Home >

DeForest Kelley

DeForest Kelley

Birthday: 1920-01-20 | Place of Birth: Atlanta, Georgia, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 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.

...

Known For

Acting

Year
Title

Role

1991
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

as    Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy

1989
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

as    Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy

1986
1984
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

as    Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy

1982
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

as    Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy

1979
Star Trek: The Motion Picture

as    Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy

1973
Star Trek

as    Leonard McCoy (voice)

1972
Night of the Lepus

as    Elgin Clark

1966
Star Trek

as    Dr. McCoy

1965
Apache Uprising

as    Toby Jack Saunders

1964
Where Love Has Gone

as    Sam Corwin

1963
Gunfight at Comanche Creek

as    Amos Troop

1959
Warlock

as    Curley Burne

1958
The Law and Jake Wade

as    Wexler

1956
Tension at Table Rock

as    Jim Breck

1948
Canon City

as    Smalley

1947
Fear in the Night

as    Vince Grayson