Steve James (Actor)

Steve James in American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt. (Photo: MGM)

Steve James was often cast in action movies as the hero's sidekick, despite usually being a better actor and fighter than the star. James was raised in New York City, attended C.W. Post College as an Arts and Film major, and upon graduating, became involved in stage work and ^MM20^TV commercial^TV%20commercial^s. He started in film as a stuntman, working in such New York productions as The Wiz, The Warriors, and The Wanderers. His first major film role was as Robert Ginty's sidekick in The Exterminator; he later played sidekick to such stars as Michael Dudikoff (3 times), David Carradine, and Chuck Norris. His last film was the pilot for the TV series "Mantis". It aired on the Fox network just a few weeks after his death at age 41 of pancreatic cancer.