Continuing with the theme of highlighting African-American Stuntmen and Stuntwomen, I will talk about Kelsee Devoreaux.
Looks can be deceiving if you had met Kelsee 17 years ago. You would never had imagined that this once bank teller, escrow officer and real estate loan administrator, was dreaming of having a career in the world of entertainment, privately chasing that dream every day.
After several years of rigorous immersion in ballet and jazz dance, Kelsee received a 3 year scholarship for Advance Dance instruction. Along side this, she was maintaining a full time attendance at Los Angeles City College, majoring in Business Administration and graduating with an Associate Arts Degree.
In 1989, with her dreams ablaze and striving to find any and every way into the Industry, Kelsee met Greg Elam, a Stuntman, Coordinator and 2nd Unit Director. Greg saw something genuine in Kelsee and gave her the unique opportunity to train as a stuntwoman. Her dream was now beginning to take shape.
Practicing day after day, working long hours in the toughest conditions, Kelsee performed high falls, fights, action choreography, mini-trampoline, cars stunts, ratchets, slings, repelling…on and on, sometimes alone, sometimes with other stuntpeople. The rest is history.
Kelsee’s dream had become reality. Now, a highly active, veteran stuntwoman, she has doubled such celebrities as: Jada Pinkett Smith, Janet Jackson, Nia Long, Stacey Dash, Malinda Williams, Elise Neal, Kyla Pratt, Camille Winbush, Essence Atkins, Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopes, Meagan Good, and Lil’ Kim in such great productions as: The Matrix Reloaded, Terminator 4, Collateral, Set It Off, Stigmata, The Italian Job, NYPD Blue, Scream 2, and 2 Fast 2 Furious.
An active stuntwoman of over 17 years, Kelsee has also made historical contributions, being the first African American woman to be accepted as a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Also a proud member of the Stuntwomen’s Association and the World Stunt Awards. Kelsee has now added Stunt Coordination, Author and Producer to her exemplary list of abilities, continually pushing herself to the very apex of her dreams. Her current book, “Film & Television: STUNTWOMAN!” is now in wide release and an excellent read.
She has performed on such hit film and television shows like: The Matrix Reloaded, Collateral, The Italian Job, My Wife & Kids, ER, Set It Off, American Dreams, The Nutty Professor II – The Klumps, Half & Half, The Parkers and Scream 2 just to name a few. She has also doubled such well known actresses as: Jada Pinkett Smith, Janet Jackson, Nia Long, Meagan Good, , Malinda Williams, Elise Neal, Kyla Pratt and Essence Atkins just to a few.
***Information courtesy of http://www.stuntwomensfoundation.org/board.html and http://stuntphd.com/bio.htm***