Shannon Lee is the talented daughter of Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee's family

Bruce Lee is the greatest master of martial arts, who, thanks to his unique talent, determination and hard work, became a true world legend and acquired millions of followers in all corners of the planet. Talented actor, director and screenwriter who managed to bring to the screen all the beauty and power of oriental martial techniques.

Childhood and adolescence

Bruce Lee was born in the United States, where his father Lee Hoi Chen, a Cantonese Opera artist, was on tour at the time. He was accompanied on the trip by his pregnant wife, Grace Lee, a beautiful half-breed Chinese woman with German roots. When it became clear that the birth would occur any day now, Lee Hoi left his wife in a San Francisco clinic while he continued performing. On November 27, 1940, in the year and hour of the Dragon, a boy was born who was destined to become a world legend.

The newborn baby was given several names at once. According to Chinese calendar he was named Li Xiao Long ("Little Dragon"), on the birth certificate issued at the clinic, the child was listed as Bruce Lee (as the midwife called him), and the mother christened the baby Li Zhen Fan, which translated from Chinese meant "Go back " Grace really wanted her son to return to America when he grew up.

Having returned with the baby to their native Hong Kong, where they were expected stepdaughter Phoebe and eldest son Peter, the parents pretended that they had a girl named Li Yun Fan ("Baby Phoenix"). In this way they tried to deceive the “evil spirits” who, in their opinion, took away their first son, who died in infancy. At first they even dressed Bruce in girl’s clothes and put an earring in his ear so that no one would have any doubts. It’s interesting that he also appeared on screen for the first time as a girl, playing a three-month-old daughter main character in the drama "Golden Gate Girl".

When Bruce grew up, his parents sent him to a Jesuit school, from which he was soon expelled for poor performance and disgusting behavior. The boy studied very poorly, especially hated mathematics and grammar, and his favorite pastime was bullying his classmates. Because of this, he often came home with bruises and bumps, which incredibly upset his parents.

Lee Hoi Chen tried in every possible way to guide his son on the right path and took him with him to the theater and filming. Thanks to this, Bruce got into films early and already at the age of six he played a little thief in the film “The Birth of Humanity.” The father dreamed of his son becoming an artist, and understood that, despite his thin physique, he was disproportionately Long hands and slightly turned out left leg, the boy has natural plasticity and an innate sense of rhythm. So he took him to dances, which Bruce unexpectedly liked.

At the age of thirteen, the young man first crossed the threshold of a dance class, and four years later he won the Hong Kong cha-cha championship. But, despite his new hobby, the restless teenager did not stop getting involved in street fights, and after one of them, which ended not in his favor, he decided to take up martial arts professionally.

He settled on the Wing Chun style (fighting on short distances without the use of weapons) and came to the best master of this military technique, former policeman Ip Men, who opened his own school in Hong Kong. The teacher immediately appreciated the teenager’s flexibility and coordination, as well as the speed and dexterity of his movements. Bruce showed unprecedented success, but street fights still attracted him. One day the young man had a showdown with members of the famous Hong Kong criminal group and got two of them off pretty well. In people from criminal world It’s not customary to forgive offenders, so Bruce was threatened deadly danger. The frightened mother immediately packed her son’s things, bought a ticket and sent him to the States, fortunately Bruce, who was born in the USA, had American citizenship.

So in 1959, the young man found himself in America again: first in San Francisco, then moved to Seattle, where he stayed with friends and got a job in their restaurant. A year later he entered Edison Technical School, where he made up for gaps in grammar and exact sciences, and then became a student at the University of Washington.

Sports career

Despite his busy schedule, Bruce did not give up playing sports, but on the contrary, devoted everything to training free time. He mastered a wide variety of kung fu, jiu-jitsu and judo techniques, and used park trees wrapped in blankets as dummies for sparring.

In 1961, Lee opened his own martial arts school, where he began teaching Jeet Kune Do, his own style of kung fu, developed through regular grueling training. Anyone could study there, and not just Asians, as was previously customary, which fundamentally distinguished this institution from many others like it.

Lost Bruce Lee Interview

The classes weren't cheap (almost $300 an hour), but they were worth the money. Bruce improved his original technique until his death and developed a special nutrition system for students. He was constantly in impeccable shape and subjected himself to extreme loads that his comrades never dreamed of.

Film career

But not only thanks sporting achievements Bruce Lee became a world legend. He managed to completely change the idea of ​​combat fights in cinema and bring them to a different quality level. If earlier on-screen fights had to be sped up to make them more spectacular, Bruce’s fights, on the contrary, were slowed down so that the audience could fully enjoy his magnificent technique.

For my short life the actor managed to star in 36 films, many of which became cinema classics.

Despite the fact that numerous episodic works in children's and adolescence did not bring him widespread popularity, Bruce gained invaluable experience that would be useful to him in the future. Having moved to the USA, the young man continued to act in TV series, but never received any serious roles.

Having learned that a new film studio, Golden Harvest, had opened in Hong Kong, he decided to return to his homeland, and in 1971 he left America. Bruce managed to persuade the studio director not only to entrust him with the main role in the film “Big Boss” (1971), but also to allow him to stage all the action scenes. The success of the film exceeded all expectations, and Lee received a unique opportunity not only to demonstrate his acting and sports skills, but also to directly participate in the creation of the following films.

