Striking supporting player of film, stage, and especially TV, largely identified with, and much loved for, his role as Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy on the sci-fi phenomenon, "Star Trek". Jackson DeForest Kelley--known as "De" to his friends--began his entertainment career singing on the radio and at the local Paramount theater in his native Atlanta. His acting career started when he was spotted in a Navy training film, tested and then signed to a contract at Paramount Studios. He played his only true lead in his debut, "Fear in the Night" (1947), a minor but memorable film noir which aptly showcased Kelley's famous arched eyebrows and sometimes wild-eyed expressions as a man who may have committed murder while under hypnosis. After several more films Kelley moved to New York, where he worked onstage and in early TV anthology dramas. He returned to Hollywood and was helped by a friend who was writing for TV's "You Are There". Kelley also resumed his feature career in modest roles in Samuel Fuller's "House of Bamboo" (1955) and "Tension at Table Rock" (1956). The latter set a pattern for Kelley, whose slight Southern drawl and lean, weathered look suited him for roles as townsfolk, prairie ranchers or lesser villains in Westerns including "Warlock" (1959), "Town Tamer" (1965) and "Gunfight at the OK Corral" (1956), as one of the Earp brothers.
Starring for writer-producer Gene Roddenberry on an NBC-TV crime drama pilot, "333 Montgomery" (1960), didn't seem anything special, especially when the resulting series, "Sam Benedict", cast Edmond O'Brien in the lead. Roddenberry remembered Kelley, though, and on the original "Star Trek" (1966-69) series, the actor found a showcase part. "I'm just a country doctor" and "He's dead, Jim" became trademarks for the argumentative, old-fashioned and humanistic McCoy, a marvelous foil for the more logical Spock and more macho Kirk.
Kelley's only subsequent non-"Trek" feature was the laughable horror film, "Night of the Lepus" (1972)--also co-starring Shatner--but he did some TV guest spots and reprised his greatest role in a TV cartoon (1973-75) and in the six immensely successful "Star Trek" feature films from 1979 to 1991--he also helped christen "Star Trek: The Next Generation" by cameoing in the first two-hour episode as an aged "Bones" as a favor to his longtime friend Roddenberry, becoming the first--but far from the last--"Trek" actor to reprise their role for one of the franchise spin-offs. While Kelley's laid-back charm and twinkling eyes frequently steal scenes from his co-stars, he emerged as the one member of the original cast who was universally admired by the frequently battling actors. Kelley also repeatedly took great pride whenever he encountered fans of the series who were inspired to become physicians by his portrayal of McCoy. He was the first of the original cast to pass away, in 1999.
Profession(s):
Actor
Sometimes Credited As:
DeForest Jackson Kelley
1995 Final film appearance in the documentary "William Shatner's Star Trek Memories!"
1991 Final acting role, reprising McCoy in "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country"
1979 First reprised the role of Dr. McCoy on the big screen for the feature film, "Star Trek: The Motion Picture"
1966 Another feature film absence, of six years, followed after "Waco"
1960 Played the leading role of lawyer Jake Brittin in the NBC crime pilot, "333 Montgomery", broadcast as an installment of the "Alcoa Theater"; Gene Roddenberry wrote and produced the pilot; later became
1956 Acted in first Western feature, "Tension at Table Rock"
1955 Returned to Hollywood to resume feature film work and to work in TV shot on the West coast; first film, "House of Bamboo", directed by Sam Fuller; got help finding TV work from friend Barney Girard, w
1949 Last Hollywood film for six years, "Duke of Chicago"
1947 Made feature film debut in a leading role in the Paramount-produced film noir, "Fear in the Night"
1937 - 1938 First journeyed outside his native Georgia after graduating high school at age 17; visited an uncle in Long Beach, California, planning to stay for two weeks, but lived in California for a year (date
Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, where he sang in his local church's choir
Performed on the radio station WSB, which won him a singing engagement at the Atlanta Paramount Theater with Lew Forbest and His Orchestra
Moved to California; joined the Long Beach Theater Group
Discovered by a Paramount talent when he appeared in a Navy training film; was offered a screen test and later a contract; stayed with Paramount for approximately 2 1/2 years (date approximate)
Moved to New York City and worked primarily onstage in stock theater as well as in early TV, such as the "Schlitz Playhouse of Stars" (date approximate)
Played Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy on the cult NBC science-fiction series, "Star Trek"
Provided the voice of Dr. McCoy for the NBC animated children's version of "Star Trek"
