Hollywood, CA (For Release) – Actress Gloria Hendry, who played James Bond love interest Rosie Carver opposite Roger Moore in Live and Let Die, will be inducted into the Masters Hall of Fame at the 2015 Awards Banquet sponsored by Monster Energy on Saturday, June 6. The event takes place at the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, the site of the first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929. The evening will be hosted by Master of Ceremonies and martial arts actor T.J. Storm, with Martial Arts History Museum founder and president Michael Matsuda as keynote speaker.
Gloria Hendry made her mark in a number of action films in the 1970s, including Black Caesar, Black Belt Jones, and Live and Let Die.
Ms. Hendry got her start in film in For Love of Ivy with Sidney Poitier after being discovered working at the Playboy Club in New York. She would go on to appear in several action-centered films, including Black Caesar with Fred Williamson and Black Belt Jones with martial arts legend Jim Kelly. When she took on the role of Rosie Carver in Live and Let Die she became the first African-American actress to play a character romantically involved with super spy James Bond.
Inspired by her movie roles, Ms. Hendry went on to study several martial arts. She learned American Kenpo from 9th Degree Black Belt Robert Wall, and Hapkido and Jiu Jitsu from Maha Guru Cliff Stewart. Ms. Hendry also studied ShorinJu Kenpo, ShorinRyu, Jiu Jitsu and Tang Soo Do with Senior Grandmaster Jerry Smith.
When Jim Kelly passed away in 2013, Ms. Hendry was invited to a memorial organized by Masters Hall of Fame alumni Eric “Lionman” O’Neil where she shared her thoughts about working with the great martial artist and actor. In an interview, she recalled Kelly’s support not only on the set but beyond as she continued to work in action films and television series. Ms. Hendry was nominated to the Masters Hall of Fame by actor and martial artist Robert Parham for her contributions to the martial arts in film and television.
The Masters Hall of Fame was founded in 1999 and is recognized as one of the premier Martial Arts events on the West Coast. The association recognizes exceptional Martial Arts Leaders and Legends through induction into the Masters Hall of Fame. Honorees are chosen for their dedication to the martial arts and their work in the community, as well as their individual successes.
For more information on the Masters Hall of Fame, visit the website at http://www.mastershalloffame.org. For media information contact Kamatoy Media Group at 8445262869 (844KAMATOY) or [email protected].
