Bruce Lee

Background

Lee Jun-fan, popularly known as Bruce Lee, was one of the greatest martial arts actors to have ever lived. He was a man who wore many hats, including that of a director, martial arts instructor, screenwriter, producer, director, and philosopher. Lee was a Sagittarius born on November 27, 1940, in San Francisco, California. He was of Cantonese and Eurasian descent, and his father was a Cantonese opera singer. Because of his father’s travels, Lee was exposed to the world of cinema and appeared in several films as a child. He attended Tak Sun School and Catholic La Salle College at age 12. Lee transferred to St. Francis Xavier’s College, where he was mentored by Brother Edward, the boxing team coach. After several street fights, Lee’s parents decided to enroll him in martial arts training. He completed his high school education at Edison Technical School in Seattle.

At age nine, Lee co-starred in “The Kid” (1950). In 1958, after rigorous training, Lee competed in the Hong Kong schools’ boxing tournament and won. Due to his recurring street fights, Lee’s parents sent him to the U.S. to stay with his sister, Agnes Lee. While in the U.S., Lee graduated high school and enrolled in the University of Washington, but dropped out in 1964. He met Ed Parker, the American martial artist, and performed at the Long Beach International Karate Championships in 1964. Lee fought several people in his martial arts career, including Wong Jack-man. He appeared in the T.V. series, “The Green Hornet” as Kato from 1966 to 1967. After the show was canceled, Lee opened the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute in 1967. He trained relentlessly to improve his craft and began weight training, running, stretching, fencing and boxing to hone his skills. He appeared in four episodes of “Longstreet” (1971). In the same year, he played his first lead role in “The Big Boss.” The film was an international success and catapulted him into stardom. He followed up this success with “Fist of Fury” (1972), which broke box office records, grossing $130 million worldwide, $30 million more than “The Big Boss.” His fourth film, “Enter the Dragon” (1973), was released six days after Lee’s death and grossed $350 million worldwide.

Lee had several posthumous releases, including his documentary “Bruce Lee: A Warrior’s Journey.” He died from a cerebral edema on July 20, 1973, after complaining of headaches. As a highly-revered multi-talented individual, Lee received various honors even in death. He has statues in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and Mostar. He also has a theme park dedicated to his memory. Lee was survived by his family and friends, including his wife, Linda Emery, whom he married in 1964, and their two children.