David Patrick Kelly

David Patrick Kelly began his film career with his debut as Luther in Walter Hill's The Warriors in 1979. He later worked with Hill again in 48 Hrs. (1982), in which he played Luther Kelly. His film credits included Hammett (1982), Dreamscape (1984), Commando (1985), The Misfit Brigade (1987), Cheap Shots (1988), Penn & Teller Get Killed (1989), Wild at Heart (1990), The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990), Malcolm X (1992), Exterior Night (1993), Crooklyn (1994), The Crow (1994), Heavy (1995), Cafe Society (1995), Flirting with Disaster (1996), The Funeral (1996), Last Man Standing (1996), Trojan War (1997), In Too Deep (1999), Songcatcher (2000), K-PAX (2001), Personal Velocity: Three Portraits (2002), Justice (2003), The Longest Yard (2005), Flags of Our Fathers (2006), Gardener of Eden (2007), John Wick (2014), Chi-Raq (2015), To Keep the Light (2016), John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017), O.G. (2018), VFW (2019), The Return of Tragedy (2020) and Asking for It (2022). He also appeared in the 1996 video game Ripper as Joey Falconetti.

Kelly's television credits include Sanctuary of Fear (1979), American Playhouse (1982), Tales from the Darkside (1984), Miami Vice (1985), Moonlighting (1985), Our Family Honor (1985), Spenser: For Hire (1987), ABC Afterschool Special (1988), CBS Summer Playhouse (1989), Twin Peaks (1990–1991 and 2017), Ghostwriter (1993), Mad About You (1998), Hack (2002), Third Watch (2005), Kidnapped (2007), Law & Order (2008), Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2008), Gossip Girl (2008–2011), Louie (2010), Madso's War (2010), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2011), Bored to Death (2011), Blue Bloods (2015), The Blacklist (2015), Feed the Beast (2016), Succession (2018–2023), Ray Donovan: The Movie (2022), Only Murders in the Building (2025–) and Sheriff Country (2025).

Onstage, Kelly appeared in Hair at the Vest Pocket Theatre in 1970 and The Rocky Horror Show at the Belasco Theatre on Broadway in 1975. His additional theater credits included Hair (1977), Working (1978), The Suicide (1980), Is There Life After High School? (1982), The Government Inspector (1994), Henry VI (1995), Anadarko (1998), Twelfth Night (1998), Uncle Vanya (2000), Festen (2006), When I Come to Die (2011), Once (2011–2012), Thérèse Raquin (2015), Alice by Heart (2015), Miss You Like Hell (2018), Into the Woods (2022–2023), Once Upon a Mattress (2024) and An Enemy of the People (2024). He also appeared in the 2024 production of Once Upon a Mattress at the Hudson Theatre and in the 2024–2025 Los Angeles engagement at the Ahmanson Theatre.

Kelly performed in off-off-Broadway productions including C.O.R.F.A.X. (Don't Ask) at La MaMa in 1975, Mr. Jello in 1974, and An Altar to Himself at La MaMa in 1989. He also performed in La MaMa's 1976 Cracker Club Country Fair Gala in segments from Silver Queen and Horse Opera. In 1998, he played Feste in Lincoln Center's production of Twelfth Night. He originated the role of Da in Once, both at New York Theatre Workshop and on Broadway, and sang and played mandolin on the production's Grammy Award-winning soundtrack. He also appeared in productions at Hartford Stage and the American Repertory Theater, including Woyzeck, Tartuffe, Othello, Tooth of Crime, Enrico IV and Snow in June. His other stage work included Richard Foreman's Pearls for Pigs, The Mind King, Film Is Evil/Radio Is Good and The Cure, as well as Thérèse Raquin in 2015. In 2022, he played the Narrator and the Mysterious Man in Into the Woods at Encores!, Broadway and the 2023 national tour. In 2024, he played King Sextimus the Silent in Once Upon a Mattress and Morten Kiil in An Enemy of the People.

As a composer and musician, Kelly participated in New York's rock and cabaret scene and wrote the music for the title song of George Birimisa's Mr. Jello, produced at La MaMa in 1974. In 2008, he released the album David Patrick Kelly: Rip Van Boy Man, featuring original music and live recordings from his club performances in 1975. In 2024, he appeared as a cop in Warriors, a concept album by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis based on The Warriors.