Lee, Bruce (1940-1973), Chinese American actor and martial arts expert, who popularized Asian-fighting motion pictures by displaying martial arts realistically on film. While he was still a rising young star, Lee died suddenly and inexplicably. The rumors that swirled around about his death helped make him an international cult figure.Lee was born in San Francisco, California, where his family was staying while his father, a Chinese opera star, was performing in the United States. Lee grew up in Hong Kong, where he learned the martial art kung fu and acted in movies under the name Lee Siu Lung (Lee Little Dragon). He returned to the United States when he was 18 to study philosophy at the University of Washington. Lee left school after three years to teach kung fu. In 1964 he gave a karate demonstration in Long Beach, California, where the creator of the hit television series Batman discovered him. Soon after, Lee made several appearances on the show, and was hired to play the character Kato on the short-lived television series The Green Hornet.
In the late 1960s, married with two children, Lee moved back to Hong Kong to pursue a career in film. In 1971 he starred in Fists of Fury, a martial-arts action film. This movie and its 1972 sequel attracted fans to Lee’s work, and he began production on several other films. In 1973, during the filming of Game of Death, Lee suffered a brain edema and died. Just a few weeks later, his movie Enter the Dragon was released, gaining him international fame. Game of Death was not released until 1978.
