Diana Lee Inosanto
Diana Lee Inosanto is an American actress, director, former stunt performer,[1] and martial artist.[2] She also wrote and directed the film The Sensei (2008),[3] and wrote the 2020 children's book The Curious Mind of Sebastian.[4]
Diana Lee Inosanto
D. Lee Inosanto
- Actress
- martial arts choreographer
- film director
- children's author
Ron Balicki (m. 1995)
2
- Dan Inosanto (father)
Personal life[edit]
Inosanto is married to fellow martial artist Ron Balicki. They have two children.[5]
Career[edit]
Martial arts[edit]
Inosanto grew up surrounded by the martial arts world, studying many forms, including Jeet Kune Do and Eskrima, which she learned from her father, Dan Inosanto, a student of Jeet Kune Do founder Bruce Lee, who was also her godfather.[6] She has appeared on the cover of numerous martial arts magazines, including Black Belt Magazine, Martial Arts, Inside Karate, Self Defense, and Inside Kung Fu. She was named Woman of the Year by Black Belt Magazine in 2009.
Film and television[edit]
Apart from doing stunt work and choreography in numerous films and television productions, Inosanto has also acted in a number of movies and series. Her directorial debut, The Sensei, was released in 2008.[3]
In 2020, Inosanto appeared in one episode of the second season of Disney's The Mandalorian, playing the role of Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth.[7] She later reprised the role in Ahsoka and Star Wars: Tales of the Empire.[8]
Theatre[edit]
Inosanto is active in Southern California theatre as a member of the Asian American theatre group Lodestone Theatre Ensemble. In 2008, she worked with East West Players, serving as martial arts choreographer on the world premiere of Dan Kwong's play Be Like Water.
Writing[edit]
In 2020, Inosanto published her first book, the children's story The Curious Mind of Sebastian.[4] The same year, she also contributed a foreword to the Fiaz Rafiq book Bruce Lee: The Life of a Legend.[9]