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Bruce Lee was born on November 27th, 1940 in Chinatown, San Francisco to parents Grace Ho and Lee Hoi-chuen. During his period in Hong Kong, Lee attended Catholic La Salle College and, due to constant misconduct and poor grades, transferred to St. Frances Xavier College in 1956. Street fights were an often occurrence during Bruce's teenage years. In 1959, After getting into a scuffle with the son of a known Triad boss and a police confirmation that there was a bounty on the young Lee's head, his parents decided to escape Hong Kong in order to pursue a much safer and healthier life in the states.
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Bruce Lee enrolled in Washington State College in 1961 were he studied philosophy, psychology and dramatic arts among other things. It was there where he met his future wife, Linda Emery. After receiving his major in dramatic arts, the two decided to get married in 1964. They ended up having two kids: Shannon Lee (1969) and Brandon Lee (1965-1993).
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During his time in the states, the young Bruce Lee had abandoned his thoughts on becoming an actor in favor of a career in martial arts. It wasn't until 1964 that Lee was given an invitation by producer William Dozier to audition for 'Number One Son'. Even thought the show never aired, he was invited shortly after to star in 'The Green Hornet.' He played Van William's sidekick, "Kato". Even though the show only lasted 26 episodes, it was enough for Bruce's breakthrough!
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What followed was a series of guest appearances in shows like Ironside (1967), 'Here Come The Brides' (1969) and 'Blondie' (1969). Lee also began teaching martial arts to some of the biggest actors in show business at the time including James Coburn and writers like Stirling Silliphant. Through the years, many more would join his classes.
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Bruce's student Stirling Silliphant ended up giving him a role in his series 'Longstreet' where he played the role of a martial arts instructor. Many of his fighting philosophies and techniques were written into the script. Even the his part only lasted 4 episodes, it is still one of his most memorable!
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Not satisfied with his supporting roles in the US, Lee decided to return to Hong Kong only to realize that his role in 'The Green Hornet' had gained him international stardom all over Asia. They referred to the show as "The Kato Show" instead of it's real name.
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After returning to the city he spent part of his childhood in, Lee was almost immediately catapulted into the Hong Kong movie industry. His first role was in 'The Big Boss' (1971) which gained him even more success. Following that, he was able to get another leading role in 'Fist of Fury' (1972) which broke the box office record set by 'The Big Boss.' In his third movie 'Way of The Dragon' (1972), he was given complete creative control over all the movies components which lead to one of the most legendary fight scenes in movie history: Bruce Lee vs. Chuck Norris.
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His last and most memorable movie was 'Enter The Dragon' (1973). Even though there were several complications during the production of this movie, especially with his longtime friend Unicorn Chan, the movie was successfully produced and released on July 26th, 1973, only six days after Lee's untimely death.
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Even though Lee died at the young age of 32, he left behind plenty of things to remember his by: his martial arts philosophy, his acting skills and, of course, his children. His son Brandon Lee also went on to become a highly successful actor starring in movies like 'Showdown In Little Tokyo,' 'Rapid Fire,' and 'The Crow.' Sadly, due to an accident on set, Brandon suffered a similar accidental fate, in comparison to his father. His daughter Shannon Lee continues to run the production company and non profit organisations created by her father.
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All in all, what can we say? This man inspired actors and martial artists alike to take on a new form of thinking! If it wasn't for Lee, we wouldn't have some of the action movies we have today! May he rest in peace...
When it comes to the perfect balance of martial arts and acting, Bruce Lee is most definitely one of the all time greats! Not only did this man master 4 different forms of martial arts, Bruce was philosophically and intellectually ahead of his time.
In order to capture the essence that is Bruce Lee, we must take a look at the works that made him a "superstar", even though he himself would never consider himself to be one! Let's have a look, shall we?
