James Jene Fae Lew (born September 6, 1952) is an American martial artist, stuntman, and actor. He has made 80 on-screen film and television appearances and 46 more as a stunt coordinator or stunt double. He won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Stunt Coordination for his work on the series ''Luke Cage''.

Biography

Chinese descent Overseas Chinese people are people of Chinese origin who reside outside Greater China (mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan). As of 2011, there were over 40.3 million overseas Chinese. As of 2023, there were 10.5 million people livin ...

, Lew was born James Jene Fae Lew on September 6, 1952 in Escalon, California and raised in

South Los Angeles South Los Angeles, also known as South Central Los Angeles or simply South Central, is a region in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, lying mostly within the city limits of Los Angeles, south of Downtown Los Angeles, downtown. It is de ...

. He began studying martial arts at the age of 14, when he began taking classes in

Tang Soo Do Tang Soo Do (; ) is a Korean martial arts, Korean martial art based on karate which can include fighting principles from taekkyeon, subak, as well as northern Chinese martial arts. From its beginnings in 1944 to today, Tang Soo Do is used by ...

and

Choy Li Fut Choy Lee Fut is a Chinese martial art and Chinese martial arts, wushu style, founded in 1836 by Chan Heung (陳享). Choy Li Fut was named to honor the Buddhist monk Choy Fook (蔡褔, Cai Fu) who taught him Choi ga, Choy Gar, and Li Yau-san ...

. He is practiced in Bak Mei Pai and

Five Animals In Chinese martial arts, there are fighting styles that are modeled after animals. In Southern styles, especially those associated with Guangdong and Fujian provinces, there are five traditional animal styles known as Ng Ying Kung Fu (Chin ...

kung fu,

Tae Kwon Do Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In a ...

Jeet Kune Do Jeet Kune Do (/ˌdʒiːt kuːn ˈdoʊ/; zh, c=截拳道, l=stop fist way' or 'way of the intercepting fist, j=zit6 kyun4 dou6; abbreviated JKD) is a hybrid martial art conceived and practiced by martial artist Bruce Lee. It was formed from ...

Hapkido Hapkido ( , , ), also spelled ''hap ki do'' or ''hapki-do'' is a Korean martial art. It is a hybrid form of self-defense that employs joint locks, grappling, chokeholds, throwing techniques, kicks, punches, and other striking attacks. ...

boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...

, and

submission grappling Submission wrestling, also known as submission grappling, submission fighting, or simply grappling, is a martial art and combat sport that focuses on ground fighting and submission techniques. It is a hybrid discipline that incorporates eleme ...

. In the 1970s, he co-founded Sil Lung Kung Fu demo team with Al Leong and Douglas Lim Wong, and won several championships in martial arts forms. An early role for Lew was as a guard in the

John Cassavetes John Nicholas Cassavetes (December 9, 1929 – February 3, 1989) was an American filmmaker and actor. He began as an actor in film and television before helping to pioneer modern American independent cinema as a writer and director, often self- ...

1976 film, '' The Killing of a Chinese Bookie''. Lew had a role in '' Killpoint'', an action film directed by

Frank Harris Frank Harris (14 February 1856 – 26 August 1931) was an Irish-American editor, novelist, short story writer, journalist and publisher, who was friendly with many well-known figures of his day. Born in Ireland, he emigrated to the United State ...

and starring Leo Fong, Richard Roundtree, Cameron Mitchell and Stack Pierce. In 2017, he acted in the sci-fi film '' Star Raiders: The Adventures of Saber Raine'', directed by Mark Steven Grove and starring Casper Van Dien, Cynthia Rothrock, Sara Salazar, and Tyler Weaver Jr.

Personal life

Lew was married to

Pamela Gidley Pamela Catherine Gidley (June 11, 1965 – April 16, 2018) was an American actress and model. She began her career as an actress in 1986, debuting in the film ''Thrashin' (film), Thrashin, before appearing in a number of films, including ''Dud ...

from 2005 until their divorce in 2008. Lew married Jordanna Alex Potter (née Glaskin) in 2014. He is the stepfather of actor

Ryan Potter Ryan Potter (born Ryan Kenichi Hagimoto; September 12, 1995) is an American actor. He made his acting debut as the lead of the Nickelodeon action comedy series ''Supah Ninjas'' (2011–2013). As a voice actor, he voiced Hiro Takachiho, Hiro Ham ...

, who portrayes Gar Logan/Beast Boy on the HBO Max series

Titans In Greek mythology, the Titans ( ; ) were the pre-Twelve Olympians, Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (mythology), Uranus (Sky) and Gaia (Earth). The six male ...

