James Jene Fae Lew (born September 6, 1952) is an American actor and martial artist. He has made 80 on-screen film and television appearances and 46 more as a stunt coordinator or stunt double. He has done choreography for movies like ''

Get Smart ''Get Smart'' is an American comedy television series parodying the secret agent genre that had become widely popular in the first half of the 1960s, with the release of the ''James Bond'' films. It was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, an ...

'', '' Killers'' and the cult classic ''

Big Trouble In Little China ''Big Trouble in Little China'' (also in 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 ...

'', as well as television shows such as ''National Geographic's Fight Science'', '' The Crow: Stairway to Heaven'', and ''

Entourage An entourage () is an informal group or band of people who are closely associated with a (usually) famous, notorious, or otherwise notable individual. The word can also refer to: Arts and entertainment * L'entourage, French hip hop / rap collecti ...

''. He does

Shaolin Kung-Fu Shaolin Kung Fu (), also called Shaolin Chinese martial arts, Wushu (), or Shaolin quan (), is one of the oldest, largest, and most famous styles of wushu, or kung fu of Chan Buddhism. It combines Chan Buddhism, Ch'an philosophy and martial arts ...

Tae Kwon Do ''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean martial arts, Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast k ...

Jeet Kune Do Jeet Kune Do is a primarily wing chun kung fu inspired eclectic martial arts philosophy heavily influenced and adapted by the Taoist personal life philosophy and experiences of martial artist Bruce Lee. Overview and philosophy Jeet Kune ...

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

, and

Boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

. He also trained

Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. ...

with sword fighting for the movie ''

Troy Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in prese ...

''.

Career

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 actor, film director, and screenwriter. First known as a television and film actor, Cassavetes also helped pioneer American independent cinema, writing and dire ...

1976 film, ''

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie ''The Killing of a Chinese Bookie'' is a 1976 American neo-noir crime film written and directed by John Cassavetes and starring Ben Gazzara. A rough and gritty film, this is the second of their three collaborations, following ''Husbands'' and pre ...

''. Lew had a role in the

Frank Harris Frank Harris (14 February 1855 – 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 ...

directed action film ''

Killpoint ''Killpoint'' is a 1984 American action film directed by Frank Harris that stars Richard Roundtree, Cameron Mitchell, Leo Fong Leo Fong (; 23 November 1928 – 18 February 2022) was a Chinese-American martial artist, actor, boxer, and Method ...

'', which starred

Leo Fong Leo Fong (; 23 November 1928 – 18 February 2022) was a Chinese-American martial artist, actor, Boxer (boxing), boxer, and Methodism, Methodist minister (Protestantism), minister who had been making films, acting, and directing since the early 1 ...

Richard Roundtree Richard Roundtree (born July 9, 1942) is an American actor. Roundtree is noted as being "the first black action hero" for his portrayal of private detective John Shaft in the 1971 film ''Shaft'', and its four sequels, released between 1972 and 2 ...

, Cameron Mitchell and

Stack Pierce Robert Stack Pierce (June 15, 1933 – March 1, 2016) was a Hollywood actor who was previously a boxer and professional baseball player.Speakers InternationaStack Pierce His acting career began in the early 1970s with television roles in th ...

. In 2017, he acted in the Mark Steven Grove directed sci-fi film '' Star Raiders: The Adventures of Saber Raine'', which also starred

Casper Van Dien Casper Robert Van Dien Jr. (born December 18, 1968) is an American actor. He is best known for his lead role as Johnny Rico in the 1997 science-fiction action film ''Starship Troopers''. He has also appeared in a large number of television and ...

Cynthia Rothrock Cynthia is a feminine given name of Greek origin: , , "from Mount Cynthus" on Delos island. The name has been in use in the Anglosphere since the 1600s. There are various spellings for this name, and it can be abbreviated to Cindy, Cyndi, Cynd ...

, Sara Salazar, and Tyler Weaver Jr.

Personal life

James is married to Jordanna Potter and his stepson is

Ryan Potter Ryan Potter (born September 12, 1995) is an American actor and voice 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 Hamada in the animated sup ...

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

Titans In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Ga ...

Awards

James Lew won the Emmy for Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Limited Series, or Movie in 2017.

Books

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

Selected filmography

* 1976 ''

'' as Asian Guard (uncredited) * 1976 ''

Enforcer from Death Row ''Enforcer from Death Row'' was a film that was directed by Marshall M. Borden and Efren C. Piñon. It starred Leo Fong, Booker T. Anderson, Ann Farber, Darnell Garcia, John Hammond, James Lew, Cameron Mitchell and Mariwin Roberts. The film ...

