Vital Statistics: Bruce Lee (Lee Jun Fan) was born on November 27, 1940 in San Franciso, California, to Lee Hoi Chuen and Grace Lee. Bruce was married to Linda Caldwell in 1964, and had a son, Brandon, in 1965 and a daughter, Shannon, in 1967. Bruce Lee passed away on July 20, 1973.
Wing Chun and Jeet Kune Do: Bruce began studying Wing Chun under Yip Man at the age of 13. After moving to the United States, Bruce began over time to form his own fighting style and philosophy for life. This philosophy and style eventually became known as Jeet Kune Do. Jeet Kune Do is founded on the principles of simplicity, effectiveness, economy of motion, directness and an overall aggressive approach to fighting that seeks to eliminate most passive or blocking movements.
American Television and Early Movie Roles: Bruce Lee amazingly appeared in his first film at only 3 months old. As a child, he was featured in nearly 20 films during the 1950s. As an adult, Bruce would go on to gain fame as Kato in The Green Hornet, which aired from 1966 - 1967. He would also make appearances in the television shows Ironside and Longstreet. He also had a role in the movie Marlowe with James Garner.
Back in Hong Kong & On To Stardom: Lee returned to Hong Kong to pursue movie roles In 1971 he released Fists Of Fury. It went on to smash all box office records in Hong Kong and rocketed Bruce to stardom in Asia. His next film, The Chinese Connection, was even more successful.
He released his directorial debut, Way of the Dragon in 1972. Hollywood finally took notice and his second film as director was also his first major American film, Enter The Dragon. Enter The Dragon went on to be a huge hit, making more than $200 million.
Death and Controversy: Bruce Lee died on July 20, 1973. The official cause of death was cerebral edema caused by a reaction to a pain medication. However rumors and theories survive years after his death. Some common rumors include
- He was killed by Chinese martial arts experts angry that he taught non Chinese.
- He died of a drug overdose.
- He was killed by gangsters for refusing protection payments.
However Lee’s amazing achievements in life will long outlive the rumors around his death.