Biography for
DeForest Kelley More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

20 January 1920, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Date of Death

11 June 1999, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA (stomach cancer)

Birth Name

Jackson DeForest Kelley

Nickname

De

Height

5' 10" (1.78 m)

Mini Biography

Jackson DeForest Kelley was born on January 20, 1920 in Toccoa, Georgia. He graduated from high school at age 16 and went on to sing at the Baptist church where his father was a minister. At age 17, he made his first trip outside the state to visit an uncle in Long Beach, California. He intended to stay for two weeks but ended up staying a year. Upon returning home, he told his parents he was moving to California to become an actor. His mother encouraged him but the idea did not go over well with his father. In California, Kelley was spotted by a Paramount talent scout while working on a United States Navy training film. He became a reliable character actor (often in Westerns in which he often played the villain), but hit the big time when he was offered the role of the somewhat irascible Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy in the television series "Star Trek" (1966). He later reprised his role for a string of successful Star Trek films: Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989), and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991). DeForest Kelley died at age 79 of stomach cancer on June 11, 1999.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Sarah Kilroy <sarah@erinet.com>

Spouse

Carolyn Dowling

(7 September 1945 - 11 June 1999) (his death)

Trade Mark

Catchphrase: "I'm a Doctor, not a..." said whenever McCoy was forced to do something he was unfamiliar with.

Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy in "Star Trek" (1966) and several of the Star Trek films

Gruff voice with southern accent

Trivia

Before landing the role of Dr. McCoy, he was offered the choice to play Mr. Spock. Years later, he played both for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984).

Is one of only 32 actors or actresses to have starred in both the original "Star Trek" (1966) up to and including Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) and then in one of the spin-offs.

He was cremated and his ashes scattered in the Pacific Ocean.

Made both his first, episode "Star Trek: The Corbomite Maneuver (#1.10)" (1966), and last, film Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), "Star Trek" appearances with Nichelle Nichols.

Shortly before his death, he won the "Golden Cowboy Boot" award, honoring his earlier work in westerns.

Was the only original "Star Trek" (1966) series cast member never to write an autobiography.

The "Star Trek: Enterprise" (2001) character, Admiral Maxwell Forrest played by Vaughn Armstrong, is named after him.

Of the four main "Star Trek" (1966) cast members (the others being William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and James Doohan), he is the only one who never appeared in "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." (1964), "Twilight Zone" (1959) or "The Outer Limits" (1963).

Reportedly disliked doing the animated "Star Trek" (1973) series because he was never recording his lines at the same time as William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. Kelley did not like this because he never got to interact with them and develop any rapport, which made reading his lines all the more difficult.

He told close friends that he always felt more comfortable in westerns than science fiction.

Was the first primary cast member from "Star Trek" (1966) to pass away.

A veteran of television and film westerns, he has portrayed two different participants in the legendary 1881 O.K. Corral gunfight between the Earps and the Clantons. In 1955, he played Ike Clanton in an episode of the television series "You Are There" (1953), and in 1957, he played Morgan Earp in the film Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957). On "Star Trek" (1966), the USS Enterprise away team beam onto a planet and he again finds himself at the O.K. Corral, playing Tom McLaury.

Shortly after Mr. Kelley's passing, "He's dead, Jim" was forever memorialized by being added in tribute to Dr. McCoy for two 1999 video games: StarCraft: Brood War (1998) (VG) and Shatner-oids, a spoof of the classic Atari game "Asteroids".

The tagline "I'm a doctor, not a..." has been quoted in almost every incarnation of "Star Trek" (1966) on film and television.

Had a great love of poetry, both reading and writing it. Later in life, he used to charm Star Trek convention audiences with three poems about Gene Roddenberry ("The Great Bird of the Galaxy") and the Star Trek franchise. They were called "The Big Bird's Dream", "The Dream Goes On" and "The Dream Forever".

Inspired many fans to take up medicine. He and his wife visited one of them after graduating from medical school, after receiving an invitation.

He plays a medic in The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956). Foreshadowing things to come, his character says, "This man is dead, Captain".

Often mistakenly billed as Kelly de Forrest.

His personal favorite "Star Trek" (1966) episode was "Star Trek: The Empath (#3.12)" (1968).

Graduated from Decatur High School in Decatur, Georgia when he was only 16 years old.

The oldest cast member of "Star Trek" (1966).

He had originally wanted to be a Doctor.

He was the most well-liked of the "Star Trek" (1966) cast and the only one that no one had a feud with at any point.

Irish-American.

He was very happy to learn in later years that his character Dr. McCoy had inspired many young people to become physicians.

He was very shy by nature and did not like appearing at conventions or doing television interviews.

At the time of Star Trek's beginning, he had been acting for over 20 years (Due to being over a decade older than most of his co-stars).

He was an extremely low key and private individual who preferred not to seek leading roles and not to be involved in the Hollywood lifestyle.

Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

Cousin of Calvert DeForest and Bebe Daniels.

Personal Quotes

[on why he chose to play Dr. McCoy instead of Mr. Spock on "Star Trek" (1966)] I wouldn't have been anywhere near Leonard Nimoy. He's marvelous.

[on his life] I'd wanted to become a doctor and couldn't ~ yet became the best known doctor in the galaxy.

[on Star Trek fans] They're the most devoted group of people and contrary to what people think, they don't have antennae coming out of their heads.

I'm very grateful for the career that I've had. And I'm very grateful for the experiences that "Star Trek" has afforded me along with my past background. When I look back and think how fortunate I've been to work with some wonderful people and had some marvelous experiences, then I can look at "Star Trek" and think it's almost like the cream on the coffee. I don't approach it as anything but a magnificent plus.

I thoroughly enjoyed those years. I liked Westerns for two reasons: First, it took the actor outside. They were all very physical at that time and not limited to a stage. Second, they paid my rent an awful lot.

[to William Shatner, on his deathbed] Let's make just one more "Star Trek" movie! I sure miss making those movies!