Martial Artist Actors Who Never Made it Big in Hollywood

"Everybody was Kung-Fu fighting. Those cats were fast as lightning." Many actors try to make it big in Hollywood by kung-fu fighting. For every hopeful Bruce Lee that makes it like Jet Li or Jean-Claude Van Damme, there are near famous high kickers who never achieve stardom.

These marvelous martial artists continue to work in film and television, but they're not household names.

Taimak

This multi-racial performer of Italian and African American descent studied Chinese Goju, Goju-ryu, Taekwondo and Jujutsu. He was just 20 when cast as lead in the feature film, The Last Dragon produced by Motown giant Berry Gordy.

With no prior experience or training, it was learn to act as you go for Taimak during filming of the quirky movie. Blending comedy and fight action along with R&B music, The Last Dragon was a kind of comedy martial arts musical. Taimak played Leeroy Green, nicknamed Bruce Leeroy over his loving worship of idol Bruce Lee. Despite critical disdain, the picture made a nice profit and is considered a cult movie.

Taimak appeared in music videos, the NBC television series A Different World, a spin-off of The Cobsy Show and also once co-owned a gym.

Jeff Speakman

Jeff Speakman's first distinguished himself in athletics as an All American springboard diver in high school. His martial arts specialty is Kenpo, which he studied under the system's founder Ed Parker.

His film debut was 1991's The Perfect Weapon, where he fights Korean mobsters, dispatching them with Kenpo. Viewers may remember the liberal use of the hit song "Power" with the catchy lyric "I've Got The Power!" The film itself sadly didn't have enough power for a hit. Although not badly received, it didn't catch on enough for Speakman to carve out a major movie career. However, he's continued to work busily in low budget films.

Mark Dacascos

Perhaps more than any other on the list, Mark Dacascos came close to being a big star.