Books

* ''The Art of Stretching and Kicking'' (2018),

Selected filmography

* 1976 '' The Killing of a Chinese Bookie'' as Asian Guard (uncredited) * 1976 '' Enforcer from Death Row'' as Karate Fighter * 1977 '' Big Time'' as Karate Instructor * 1979 ''Young Dragon'' as Shao Lung * 1983 '' Going Berserk'' as Kung Fu Fighter * 1984 '' Killpoint'' as Nighthawk's Gunman #1 * 1985 '' Ninja Turf'' as Chan * 1986 ''

Big Trouble in Little China ''Big Trouble in Little China'' (also known as ''John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China'') is a 1986 American fantasy action-comedy film directed by John Carpenter, and starring Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun and James Hong. The ...

'' as Chang Sing #1 * 1987 '' Steele Justice'' as Mob Thug #5 (uncredited) * 1988 '' Action Jackson'' as Martial Arts Instructor * 1989 '' Ninja Academy'' as Ninja Trainer * 1989 '' Savage Beach'' as Agent #1 * 1989 '' Best of the Best'' as Sae Jin Kwon * 1990 ''

Aftershock In seismology, an aftershock is a smaller earthquake that follows a larger earthquake, in Epicenter, the same area of the Mainshock, main shock, caused as the displaced Crust (geology), crust adjusts to the effects of the main shock. Large earthq ...

'' as Mr. James * 1990 '' China Cry'' as Kickboxer Instructor * 1990 ''

Guns A gun is a device that propels a projectile using pressure or explosive force. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns or cannons), or gas (e.g. light-gas gun). Solid projectiles may be ...

'' as Ninja #1 * 1991 '' The Perfect Weapon'' as Crewcut * 1991 ''Night of the Warrior'' as Hector Sabatei * 1991 '' Do or Die'' as Lew * 1991 '' Showdown in Little Tokyo'' as Yoshida's Man (uncredited) * 1991 '' Double Impact'' as Unknown * 1992 '' Rapid Fire'' as Tau's Man At Laundry (uncredited) * 1992 ''Ulterior Motives'' as Yakuza #5 * 1992 ''Dark Vengeance'' as 'Mantis' * 1992 ''A Mission to Kill'' as Viet Cong (uncredited) * 1992 ''Mission of Justice'' as Akiro * 1993 '' American Ninja V'' as 'Viper' * 1993 '' Hot Shots! Part Deux'' as Kick Boxer Opponent * 1993 '' Undercover Blues'' as Novacek's Man * 1993 '' Showdown'' as Hit Man * 1994 '' On Deadly Ground'' as Mercenary At Aegis 1 (uncredited) * 1994 ''Ring of Steel'' as Asian Fighter * 1994 ''

The Shadow The Shadow is a fictional character created by American magazine publishers Street & Smith and writer Walter B. Gibson. Originally created to be a mysterious radio show narrator and developed into a distinct literary character in 1931 by Gibs ...

'' as Mongol * 1994 ''Red Sun Rising'' as Jaho * 1994 ''

Timecop ''Timecop'' is a 1994 American science fiction action film directed by Peter Hyams and co-written by Mike Richardson (publisher), Mike Richardson and Mark Verheiden. Richardson also served as executive producer. The film is based on ''Timecop ( ...

'' as Knife #1 * 1994 '' Deadly Target'' as Guard #2 (uncredited) * 1994 ''Cage II'' as Chin * 1995 ''Ballistic'' as Woo * 1995 '' Midnight Man'' as Prince Samarki * 1995 '' Under Siege 2: Dark Territory'' as Mercenary (uncredited) * 1995 '' Excessive Force II: Force on Force'' as Lee * 1995 ''The Immortals'' as Asian Man * 1996 '' Night Hunter'' as Tom Cutter * 1996 ''Balance of Power'' (1996) as Shinji Takamura * 1996 '' Escape from L.A.'' as Saigon Shadows Gang Member (uncredited) * 1996 ''For Life or Death'' as Kaan Woo * 1996 ''Robo Warriors'' as Darius * 1996 ''Fox Hunt'' as 'Kung Fu' Lew * 1997 ''

Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. The concept is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film, also written by Whedon, a ...

'' as Vampire * 1997 ''The Girl Gets Moe'' as Brez * 1997 '' Red Corner'' as Unknown * 1997 ''

High Voltage High voltage electricity refers to electrical potential large enough to cause injury or damage. In certain industries, ''high voltage'' refers to voltage above a certain threshold. Equipment and conductors that carry high voltage warrant sp ...

'' as Harry * 1998 '' The Replacement Killers'' as Bodyguard * 1998 '' Boogie Boy'' as Jason * 1998 ''

Safe House A safe house (also spelled safehouse) is a dwelling place or building whose unassuming appearance makes it an inconspicuous location where one can hide out, take shelter, or conduct clandestine activities. Historical usage It may also refer to ...

'' as Asian (uncredited) * 1998 ''

Lethal Weapon 4 ''Lethal Weapon 4'' is a 1998 American buddy cop action film directed and produced by Richard Donner, and starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo, Chris Rock, and Jet Li (in his international film debut). It is the fourth ins ...

