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Star Spotlight
James Francis Kelly III (He likes to be called Kelly) costars in Sly Stallone's sixth movie in the Rocky series, Rocky Balboa. Kelly plays "Steps," a young boy from the fighter's old neighborhood who Rocky takes under his wing. Appearing in a Sly Stallone film is sure to put this actor on the map, but he's put in his fair share of work. Kelly started acting when he was 4 and by the time he was 9, he was studying at the prestigious Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. He has been busy in front of the camera ever since with appearances on TV shows such as The Profiler, On Common Ground and 7th Heaven. On the personal side, Kelly is a straight-A student and top football player at his high school. He received more than 70 letters from colleges who are interested in him because of his academic and athletic records! We recently caught up with this rising star and asked him about sports, school life, and a whole lot more! Here's what he had to say:
Q & A
Q:
When did you get the acting bug?
Kelly: I was probably about four or five. I was a big fan of Power Rangers. I knew at the time that they weren't real, but they were a bunch of guys in suits in front of a camera. And I always wanted to be on TV, so I'd tell my Mom, "I want to be on TV like the Power Rangers." So she found me an agent.
Q:
When was the first time you realized that you were going to pursue acting as a career?
Kelly: Not until recently, with the upcoming Rocky Balboa. I think a turning point in the way that I looked at my career was [when I first met] with Sly [Stallone].
Q:
Tell us about the audition for the role of "Steps."
Kelly: My agent had set up an audition. It was an open-call audition. That means anyone [who] hears about the role can go out for it. So my agent called me and said, "Well, you'd better get down there. It's an open call." So I went, and two or three days later, I was sitting in a meeting with Sly.
Q:
Are you into boxing?
Kelly: Actually, I'm a trained boxer but I did not box in the movie. The movie is more character-driven than action-driven.
Q:
You box, play football, study the martial art of Muai Thai—have you always been interested in sports?
Kelly: Ever since I can remember, I've been doing sports. I just love being an athlete. I love getting better and improving at whatever sport I'm playing at the time. I'm focusing on football because I have universities interested me, like Notre Dame, Berkeley, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Tennessee.
Q:
Do you have any idea where you would like to go to college?
Kelly: I'm more interested in the school that's interested in me [as more than just] a football player. A lot of colleges are just interested in the player, and how good they can be on the field. Besides having a good [sports] program, I'm looking for a school with a good academic program.
Q:
What are your favorite subjects in school?
Kelly: History and English.
Q:
What do you do to relax?
Kelly: I like to play sports to relax. I find my peace of mind when I play sports, especially football. I also like to chill at home, lie in bed and eat some Rocky Road ice cream.
Q:
We understand that to explore your Native American heritage, you went to the Crow Nation Coming-of-Age Ceremony this past summer—what was it like?
Kelly: My Mom and I went last summer, but we didn't finish everything in the ceremony. I had to break in a horse, go buffalo hunting, and I had to sit down with Joe Medicine Crow, who is the oldest Crow at 94-years-old. And there are some other things that I still have to do, to go through this rite of passage ceremony.
Q:
Have you always been interested in your Native American background?
Kelly: Always. Being a city boy, I wondered what it would be like to live on the land. I just want to know where I came from. Yeah, I'm from Pittsburgh, but where did I really come from?
Q:
Do you read books about Native American history?
Kelly: The true history of the Native Americans is not something you can pick up from a book and read—it's by word of mouth. It's passed on from generation to generation.
—Interview by Marie Morreale
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James Francis Kelly III
(Photo: Joaquin Palting/Corbis)
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STAR STATS
Star Calendar
December 22, 2006
Rocky Balboawill be in movie theaters
Star Stats
Name: James Francis Kelly III
Birth Date: August 1, 1989
Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
School: St. Genevieve High School
Height: 6'
Weight: 195 pounds
Star Faves
TV Show: CSI
Actor: Terrance Howard
Drink: cranberry juice
Ice Cream: Rocky Road
Colors: green, purple
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