CINEFILER

Bruce Lee

Born
November 27, 1940
Died
July 20, 1973
Bruce Jun Fan Lee (Lee Siu Lung) was born on November 27, 1940 in San Francisco, CA while his parents were on tour with the Chinese Opera. Ultimately raised in Hong Kong, Bruce Lee was a child actor appearing in more than 20 films. At the age of 13, Bruce took up the study of wing chun gung fu under renowned wing chun master, Yip Man. Bruce left Hong Kong at the age of 18, came to the United States and made his way to Seattle, Washington where he worked in the restaurant of a family friend. He soon enrolled in the University of Washington where he pursued a degree in philosophy. Bruce began to teach gung fu in Seattle and soon opened his first school, the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute. Two more schools followed in Oakland and Los Angeles. Concurrently Bruce married his wife, Linda and had his two children, Brandon and Shannon. In the mid sixties, Bruce was discovered while doing an exhibition at the Long Beach Internationals and a role as Kato in the tv series The Green Hornet soon followed. During this time, Bruce was also developing his own martial art, which he ultimately named Jeet Kune Do (translated: the way of the intercepting fist). Bruce's art was steeped in a philosophical foundation and did not follow long held martial traditions. Instead it had at its core the ideas of simplicity, directness and personal freedom. After The Green Hornet series was canceled, Bruce encountered resistance while working in Hollywood and so headed to Hong Kong to pursue a film career. In Hong Kong he made 3 films, which consecutively broke all box office records and showcased martial arts in an entirely new way. Hollywood took notice and soon Bruce was making the first Hollywood / Hong Kong coproduction with a film called Enter the Dragon. Unfortunately, Bruce Lee died in 1973 before this film was released. This film catapulted him to international fame. Today Bruce Lee’s legacy of self expression, equality, and pioneering innovation continues to inspire people all around the world.
Known For
Fist of Fury
(1972)
Chen Zhen
The Big Boss
(1971)
Cheng Chiu On
Enter the Dragon
(1973)
Lee
The Way of the Dragon
(1972)
Tang Lung
Game of Death
(1978)
Billy Lo
Bruce Lee: The Legend
(1984)
Self (archive footage)
Game of Death II
(1981)
Lee Chen-chiang (archive footage)
Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey
(2000)
Self (archive footage)
I Am Bruce Lee
(2012)
Self / Various (archive footage)
Be Water
(2020)
Self (archive footage)
Marlowe
(1969)
Winslow Wong
Jackie Chan: My Story
(1998)
Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks
(2019)
Self (archive footage)
How Bruce Lee Changed the World
(2009)
Self (archive footage)
The Best of the Martial Arts Films
(1990)
Himself (archive footage)
Full Filmography
Acting
Golden Gate Girl
(1941)
Baby(uncredited)
The Birth of Mankind
(1946)
The Kid
(1950)
Kid Cheung
In the Face of Demolition
(1953)
The Guiding Light
(1953)
San at 13
A Myriad Homes
(1953)
An Orphan's Tragedy
(1955)
Wong Fuk-kwan (child)
We Owe It to Our Children
(1955)
Le fils fainéant
The Wise Guys Who Fool Around
(1956)
Lee Siu Lung
Too Late for Divorce
(1956)
Thunderstorm
(1957)
Chow Chung
Darling Girl
(1957)
The Orphan
(1960)
Ah Sam
Dragon Rising - The Green Hornet Screentest
(1965)
Kato
Marlowe
(1969)
Winslow Wong
The Big Boss
(1971)
Cheng Chiu On
Bruce Lee: The Lost Interview
(1971)
Himself
Fist of Fury
(1972)
Chen Zhen
The Way of the Dragon
(1972)
Tang Lung
Enter the Dragon
(1973)
Lee
Bruce Lee: The Man and the Legend
(1973)
Self (archive footage)
Heiße Ware aus Hong Kong
(1973)
(archive footage)
Location: Hong Kong with Enter the Dragon
(1973)
Self
The World of Kung Fu
(1973)
Self (archive footage)
The Green Hornet
(1974)
Kato
Kung Fu Killers
(1974)
Himself
La légende du petit dragon
(1975)
Fury of the Dragon
(1976)
Kato
The Warrior Within
(1976)
Himself
Exit the Dragon, Enter the Tiger
(1976)
Self (archive footage)
The Real Bruce Lee
(1977)
Himself (archive footage)
Game of Death
(1978)
Billy Lo
Fist of Fear, Touch of Death
(1980)
The Martial Arts Master / (Archive footage)
Game of Death II
(1981)
Lee Chen-chiang (archive footage)
Bruce Lee: The Legend
(1984)
Self (archive footage)
Amazing Masters of Martial Arts
(1985)
Himself (archive footage)
The Best of the Martial Arts Films
(1990)
Himself (archive footage)
Bruce Lee and Kung Fu Mania
(1992)
Himself (archive footage)
The Curse of the Dragon
(1993)
Self (archive footage)
Death by Misadventure: The Mysterious Life of Bruce Lee
(1993)
Himself (archive footage)
The Life of Bruce Lee
(1994)
Himself (archive footage)
Bruce Lee: The Immortal Dragon
(1994)
Self (archive footage)
Top Fighter
(1995)
Himself (Archive Footage)
Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do
(1995)
Himself (archive footage)
Jackie Chan - From Stuntman to Superstar
(1996)
Himself (archive footage)
Face to Face
(1997)
Self (archive footage)
Bruce Lee: In His Own Words
(1998)
Self (archive footage)
The Path of the Dragon
(1998)
Himself (archive footage)
Jackie Chan: My Story
(1998)
Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Masters of the Martial Arts Presented by Wesley Snipes
(1998)
Self (archive footage)
Bruce Lee: The Intercepting Fist
(1998)
Himself (archive footage)
The Lees: Action Speaks Louder
(1999)
Himself
Bruce Lee: The Legend Lives On
(1999)
Himself
Bruce Lee in G.O.D.
(2000)
Hai Tien (archive footage)
Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey
(2000)
Self (archive footage)
Fist to Fist
(2000)
(archive footage)
The Unbeatable Bruce Lee
(2001)
Himself (archive footage)
Jackie Chan: Fast, Funny and Furious
(2002)
Himself
Modern Warriors
(2002)
Self (archive footage)
The Real Bruce Lee 2
(2002)
(archive footage)
The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the Movies
(2002)
Self - Interviewee (archive footage)
Cinema Hong Kong: Kung Fu
(2003)
Self (archive footage)
Bruce Lee - Jeet Kune Do
(2004)
Bruce Lee - La Destinée du Dragon
(2004)
The Green Hornet
(2005)
Kato
Dragonland - L'urlo di Chen terrorizza ancora l'occidente
(2008)
Himself (archive footage)
How Bruce Lee Changed the World
(2009)
Self (archive footage)
The Brilliant Life of Bruce Lee
(2009)
Self (archive footage)
Bruce Lee: In Pursuit of the Dragon
(2011)
Himself (Archive Footage)
I Am Bruce Lee
(2012)
Self / Various (archive footage)
Bruce Lee: Tracking the Dragon
(2016)
Himself (archive footage)
Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks
(2019)
Self (archive footage)
Game of Death Redux
(2019)
Hai Tien
Jay Sebring… Cutting to the Truth
(2020)
Self (archive footage)
Be Water
(2020)
Self (archive footage)
The Final Game of Death
(2023)
Hai Tien (Archival footage)
Crew
Directing
Production
Writing
Data provided by TMDB