'' as Karate Fighter * 1977 '' Big Time'' as Karate Instructor * 1979 ''Young Dragon'' as Shao Lung * 1983 ''

Going Berserk ''Going Berserk'' is a 1983 American-Canadian comedy film starring John Candy, Joe Flaherty, and Eugene Levy and directed by David Steinberg. Plot John Bourgignon is an amiable chauffeur A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger ...

'' as Kung Fu Fighter * 1984 ''

'' as Nighthawk's Gunman #1 * 1985 '' Ninja Turf'' as Chan * 1986 ''

Big Trouble in Little China ''Big Trouble in Little China'' (also in 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 ...

'' as Chang Sing #1 * 1987 ''

Steele Justice ''Steele Justice'' is a 1987 film written and directed by Robert Boris and starring Martin Kove, Sela Ward, and Bernie Casey. Taglines "When the police needed someone to stop the Vietnamese Mafia, there was only one choice..." "You don't recru ...

'' as Mob Thug #5 (uncredited) * 1988 '' Action Jackson'' as Martial Arts Instructor * 1989 ''

Ninja Academy ''Ninja Academy'' is a 1989 Nico Mastorakis' comedy film starring Will Egan, Gerald Okamura, Kelly Randall, Michael David, Robert Factor, and Jeff Robinson. It is a low-budget B-movie similar to the'' Police Academy (film series), Police Academ ...

'' as Ninja Trainer * 1989 ''

Savage Beach ''Savage Beach'' is a 1989 action adventure film written and directed by Andy Sidaris and starring Dona Speir, Hope Marie Carlton, John Aprea, Bruce Penhall. It's the fourth installment in the Triple B series. Cast * Dona Speir as Donna * Ho ...

'' as Agent #1 * 1989 ''

Best of the Best Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporation ...

'' as Sae Jin Kwon * 1990 ''

Aftershock In seismology, an aftershock is a smaller earthquake that follows a larger earthquake, in the same area of the main shock, caused as the displaced crust adjusts to the effects of the main shock. Large earthquakes can have hundreds to thousand ...

'' as Mr. James * 1990 ''

China Cry ''China Cry'' is a 1990 American biographical film set during rise of the communist state in China, based on the book by Nora Lam. It is set in the 1950s based on the true story of Sung Neng Yee. Born into a wealthy Chinese family, she is first ...

'' as Kickboxer Instructor * 1990 ''

Guns A gun is a ranged weapon designed to use a shooting tube (gun barrel) to launch projectiles. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns/cannons, spray guns for painting or pressure washing, pr ...

'' 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 ''Showdown in Little Tokyo'' is a 1991 American buddy cop action film directed by Mark L. Lester, who also produced with Martin E. Caan. The film stars Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee; it was the latter's first American film role. The film was r ...

'' as Yoshida's Man (uncredited) * 1991 ''

Double Impact ''Double Impact'' is a 1991 American action film written and directed by Sheldon Lettich, and written, produced by and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as Chad and Alex Wagner. The film marks Van Damme's third collaboration with director Sheldon ...

'' 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 ''Hot Shots! Part Deux'' is a 1993 American parody film directed by Jim Abrahams. It stars Charlie Sheen, Lloyd Bridges, Valeria Golino, Richard Crenna (parodying his Colonel role in the ''Rambo'' franchise), Brenda Bakke, Miguel Ferrer, Ro ...

'' as Kick Boxer Opponent * 1993 ''

Undercover Blues ''Undercover Blues'' is a 1993 action comedy film about a family of secret agents written by Ian Abrams and directed by Herbert Ross and starring Kathleen Turner and Dennis Quaid. Plot Jane and Jefferson Blue, a wise-cracking couple of spies fo ...

'' as Novacek's Man * 1993 ''

Showdown A showdown is a duel. The term may also refer to: Places * Showdown Ski Area, in Montana, United States Books * ''Showdown'' (Amado novel), a 1984 novel by Jorge Amado * ''Showdown'' (Dekker novel), a 2006 novel by Ted Dekker * ''Showdown'' (F ...

'' as Hit Man * 1994 ''

On Deadly Ground ''On Deadly Ground'' is a 1994 American environmental action adventure film directed, co-produced by, and starring Steven Seagal, and co-starring Michael Caine, Joan Chen, John C. McGinley and R. Lee Ermey. It is Seagal's only directorial effort ...

'' as Mercenary At Aegis 1 (uncredited) * 1994 ''Ring of Steel'' as Asian Fighter * 1994 ''

The Shadow The Shadow is a fictional character created by 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 writer Walter ...

