Bruce Lee, born Lee Jun Fan
27th November 1940 – 20th July 1973
Bruce Lee was born in San Francisco, USA on the 27th November 1940. He lived in the USA for only the first year of his life, before his parents moved to Hong Kong.
His childhood home and surroundings were thought to be fairly modest, his parents weren’t exceptionally wealthy, but they provided a solid lifestyle for their child. Lee’s father was involved in theatre and acting, and would often take his young son on stage with him following his performances. Even as a child Bruce Lee appeared in television and film, and by the time he’d reached eighteen, he had already appeared in twenty films. This by no means meant that Bruce and his family enjoyed a luxurious or privileged life. Hong Kong was a tough city and you had to fight to survive, especially it seemed, if you were a native. Employment prospects were better for the white population that had settled there. Bruce struggled academically, with poor results in his schooling, but his physical talents had started to show themselves. Not yet, did anyone appear to envisage the impact that Bruce Lee would come to have on world cinema through Jeet Kune Do.
The fighting involved early on in Bruce Lee’s life was mainly street brawls with other youngsters in Hong Kong. It was a place where teens would form gangs and inevitably end up fighting. To stay on top of this world you had to be strong and determined both physically and mentally. Bruce took up his first formal martial arts training partly as a means of self defence and to assert himself amongst the gangs of Hong Kong. At just 13 years old, Bruce started to study and train in the art of Wing Chun under the master Sifu Yip Man, quickly excelling in the physical aspects of Wing Chun (in the West, Bruce’s art is generally described under the less specific name of Kung Fu). At 14, he started to take dance lessons, the Cha Cha was a dance that was considered cool amongst young people at the time in Hong Kong. Bruce Lee had the charisma and skills to go on to become a Champion of the Cha Cha in Hong Kong. His achievements did not end there. In 1958, he defeated a then reigning boxing champion, showing not only physical brilliance, but an ability to channel his skills into new realms.
Even with these successes in Hong Kong, Bruce was still getting into trouble. His parents were worried about his future in Hong Kong – that it may be dogged by crime and run-ins with the law, so they sent Bruce to America. He had American citizenship following his birth an early life in San Francisco, so Bruce had no trouble entering the States. Armed with some money given to him by his parents, Bruce Lee entered America – his journey only just beginning.
During his early time in America, Bruce supported himself by doing a variety of odd jobs, including waiting at a Chinese restaurant. Bruce furthered his education by attending lessons at college and gained education qualifications that he had lacked before. Bruce started to give dance lessons and showed good business sense by teaching martial arts to paying students. In 1963, now settled in Seattle, Bruce Lee met Linda…., who was to become his wife within a year. Despite reservations from her family towards her relationship with a man of another race, Bruce and Linda’s relationship survived securely and they decided to settle in California. With Linda’s help and encouragement Bruce continued to hold lessons in martial arts, and became successful in his work.
1965 was an eventful year for Bruce Lee. He was signed to appear in a television show. Linda gave birth to their first son Brandon Lee, much to the delight of the couple. Sadly, shortly after the birth, Bruce’s received the sad news from Hong Kong that his father had died.
The following period was one of the most negative in Bruce Lee’s professional life. The tv series was not commissioned for a second series, and Bruce’s hopes of Hollywood stardom seemed to diminish. He appeared in a handful of roles, but real success seemed to be evading him. Personal happiness came in 1969, when Linda gave birth to her and Bruce’s second child, Shannon Lee.
In 1970, Bruce decided to take his eldest child, Brandon, with him to Hong Kong. Whilst there Bruce appeared on local tv, showing his enviable talents. He was a huge hit with the audiences, and soon job offers came flowing in. Bruce showed that he had good business acumen as well as brilliant physical talents. He turned down a contract with a production company, which would have seen him under their control for a number of years. Instead he took a role in a film to be directed by a relatively new and unknown director. The film was “Fist of Fury” and it was Bruce Lee’s first major box office hit. Bruce became an instant success in Asia, reaping in great amounts of money at the box office, as well as winning the admiration of the public.
It was not long before Bruce Lee started his own production company with a partner. Together they produced incredibly successful films, which furthered Bruce’s success and popularity and helped to make Bruce Lee a living legend in martial arts films. Amongst his accomplishments, Bruce starred in the iconic film “Enter the Dragon”. The film marked the first major professional relationship between Hong Kong and Hollywood and also made Bruce Lee a superstar. As importantly, Bruce Lee became the first Asian superstar, welcomed and loved worldwide. Off screen Bruce remained an inspiration to his fans, following a strict lifestyle and remaining truly dedicated to his art. He strived daily to keep his physical and mental self at its optimum, unrivalled peak.
In 1972, whilst filming “Game of Death”, Bruce Lee died unexpectedly. Bruce had met for a meeting with producer Raymond Chow and had later met with actress Betty Ting Pei at her home (she was also starring in Game of Death). Whilst there Bruce had apparently complained of a headache, and Betty had given him some painkilling medication. When Betty later attempted to wake Bruce and couldn’t she apparently called Chow to return and help her. He attempted to rouse Bruce – upon failing to do so, he rushed Bruce to hospital. Bruce Lee’s death was put down to an allergic reaction to one of the ingredients in the painkiller. It was a sudden and shocking end to the life of a man who, in the eyes of his audience, had seemed so completely invulnerable.
