Kim Kahana

Kim Kahana Sr. (October 16, 1929 – August 12, 2024) was an American actor, stunt performer, and action choreographer of Hawaiian and Japanese descent. He worked on stunts for over 300 films and television programs and ran a stunt school in Groveland, Florida, that has trained over 15,000 students.

Early life and military service Kim Kahana was born in Lanai City, Hawaii, on October 16, 1929. Unable to read or write, Kahana dropped out of school in third grade. At age 13 he hitchhiked across the United States by himself, sometimes stealing in order to eat. By the 1960s and throughout the '70s and '80s, he worked steadily as a stuntman for many films including Cool Hand Luke (1967), Planet of the Apes (1968), Che! (1969), Patton (1970), The Omega Man (1971), Joe Kidd (1972), Soylent Green (1973), Burt Reynolds' Smokey and the Bandit franchise, and the disaster films of Irwin Allen. Kahana also doubled for Charles Bronson in his films for over 20 years.

Kahana served as a member of the Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures and spent eight years on the Screen Actors Guild's Safety Investigative Team and the Stunt Safety Committee. He ran a production company called Stunt Action & Safety Coordinator, Inc. that ran second unit production for major motion pictures. He opened the Kahana Stunt School in 1972 to train performers in stunt work and safety, as well as how to navigate the motion picture and television industries.

Other work Kahana studied martial arts in Japan where he earned six black belts in karate, aikido and jujutsu. In addition to teaching stunts, he is a martial arts and hand-to-hand combat instructor and weapons expert.

On July 24, 2012, Kim Kahana lost his son Rick Kalua Kahana, who died at his home in Canoga Park, California.

Kim Kahana died at his home in Groveland on August 12, 2024, at the age of 94.

Selected filmography Jeepers Creepers (2001) Actor, Stunt Player Matinee (1993) Stunts Nickeloden GUTS (1992–1995) Stunt Director, Stunt Coordinator Passenger 57 (1992) Stunts Street Soldiers (1991) Stunt Director, Stunt Coordinator Revenge (1990) Stunts Mind Games (1989) Stunts Exterminator 2 (1984) Actor Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) Stunts Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) Stunts Up (1976) Stunt Coordinator The Killer Elite (1975) Stunts, Actor, Advisor Table for Three Stunt Coordinator Danger Island on the Banana Splits Adventure Hour (1968–69) as Chongo