Tae-jeong Kim was born on June 5, 1957 in Korea. He was a taekwondo practitioner as well as an actor and businessman. He is best known as the ghost of Bruce Lee in the film No Retreat, No Surrender (1986).
Tae-jeong Kim made his first Hong Kong movie debut in the film Snuff Bottle Connection (1977), along with Jang Lee Hwang and Roy Horan.
Kim would then play Bruce Lee’s character Billy Lo in Game of Death (1978), alongside Biao Yuen, who actually performed the acrobatics and stunts for the character. Tae-jeong Kim impressed the producers with his rendition of Lee’s character that they used him again a few years later as Bobby Lo in the film Game of Death II (1981). He starred alongside Jang-Lee Hwang, Roy Horan, Wai-wo To, and Hoi-Sang Lee in that film. After Game of Death II (1981), Kim returned to Korea and played Master Bruce in the film Jackie vs. Bruce to the Rescue (1982) or Fist of Death (1982), alongside Siu-ming Lee who was a Taiwanese stuntman and Jackie Chan look alike. He also made another Korean film called Miss, Please Be Patient (1981).
When Chinese film producer Ng See-yuen was looking for an actor to play the ghost of Bruce Lee in the film No Retreat, No Surrender (1985) he choose Tae-jeong Kim. This was Kim’s American debut as well as his final film. Kim played the part of Bruce Lee who is seen training martial artist Jason Stillwell (Kurt McKinney) in the film. No Retreat, No Surrender (1985) was also the film debut of Belgian martial artist and actor Jean-Claude Van Damme as Ivan Kraschinsky.
At the age of 29, after finishing No Retreat, No Surrender (1986), Tae-jeong Kim returned to Korea and retired, becoming a businessman.
In 2008, Tae-jeong Kim made a rare public appearance in Korea as part of the screening for the film Miss, Please Be Patient (1981). Kim had played a leading role in that film.
On August 27, 2011, Tae-jeong Kim died of stomach hemorrhage. He was only 54 years old.
