James Lew, 1952 – 2026

Actor and stuntman James Lew, 73, has died, it was announced on Aug. 24. The L.A. native was trained in martial arts as a teenager, making his acting debut in Kung Fu, in 1977. He went on to play small or supporting roles in The Fall Guy, Three’s a Crowd, General Hospital, Big Trouble in Little China, Action Jackson, Beauty and the Beast, Falcon Crest, Murder She Wrote, Hot Shots!, Time Cop, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Frasier, and nearly 200 other films and TV shows. Lew also worked as a stuntman or stunt coordinator on just as many projects, also beginning with Kung Fu, and most recently in this year’s Busboys. He told The Action Elite site, “I just enjoy this business so much. Just getting to play is always an honor and a blessing. So, I’m happy. Whenever I’m on the set, I am at home. It feels so comfortable. I like being the stunt guy who gets the crap beat out of him, or coordinating and getting to create. Acting, of course, I just have fun getting to pretend I’m somebody I’m not. It’s such a pleasure.”