in the movie “Enter the Dragon.”

Most of us martial artists know John Saxon because of his Bruce Lee connection, particularly his role as Roper in the movie Enter the Dragon. But John Saxon was a legitimate movie star way before his martial arts fame with Enter the Dragon, starring in a number of youth-oriented dramas in the late 1950’s.

John Saxon in the movie “Rock, Pretty Baby” in 1956.

His early movies included The Restless Years (1958) with Sandra Dee, Summer Love (1958) with Troy Donahue, The Reluctant Debutante (1958) with Sandra Dee and Portrait in Black (1960) with Sandra Dee. John Saxon and Sandra Dee were Universal’s last contract players. John Saxon’s career is still going strong; his latest film, The Road Home, was released in 2003. Sadly, Sandra Dee passed away on Feb. 20, 2005 at the age of 62 years old of kidney disease.

Interesting lot, wouldn’t you say?  As a final comment, it takes a lot of discipline, courage, sacrifice and hard work to become a black belt or an amateur or professional fighter, in real life.  It is no small accomplishment.  Just on that level, it is a reflection of the character of the people featured above.  And for that, big movie star, working actor or bit player, we applaud them.