Bruce Jun Fan Lee (Lee Siu Loong) was born in 1940 in San Francisco, CA while his parents were on tour with the Chinese Opera. He was a child actor in Hong Kong who later returned to the U.S. and taught martial arts. He starred in the TV series The Green Hornet (1966-67) and became a major box office draw in The Chinese Connection and Fists of Fury.
On July 20, 1973, just one month before the premiere of “Enter the Dragon”, Bruce Lee died in Hong Kong, China, at the age of 32. The official cause of his sudden and utterly unexpected death was a brain edema, found in an autopsy to have been caused by a strange reaction to a prescription painkiller he was reportedly taken for a back injury.
Martial arts master and leading man Bruce Lee didn’t make the money leading men make today, but the icon and visionary are getting a second chance. He was recently digitally imposed into a marketing campaign, looking as real as if he were alive today. He already brings in massive amounts of money through endorsements and ads, but he also still makes profits from his films, like “Enter the Dragon”, which he, unfortunately, didn’t live to see in the cinemas. His image has been featured in a video game, car ads, and even a commercial for iced tea.
He had started training at the late age of 16, but his drive and determination made him unbeatable. His writings on martial arts, as well as poetry are well respected and reflect how he was one of the most well-rounded talents of our time.