Jackson DeForest Kelley was born in the charming city of Toccoa, Georgia, to Clora Casey and Ernest David Kelley, his parents. At the tender age of 16, he proudly graduated from high school and continued to hone his vocal talents by singing at the local Baptist church where his father served as a minister. This early exposure to the performing arts would later shape his decision to pursue a career in acting.
At 17, Kelley embarked on his first adventure outside of Georgia, visiting his uncle in the sun-kissed city of Long Beach, California. Initially intending to stay for only two weeks, he was so captivated by the West Coast that he ended up extending his stay for an entire year. Upon his return to Georgia, he shared his newfound passion for acting with his parents, but his father was less than enthusiastic about the idea.
Undeterred, Kelley packed his bags and made the bold decision to relocate to California to pursue his acting dreams. It was during this time that he caught the attention of a Paramount talent scout while working on a United States Navy training film. This chance encounter marked the beginning of his successful career as a character actor, often taking on roles in Westerns where he would play the villain.
However, it was his iconic portrayal of Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy on the beloved television series Star Trek (1966) that cemented his status as a household name. He went on to reprise his role in a string of successful Star Trek films, including 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).
Tragically, DeForest Kelley's life was cut short when he passed away at the age of 79 due to stomach cancer in his home in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, on June 11, 1999.