'' 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 and Mark Verheiden. Richardson also served as executive producer. The film is based on '' Timecop'', a story created by Richar ...

'' as Knife #1 * 1994 ''

Deadly Target ''Deadly Target'' (also known as ''Fire Zone'') is a 1994 martial arts action film directed by Charla Driver. It stars Gary Daniels, Ken McLeod, Max Gail, Byron Mann and Susan Byun. Plot Hong Kong police detective Charles Prince (Gary Daniels) ...

'' 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. ''Escape from L.A.'' (stylized on-screen as ''John Carpenter's Escape from L.A.'') is a 1996 American Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apocalyptic action film co-written, co-scored, and directed by John Carpenter, co-written and p ...

'' 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. It is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film of the same name, also written by W ...

'' as Vampire * 1997 ''The Girl Gets Moe'' as Brez * 1997 ''

Red Corner ''Red Corner'' is a 1997 American mystery thriller film directed by Jon Avnet, and starring Richard Gere, Bai Ling and Bradley Whitford. Written by Robert King, the film is about an American businessman in China who ends up wrongfully on tria ...

'' 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 spec ...

'' as Harry * 1998 ''

The Replacement Killers ''The Replacement Killers'' is a 1998 American action film directed by Antoine Fuqua in his feature film directorial debut, and starring Chow Yun-fat (his international film debut), Mira Sorvino, Michael Rooker and Kenneth Tsang. The film was re ...

'' as Bodyguard * 1998 ''

Boogie Boy ''Boogie Boy'' is a 1998 film written and directed by Craig Hamann and produced by Braddon Mendelson. It stars Traci Lords, as well as Mark Dacascos, Emily Lloyd, Jaimz Woolvett, Frederic Forrest, Joan Jett, Robert Bauer, and Linnea Quigley. Th ...

'' as Jason * 1998 ''

Safe House A safe house (also spelled safehouse) is, in a generic sense, a secret place for sanctuary or suitable to hide people from the law, hostile actors or actions, or from retribution, threats or perceived danger. It may also be a metaphor. Histori ...

'' 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 insta ...

'' as Freighter's Captain * 1998 ''

Rush Hour A rush hour (American English, British English) or peak hour (Australian 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 every weekday: on ...

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

Traffic Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation. Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffic ...

'' as DEA Agent At CalTrans * 2001 ''

Rush Hour 2 ''Rush Hour 2'' is a 2001 American buddy action comedy film directed by Brett Ratner and written by Jeff Nathanson, based on the characters created by Ross LaManna. A sequel to '' Rush Hour'', it is the second installment in the ''Rush Hour'' ...

'' 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 a religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law. 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 immoral, selfish, s ...

'' 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 action comedy film directed by Brett Ratner, written by Jeff Nathanson, and starring Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Max von Sydow, Hiroyuki Sanada, Noémie Lenoir, Yvan Attal and Youki Kudoh. It is the thi ...

'' as Triad Assassin (uncredited) * 2008 '' Superhero Movie'' as Shaolin Monk (uncredited) * 2008 ''

Tropic Thunder ''Tropic Thunder'' is a 2008 satirical 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., Jay Baruchel, and Brandon T. Jackson as a gro ...

'' 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 eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

'' 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 producer * C ...

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

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

'' as Unknown * 2012 ''

The Girl from the Naked Eye ''The Girl from the Naked Eye'' is a 2012 neo-noir martial arts film directed and written by David Ren. It stars Jason Yee, Samantha Streets, Ron Yuan, Dominique Swain, Sasha Grey and others. Plot Jake (Jason Yee) is a hired driver for a seedy ...

'' as Eddie * 2012 ''

Safe A safe (also called a strongbox or coffer) is a secure lockable box 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 and ...

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

Battleship A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type of ...

'' as Unknown * 2013 '' G.I. Joe: Retaliation'' as China President * 2013 ''

Olympus Has Fallen ''Olympus Has Fallen'' is a 2013 American action thriller film directed and co-produced by Antoine Fuqua from a screenplay written by Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt, and is the first installment in the ''Has Fallen'' film series. The ...

'' as Disguised Motorcade Commando * 2014 ''

Bad Country ''Bad Country'' (also known as ''Whiskey Bay'') is a 2014 American crime drama film based on a true story starring Matt Dillon, Willem Dafoe, Amy Smart, and Tom Berenger. The film started shooting in Baton Rouge and Angola, Louisiana on August ...

'' as Doctor * 2014 ''Tengu, The Immortal Blade'' as Asura * 2015 ''

Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific ex ...

'' 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