Billy Blanks

Biography

Billy Blanks is an American martial artist, actor, and fitness personality known for creating Tae Bo. He began karate and taekwondo training as a child and later earned high black belt ranks in both arts. During the 1980s he competed as a top point and semi-contact karate athlete, taking third in men's kumite at the 1980 WUKO world championship and a heavyweight open kumite bronze at the 1981 World Games in Santa Clara. Karate Illustrated named him its national champion and top rookie for 1983. His screen break came when he worked as Catherine Bach's bodyguard on Driving Force (1988) and was written into a supporting role; he then appeared in Bloodfist (1989), The King of the Kickboxers (1990), The Last Boy Scout (1991), and Kiss the Girls (1997). In the late 1980s he developed Tae Bo at his Quincy, Massachusetts karate studio, and his later mass-marketed videos made the workout a wide pop culture phenomenon.

71years old

Turns 72 on September 1in 321 days

Born September 1, 1955Erie
Star sign: VirgoThe sign runs August 23 to September 22
Also credited as Billy Wayne Blanks and William Wayne Blanks

Movie Career

Films: 18
Career span: 35 years1989 to 2024

Genres

Action72%, 13 films
Crime28%, 5 films
Drama28%, 5 films
Thriller22%, 4 films
Sport17%, 3 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

A change of course
In the late 1980s, while he was running a karate studio in Quincy, Massachusetts, Blanks developed the Tae Bo workout. He drew on his martial arts and boxing training, and the name blends tae, as in taekwondo, with bo, as in boxing.

Billy Blanks movies on Netflix

The Last Kumite2024IMDb rating 4.7as Master Loren
Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks2019IMDb rating 6.7as Himself
The Clapper2018IMDb rating 5.2as Billy Blanks
Dark Moon Rising2015IMDb rating 2.3as Sheriff Tom
The Real Miyagi2015IMDb rating 7.1as Himself
Kiss the Girls1997IMDb rating 6.6as Instructor
Expect No Mercy1995IMDb rating 4.7as Justin Vanier
Tough and Deadly1995IMDb rating 5.8as John Portland
Back in Action1994IMDb rating 5.5as Billy
Showdown1993IMDb rating 5.3as Billy Grant
TC 20001993IMDb rating 4.6as Jason Storm
Talons of the Eagle1992IMDb rating 5.0as Tyler Wilson
The Last Boy Scout1991IMDb rating 7.0as Billy Cole
Timebomb1991IMDb rating 5.4as Mr. Brown
China O'Brien II1990IMDb rating 5.2as Baskin's Fighter #1
Lionheart1990IMDb rating 6.2as African Legionnaire
The King of the Kickboxers1990IMDb rating 5.9as Khan
Bloodfist1989IMDb rating 4.8as Black Rose

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

Top

Lionheart1990 Action, Drama, Sportas African Legionnaire
IMDb rating 6.244K votes
Dark Moon Rising2015 Fantasy, Horroras Sheriff Tom
IMDb rating 2.34.2K votes
The King of the Kickboxers1990as Khan
IMDb rating 5.92.3K votes
The Last Kumite2024as Master Loren
IMDb rating 4.72.8K votes
Showdown1993as Billy Grant
IMDb rating 5.31.5K votes
TC 20001993as Jason Storm
IMDb rating 4.61.9K votes
Bloodfist1989as Black Rose
IMDb rating 4.81.5K votes
Back in Action1994as Billy
IMDb rating 5.5951 votes

Most often with

Four actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

Top

Cynthia Rothrock

Richard Norton

Matthias Hues

Jalal Merhi

Don 'The Dragon' Wilson

Roddy Piper

Films together

Cynthia Rothrock3 films together, 1990 to 2024
Cynthia Rothrock's page
- The Last Kumite2024IMDb rating 4.7Blanks as Master LorenRothrock as Julie Jackson
- Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks2019IMDb rating 6.7Blanks as HimselfRothrock as Himself
- China O'Brien II1990IMDb rating 5.2Blanks as Baskin's Fighter #1Rothrock as China O'Brien
Richard Norton3 films together, 1990 to 2019
Richard Norton's page
- Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks2019IMDb rating 6.7Blanks as HimselfNorton as Himself
- Tough and Deadly1995IMDb rating 5.8Blanks as John PortlandNorton as Agent Norton
- China O'Brien II1990IMDb rating 5.2Blanks as Baskin's Fighter #1Norton as Matt Conroy
Matthias Hues3 films together, 1992 to 2024
Matthias Hues's page
- The Last Kumite2024IMDb rating 4.7Blanks as Master LorenHues as Ron Hall
- TC 20001993IMDb rating 4.6Blanks as Jason StormHues as Bigalow
- Talons of the Eagle1992IMDb rating 5.0Blanks as Tyler WilsonHues as Khan
Jalal Merhi3 films together, 1992 to 1995
Jalal Merhi's page
- Expect No Mercy1995IMDb rating 4.7Blanks as Justin VanierMerhi as Eric
- TC 20001993IMDb rating 4.6Blanks as Jason StormMerhi as Niki Picasso
- Talons of the Eagle1992IMDb rating 5.0Blanks as Tyler WilsonMerhi as Michael Reed
Don 'The Dragon' Wilson2 films together, 1989 to 2019
Don 'The Dragon' Wilson's page
- Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks2019IMDb rating 6.7Blanks as HimselfWilson as Himself
- Bloodfist1989IMDb rating 4.8Blanks as Black RoseWilson as Jake Raye
Roddy Piper2 films together, 1994 to 1995
Roddy Piper's page
- Tough and Deadly1995IMDb rating 5.8Blanks as John PortlandPiper as Elmo Freech
- Back in Action1994IMDb rating 5.5Blanks as BillyPiper as Frank Rossi
Also two films together4 more actors
- Keith CookeChina O'Brien II (1990) and The King of the Kickboxers (1990)
- Bobbie PhillipsBack in Action (1994) and TC 2000 (1993)
- Michel QissiThe Last Kumite (2024) and Lionheart (1990)
- Harry MokTC 2000 (1993) and Talons of the Eagle (1992)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.