He is a skilled mandolin and guitar player and appears accompanying himself in Spike Lee's Crooklyn (1994) singing a song he improvised for the film and on the CDs for two Broadway shows, "Twelfth Night" and "Working".
He is an avid martial artist with a Second Degree Black Belt (Nidan Rank) in Seido Karate and a practitioner of three forms of Tai Chi (Chen, Yang, Palm).
He is a vegetarian inspired by George Bernard Shaw, Tolstoy, and the Beat Poets.
The famous "Warriors come out to play" scene was improvised by him in collaboration with Walter Hill who told him to just "come up with something" when he felt the scripted scene wasn't working. He then gathered up some empty beer bottles he found under the board walk and created the taunting dialogue based on a neighbor who used to intimidate him.
Graduated Cum Laude Bachelor of Fine Arts from University Of Detroit. He was also a student of Marcel Marceau and Mira Rostova.
He is one of seven children. His sister Susan Kelly is an author and expert in child protective services. His brother Robert C. Kelly is Vietnam Veteran and energy company executive. His brother John F. Kelly was a State Senator in Michigan for 16 years. His sister Margaret Kelly is an award-winning graphic designer. His sisters Maureen and Kathleen are grade school teachers.
Plays a character with the name "Luther" in two Walter Hill movies, The Warriors (1979) and 48 Hrs. (1982).
He received an 1998 OBIE award for Sustained Excellence (sometimes called "Lifetime Achievement" Award.
Graduated from Bishop Gallagher High School in Harper Woods, Michigan.
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