Veteran stunt performer and coordinator James Lew has died at the age of 73.
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Lew’s wife Jordanna Potter announced his death on August 23 via Instagram.
“Honey I imagine you walking the beach with Dudley, sparring with Bruce Lee and finally getting to hug your Dad again. James MF Lew you are loved and will be deeply missed. Rest in peace,” she wrote, sharing pictures of Lew.
His cause of death has not been shared.
One of his best known appearances is likely Jim Abraham’s 1993 Rambo parody Hot Shots! Part Deux. In the film, Lew’s character is comically beaten in a fight with Charlie Sheen’s character.
Lew also worked with director John Carpenter on three films, Big Trouble in Little China, They Live and Escape From L.A., The Hollywood Reporter shared. He was also featured in all three Rush Hour films.
Other films he did stunt work for include The Last Samurai, Tropic Thunder, the 2009 version of Star Trek, Inception, and Avengers: Endgame.
According to THR, Lew, who was born on September 6, 1952, was raised in South Central Los Angeles.
“My lifelong adventure into the martial arts began when I was 14 years old,” he once said in an interview. “It was part of a natural discovery and curiosity that I decided to ‘try’ training in the martial arts. The school was a combination of taekwondo and Tang Soo Do.”
Lew’s long career also included decades of television work on both sides of the camera. In 2017, he received an Emmy for outstanding stunt coordination for a drama series, limited series for the Netflix series Luke Cage.
In 2006, he wrote and directed the mockumentary based on his life in Hollywood, 18 Fingers of Death! He co-directed the parody Made in Chinatown in 2021.
Lew was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame in 2024.