'' as Freighter's Captain * 1998 ''

Rush Hour A rush hour (American English, British English) or peak hour (Australian English, Indian English) is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice e ...

'' as Juntao's Man In Los Angeles (uncredited) * 1999 '' Clubland'' as Lipton T's Sidekick * 2000 '' Deep Core'' as Lou Chang * 2000 ''

Traffic Traffic is the movement of vehicles and pedestrians along land routes. Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffic laws and informal rules that may have developed over time to facilitate the orderly an ...

'' as DEA Agent At CalTrans * 2001 ''

Rush Hour 2 ''Rush Hour 2'' is a 2001 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Brett Ratner and written by Jeff Nathanson. A sequel to '' Rush Hour'' (1998), it is the second installment in the ''Rush Hour'' franchise and stars Jackie Chan and ...

'' as Triad Gangster (uncredited) * 2002 '' Outside the Law'' as Cho Sung * 2002 ''The Real Deal'' as Black Belt * 2003 ''Paris'' as Mr. Fue * 2003 ''

Sin In religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law or a law of the deities. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered ...

'' as Leo Thamaree * 2004 ''The Perfect Party'' as Daddy * 2006 '' 18 Fingers of Death!'' as Buford Lee * 2006 ''The Hitman Chronicles'' as Draga * 2007 '' Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End'' as Asian Pirate (uncredited) * 2007 ''

Rush Hour 3 ''Rush Hour 3'' is a 2007 American Buddy Cop film, buddy cop action comedy film directed by Brett Ratner, written by Jeff Nathanson. It is the third installment in the Rush Hour (franchise), ''Rush Hour'' franchise and sequel to ''Rush Hour 2'' ...

'' as Triad Assassin (uncredited) * 2008 ''

Superhero Movie ''Superhero Movie'' is a 2008 American superhero parody film written and directed by Craig Mazin, produced by Robert K. Weiss and David Zucker, and starring Drake Bell, Sara Paxton, Christopher McDonald, Kevin Hart, Brent Spiner, Jeffrey Ta ...

'' as Shaolin Monk (uncredited) * 2008 ''

Tropic Thunder ''Tropic Thunder'' is a 2008 Satire (film and television), satirical Action comedy, action comedy film directed by Ben Stiller, who wrote the screenplay with Justin Theroux and Etan Cohen. The film stars Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., ...

'' as Flaming Dragon Member At Compound (uncredited) * 2009 ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...

'' as Romulan (uncredited) * 2009 ''The Carbon Copy'' as Thug * 2009 ''Angel of Death'' as Tommy * 2009 ''Ballistica'' as Chinese Guard #1 * 2009 ''Nephilim'' as Unknown * 2010 ''

Chuck Chuck () is a masculine given name or a nickname for Charles or Charlie. It may refer to: People Arts and entertainment * Chuck Alaimo, American saxophonist, leader of the Chuck Alaimo Quartet * Chuck Barris (1929–2017), American TV produce ...

'' as Anad Chenerad * 2010 ''Taken by Force'' as Choy * 2010 ''

Inception ''Inception'' is a 2010 science fiction action heist film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, who also produced it with Emma Thomas, his wife. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a professional thief who steals information by inf ...

'' as Unknown * 2012 '' The Girl from the Naked Eye'' as Eddie * 2012 ''

Safe A safe (also called a strongbox or coffer) is a secure lockable enclosure used for securing valuable objects against theft or fire. A safe is usually a hollow cuboid or cylinder, with one face being removable or hinged to form a door. The body ...

'' as Underground Casino Guard (uncredited) * 2012 '' Sleeping Dogs'' as Sifu Kwok (voice) * 2012 ''

Battleship A battleship is a large, heavily naval armour, armored warship with a main battery consisting of large naval gun, guns, designed to serve as a capital ship. From their advent in the late 1880s, battleships were among the largest and most form ...

'' as Unknown * 2013 '' G.I. Joe: Retaliation'' as Chinese Leader * 2014 '' Bad Country'' as Doctor * 2014 ''Tengu, The Immortal Blade'' as Asura * 2015 ''

Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 Gothic novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a Sapience, sapient Frankenstein's monster, crea ...

'' as Hotel Manager * 2016 ''Beyond the Game'' as Unknown * 2016 ''Breakout'' as Captain Rusch * 2017 '' Star Raiders: The Adventures of Saber Raine'' as Sinjin * 2018 ''Cucuy: The Boogeyman'' as Beat Cop * 2019 ''American Bistro'' as Angry Man #1

References

External links

*
The Wing Kong Exchange Interview with James Lew
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lew, James 1952 births American wushu practitioners American male taekwondo practitioners American Jeet Kune Do practitioners American hapkido practitioners American people of Chinese descent American male film actors American stunt performers Living people People from Escalon, California Male actors from California 20th-century American sportsmen