Steve James (actor)
| Steve James | |
|---|---|
| Born |
February 19, 1952 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died |
December 18, 1993 (aged 41) Burbank, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | pancreatic cancer |
| Resting place | Hollywood Forever Cemetery |
| Occupation | Film, television actor |
| Years active | 1970-1993 |
| Spouse(s) | Christine Pan James (1992-1993) (his death)[1] |
Steve James (February 19, 1952 – December 18, 1993) was an American actor, stunt performer and martial artist. He starred mostly in action films such as the American Ninja series, The Delta Force (1986), The Exterminator (1980), and Enter the Game of Death (1978). James also portrayed Kung Fu Joe in the 1988 comedy/spoof film I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, and its 1990 television pilot spinoff Hammer, Slammer, & Slade.
Biography
Steve James was born and raised in New York City.[2] His father was trumpet player Hubie James. His uncle was James Wall, who played Mr. Baxter on the children's television series Captain Kangaroo. His godfather was Joe Seneca who, among many roles, played Danny Glover's father in Silverado. Joe Seneca was instrumental in Steve becoming interested in action films as he took him to movies on 42nd Street when he was a child. He graduated from Power Memorial Academy in 1970, then attended C.W. Post College[2] as an Arts and Film major. Upon graduating, he became involved in stage work and TV commercials.[2] James started his film career off as a stunt performer for such New York based film productions as The Wiz, The Warriors, and The Wanderers.[2]
Personal life and death
On December 18, 1993, James died of pancreatic cancer[3] in his home in Burbank, California at age 41. He is survived by his wife, Christine Pan James, and his daughter from a previous marriage, Debi James. His widow is a writer and actor, his daughter a model and singer.
His last roles were in the feature film Bloodfist V: Human Target with Don "The Dragon" Wilson and the pilot for the TV series M.A.N.T.I.S.. The pilot first aired on Fox just a few weeks after his death. He was also scheduled to star as Jax Briggs in 1995's Mortal Kombat until his death. Eulogies at Steve's funeral service were delivered by Sidney Poitier (as his widow, Chris, was employed by Mr. Poitier), his father Hubie James, his friend John A. Gallagher and Christine Pan James. His urn resides on the mantle of his home in Burbank, California.[4]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | The Education of Sonny Carson | Uncredited | |
| 1975 | The Land That Time Forgot | First Sto-Lu | (chases Susan Penhaligon into a pool of quicksand, sinks to his death) |
| 1978 | Enter the Game of Death | Black Martial Artist | (as Samuel Walls) |
| Enter Three Dragons | Sammy | (as Samuel Walls) | |
| 1979 | The Warriors | Baseball Fury | |
| Golden Dragon, Silver Snake | Black Martial Artist | (as Samuel Walls) | |
| 1980 | The Exterminator | Michael Jefferson | |
| He Knows You're Alone | Young Man | ||
| Times Square | Dude | (as Steve W. James) | |
| The Mouse and the Woman | Union Man | ||
| 1981 | Arthur | Man Outside Tie Store | Uncredited |
| 1982 | Muggable Mary, Street Cop | Park Slasher-Rapist | |
| The Soldier | Soldier's Force member #2 | ||
| 1983 | Vigilante (a.k.a. Street Gang) | Ptl. Gibbons | (as Steve W. James) |
| 1984 | Fatal Vision | US Marshal | |
| The Brother from Another Planet | Odell | ||
| 1985 | Mask | Hospital Intern | |
| Weird Science | Guy at Table | Uncredited | |
| American Ninja | Curtis Jackson | ||
| To Live and Die in L.A. | Jeff Rice | ||
| 1986 | The Delta Force | Bobby | |
| Behind Enemy Lines (a.k.a. P.O.W. the Escape) | Johnston | ||
| C.A.T. Squad | Bud Raines | ||
| Avenging Force | Larry Richards | ||
| 1987 | Hollywood Shuffle | Hood #3 | (as Steve W. James) |
| American Ninja 2: The Confrontation | Curtis Jackson | ||
| 1988 | Johnny Be Good | Coach Sanders | |
| C.A.T. Squad: Python Wolf | Bud Raines | ||
| Hero and the Terror | Robinson | ||
| I'm Gonna Git You Sucka | Kung Fu Joe | ||
| 1989 | American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt | Curtis Jackson | |
| Riverbend | Major Samuel Quentin | ||
| 1990 | Mister Johnson | Aliu | |
| Street Hunter | Logan Blade | ||
| Hammer, Slammer, & Slade | Kung Fu Joe | ||
| 1991 | McBain | Eastland | |
| 1993 | Weekend at Bernie's II | Henry | |
| 1994 | Bloodfist V: Human Target | Marcus / Drew Washington | |
| M.A.N.T.I.S. | Antoine Pike | (final film role) | |
Television
| Year | Title | Episode | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | T.J. Hooker | "Night Vigil" | Coach Cassius Isley | |
| All My Children | Guard Pinkston | |||
| The Dukes Of Hazzard | "Danger on the Hazzard Express" | Carney | ||
| 1985 | Arthur Hailey's Hotel | "Love and Honor" | Kaz | |
| The Atlanta Child Murders | (mini-series) | Policeman #1 | ||
| 1986 | Moonlighting | "Symphony in Knocked Flat" | Mohammed "Boogaloo" Brown | |
| 1993 | Raven | "Checkmate" | Paul Dodson | |
| 1994 | M.A.N.T.I.S. | Antoine Pike | (final film role) | |
Stunts
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | The Education of Sonny Carson | |
| 1978 | The Wiz | |
| 1978 | Oliver's Story | |
| 1979 | The Wanderers | |
| 1980 | Dressed to Kill | |
| He Knows You're Alone | ||
| The Exterminator | ||
| 1981 | Fort Apache the Bronx | |
| Wolfen | ||
| Ragtime | ||
| 1982 | Fighting Back | |
| Hanky Panky | ||
| 1984 | The Brother from Another Planet | |
Writer
- Street Hunter (1990)
References
- ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=1rkDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA16&lpg=PA16&dq=steve+james+actor&source=bl&ots=VXBSqnbJcZ&sig=8pSFMX1pu5macFuaiCFk-RWwRlc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjshOiqtY_NAhXD2SYKHS-1D6UQ6AEIggEwDg#v=onepage&q=steve%20james%20actor&f=false
- 1 2 3 4 "Steve James Biography". Imdb.com. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
- ↑ , biography
- ↑ http://www.ninjastevejames.com/media/stevejamesbio.pdf