14. Martial arts master
Born Lee Jun-fan on November 27, 1940, Bruce Lee was a martial artist, actor, filmmaker and founder of the martial art Jeet Kune Do. Considered one of the most influential martial artists of all time, Lee is credited with helping to change the way Asians were presented in American films.
Lee was born in San Francisco’s Chinatown and was raised in Hong Kong until his late teens. His mother, Grace Ho, who was of half-Chinese and half-Caucasian descent, came from one of the wealthiest and most powerful clans in Hong Kong, the Ho-tungs. Lee’s father, Lee Hoi-chuen, was a leading Cantonese actor and opera star. Lee was introduced to the film industry by his father and appeared in several films as a child actor.
The largest influence on Lee’s martial arts development was his study of Wing Chun. He began training at 16 under Yip Man, who tried to keep his students from fighting in the street gangs of Hong Kong by encouraging them to fight in competitions. After a year into his training, most of the students refused to train with Lee after they learned of his mixed ancestry, as the Chinese were against teaching their martial arts techniques to non-Asians. But Lee showed a keen interest in Wing Chun and continued to train privately with Yip Man.
At 18, Lee moved to the US, where he studied at the University of Washington at Seattle. During that time, he began teaching martial arts. In 1964 and 1967 he appeared in the Long Beach International Karate Championships in California, where he performed a series of highly impressive demonstrations.
Lee’s formidable prowess in martial arts gained him the attention of the television and film industry. In 1966-67 he played Kato in the TV series The Green Hornet and appeared as that character in three episodes of Batman. In 1971 he starred in the film The Big Boss (aka Fists of Fury). A huge box office success in Asia, the film catapulted Lee to stardom. In 1972 he starred in Fist of Fury (aka The Chinese Connection), which broke the box office records set by The Big Boss. For his film Way of the Dragon (aka Return of the Dragon) in 1972, he was given complete control of the film as writer, director, star and fight scene choreographer. In the film, Lee introduced Chuck Norris (who was one of his students) as his opponent in the final death fight. It is considered one of the most memorable fight scenes in the history of martial arts films.
Lee’s final film endeavor was Enter the Dragon. On May 10, 1973, Lee collapsed during a filming session in Hong Kong, having suffered from seizures and headaches. On July 20, several hours after taking an analgesic to alleviate a headache, he died. It was deemed that he’d had an allergic reaction to the medication. He was 32.
Lee’s films elevated the traditional Hong Kong martial arts film to a new level of popularity and acclaim, sparking a surge of interest in Chinese martial arts in the West. The direction and tone of his films influenced martial arts and martial arts films worldwide. Time Magazine named Bruce Lee one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.