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DeForest Kelley

DeForest Kelley

Actor · 1920 – 1999 · Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Jackson DeForest Kelley (January 20, 1920 – June 11, 1999) was an American actor, screenwriter, poet and singer known for his iconic roles in Westerns and as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy of the USS Enterprise in the television and film series Star Trek. Kelley was delivered by his uncle at his parents' home in Atlanta, the son of Clora (née Casey) and Ernest David Kelley, who was a Baptist minister of Irish and Southern ancestry. DeForest was named after the pioneering electronics engineer Lee De Forest, and later named his Star Trek character's father "David" after his own. Kelley had an older brother, Ernest Casey Kelley. As a child, he often played outside for hours at a time. Kelley was immersed in his father's mission in Conyers and promised his father failure would mean "wreck and ruin". Before the end of his first year at Conyers, Kelley was introduced into the congregation to his musical talents and often sang solo in morning church services. Eventually, this led to an appearance on the radio station WSB AM in Atlanta, Georgia. As a result of his radio work, he won an engagement with Lew Forbes and his orchestra at the Paramount Theater. In 1934, the family left Conyers for the community of Decatur. He attended the Decatur Boys High School where he played on the Decatur Bantams baseball team. Kelley also played football and other sports. Before his graduation, Kelley got a job as a drugstore car hop. He spent his weekends working in the local theatres. Kelley graduated in 1938. During World War II, Kelley served as an enlisted man in the United States Army Air Forces between March 10, 1943, and January 28, 1946, assigned to the First Motion Picture Unit. After an extended stay in Long Beach, California, Kelley decided to pursue an acting career and relocate to southern California permanently, living for a time with his uncle Casey. He worked as an usher in a local theater in order to earn enough money for the move. Kelley's mother encouraged her son in his new career goal, but his father disliked the idea. While in California, Kelley was spotted by a Paramount Pictures scout while doing a United States Navy training film.

Movies24

  • Movie6.5
  • Movie7.5
  • Movie5.7
  • Movie7.2
  • Movie7.0
  • Movie6.6
  • Movie7.0
  • Movie5.5

    Virtuosity

    1995 · 636 votes

  • Movie7.5

    The Pixar Story

    2007 · 250 votes

  • Movie6.8

    Warlock

    1959 · 176 votes

  • Movie5.7
  • Movie6.4

    Raintree County

    1957 · 59 votes

  • Movie6.7
  • Movie6.2

    House of Bamboo

    1955 · 75 votes

  • Movie4.4

    Night of the Lepus

    1972 · 119 votes

  • Movie7.0

    The Men

    1950 · 96 votes

  • Movie5.8

    Marriage on the Rocks

    1965 · 14 votes

  • Movie5.7

    The Bull of the West

    1972 · 9 votes

  • Movie6.8

    Town Tamer

    1965 · 12 votes

  • Movie2.0
  • Movie6.3

    Trekkies

    1997 · 68 votes

  • Movie6.7

    The Law and Jake Wade

    1958 · 64 votes

  • Movie6.1

    Where Love Has Gone

    1964 · 21 votes

  • Movie6.2

    Tension at Table Rock

    1956 · 17 votes

Series24

  • TV7.7

    Perry Mason

    1957 · 139 votes

  • TV8.4
  • TV7.9
  • TV6.8

    The Merv Griffin Show

    1962 · 12 votes

  • TV8.0

    Star Trek

    1966 · 1.6K votes

  • TV7.5

    Bonanza

    1959 · 500 votes

  • TV6.8

    Ironside

    1967 · 71 votes

  • TV6.5

    The Donna Reed Show

    1958 · 19 votes

  • TV7.3

    The Fugitive

    1963 · 63 votes

  • TV5.3

    Matinee Theater

    1955 · 7 votes

  • TV7.3

    Have Gun, Will Travel

    1957 · 44 votes

  • TV6.5

    The Virginian

    1962 · 35 votes

  • TV5.4

    Studio One

    1948 · 13 votes

  • TV6.5
  • TV7.2

    Rawhide

    1959 · 49 votes

  • TV6.2
  • TV6.7

    Route 66

    1960 · 20 votes

  • TV7.1

    Wanted: Dead or Alive

    1958 · 38 votes

  • TV6.7

    Gunsmoke

    1955 · 119 votes

  • TV6.0

    Lawman

    1958 · 13 votes

  • TV6.4

    Bat Masterson

    1958 · 16 votes

  • TV7.2

    Tales of Wells Fargo

    1957 · 16 votes

  • TV6.8

    The Lone Ranger

    1949 · 36 votes

  • TV5.8

    The Millionaire

    1955 · 4 votes