David Patrick Kelly (born January 23, 1951) is an American actor, musician and lyricist who has appeared in numerous films and television series. He is best known for his role as the main antagonist Luther in the cult filmThe Warriors (1979). Kelly is also known for his collaborations with Spike Lee, in the films Malcolm X (1992), Crooklyn (1994), and Chi-Raq (2015), and with David Lynch, appearing in Wild at Heart (1990) as well as Twin Peaks (1990–91) and its 2017 revival.
In his debut role of Luther in Walter Hill's 1979 cult filmThe Warriors, Kelly screeches the famous line, "Warriors... come out to play-ee-ay!", which he improvised while clanging three empty beer bottles together.[7][better source needed] For the 1982 film 48 Hrs., starring Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy, Hill rewrote a role for Kelly and again named the character "Luther".[7]
He performed in a few off-off-Broadway theater productions during the 1970s and 1980s. These included Wilford Leach's C.O.R.F.A.X. (Don't Ask), produced at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in 1975,[9] and Ireneusz Iredyński's An Altar to Himself, as adapted by Michal Kobialka and Liz Diamond and directed by Virlana Tkacz at La MaMa in 1989.[10] He also appeared in the April 1974 production of Mr. Jello, written and directed by George Birimisa,[11] and then performed a song for which he wrote the music from Mr. Jello, at a benefit hosted by La MaMa to honor H.M. Koutoukas, called "For the Benefit of Harry", also in 1974.[12] In 1976, he performed in La MaMa's "Cracker Club Country Fair Gala" in segments from Paul Foster's Silver Queen and Leonard Melfi's Horse Opera.[13]
As a composer and musician, Kelly participated in New York's rock and cabaret scene, playing such venues as Max's Kansas City, Reno Sweeney's, CBGB, and The Lower Manhattan Ocean Club.[citation needed] He wrote the music for the titular song of George Birimisa's Mr. Jello, which was produced at La MaMa in 1974.[21]
In May 2008, he released an album of his original music titled David Patrick Kelly: Rip Van Boy Man, which contained new songs and live recordings from his club days in 1975.[22]
Awards
Kelly received a Connecticut Critics Circle Award for his performance in Tartuffe at Hartford Stage, and was nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award for his performance in Nathan Louis Jackson's When I Come To Die at LCT3 in Manhattan. In 1998, Kelly received an Obie Award for sustained excellence for his theater work in classics, new plays, and the avant-garde.[6]
Kelly has practiced the martial arts seido (karate) and three forms of tai chi for more than 35 years; he is a second-degree black belt in the former. [23]