David Patrick Kelly specializes in playing sleazeballs, oily little punks, and crazies in actioners and urban dramas. While Kelly excels at such roles, they do not fully represent his training and potential. A former student of Stella Adler in New York and mime Marcel Marceau in Paris, Kelly first made his name on the New York stage, appearing in everything from musicals to experimental theater.
Producer Joel Silver started him down the road to movie villainy when he cast him in Walter Hill's The Warriors (1979) and then 48 Hrs. (1982). Kelly has subsequently appeared in several more Hill films, including Last Man Standing (1997). Kelly also played supporting roles in two Spike Lee films, Malcolm X (1992) and Crooklyn (1994). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide. 