Trailer for the film starring Bruce Lee "Fist of Fury"

In 1972, Fist of Fury and Way of the Dragon were released, which became real bestsellers and made Bruce a star. The premiere of Enter the Dragon (1973), which took place a week after Lee's unexpected death, was a resounding success. This film became a worthy requiem for the great actor and athlete, and the final fight with Chuck Norris is considered the best in the history of world cinema.

Bruce Lee vs. Chuck Norris (excerpt from Enter the Dragon)

The last film to be released with the participation of Bruce Lee was the action movie “Game of Death” (1978), which had to be completed without him, resorting to the help of a stunt double. The film includes documentary footage from the actor’s funeral.

In 1993 at Hollywood Alley His name star was solemnly unveiled to glory.

Personal life of Bruce Lee

With my future wife Bruce met Linda Emery in Seattle. The girl, like him, studied at the University of Washington and came to his kung fu classes. Sympathy arose between them, which gradually grew into love. Linda became a loyal fan and devoted student of Bruce, and in 1964, his official wife.

A year later, the couple had baby Brandon, and in 1969 baby Shannon was born. Brandon, like his father, became an actor and, by a tragic accident, passed away before he even reached the age of thirty. The young man died on the set of the film “The Raven” from a pistol shot, which, due to the negligence of the pyrotechnician, turned out to be loaded with a live cartridge. Shannon also became an actress, and now, together with her mother, heads the Foundation of her legendary father.

Death

The unexpected death of Bruce Lee, who was in his prime and ideal physical fitness, shocked millions of his fans. Until now, his departure causes a lot of gossip and speculation.

Footage from Bruce Lee's funeral

According to official information, the actor died on July 20, 1973 from cerebral edema caused by allergic reaction for a headache medication. However, there is a version that the mafiosi finally got to Bruce and sent him a killer who mastered the “delayed death” technique. The actor was buried in Seattle, and to this day martial artists from all over the world come to worship his grave.

Bruce Lee is a Hong Kong-American film actor, director, screenwriter, and producer. He became a real legend. The film actor amazed everyone with his incredible strength and stamina, unprecedented endurance and fearlessness. He was a philosopher, popularized Chinese martial arts.

Millions of boys wanted to learn how to fight like the legendary Bruce Lee, fighting for good and justice. He managed to ignite their hearts with his own example. After all, everything that Bruce Lee could do, he achieved without anyone’s help, on his own.

As a child, the actor was a very weak child and was often sick. But later I decided to take care of myself completely. He exhausted himself with long, grueling training and achieved unprecedented skill.

Bruce Lee's biography is shining example that a person can make himself by putting effort into it.

Fans of the actor were interested in any information about their idol, they were especially interested in his height, weight, and age. How old Bruce Lee was at the time of his death is not a difficult question. It is enough to know the dates of birth and death of the legendary actor. Through easy calculations we find out that Bruce Lee died at the age of 32. Photos of him in his youth are still a popular search on the Internet.

The actor's height was 171 centimeters and he weighed 59 kilograms. Bruce Lee had phenomenal physical abilities. He began to train Kung Fu, constantly practicing his strikes to perfection. Later he introduced more techniques from other martial arts. By collecting the best strength exercises, he was able to develop muscular system and cardiovascular endurance.

Biography and personal life of Bruce Lee

The biography and personal life of Bruce Lee began in Chinatown in San Francisco. The future actor was born on November 27, 1940. His name is the nurse who delivered the baby.

By the standards of that time, his family was quite wealthy. Father: Lee Hong Chuen, Chinese opera artist. Mother - Grace Lee, was half German

Bruce Lee began acting in films from early childhood. This first happened when he was 3 months old. In the film The Golden Gate Girl, Bruce Lee got the role of a baby girl.

As a child, Bruce Lee was a rather frail child. At school I was not particularly diligent. In 1954 he began dancing. He later participates and wins dance competitions.

The actor also developed an interest in martial arts as a child. He diligently practiced kung fu, boxing, judo, and jiu-jitsu. Later, Bruce Lee, having collected the best strength exercises and techniques, developed his own style - Jeet Kune Do. In 1961, the actor opened his own school, in which everyone could study, regardless of their age and nationality. Let us note that in those days it was prohibited. The school was closed several times. The famous Bruce Lee demonstrated a 1-inch punch to his students. Many people would still like to know how Bruce Lee makes a one-inch punch. Video of this technique has been preserved only on old videotapes.

All the film actor’s roles were related to martial arts. He has always been a positive hero. It's interesting to know that Bruce Lee was too fast for the cameras. The video did not have time to capture the kick. The directors even asked the actor to slow down.

Bruce Lee's personal life was quite calm and happy. He was married once and had two children - a son and a daughter.

Family and children of Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee's family and children have always been his treasure. The actor was born into an international family: his father is Chinese, and his mother is half German. His parents were creative and artistic and often went on tour.

Bruce Lee loved his children very much. He was always upset that, due to his workload, he did not pay enough attention to them. But still, Bruce Lee gave everything to his children, passed on his experience to them.

Bruce Lee's family and children valued the actor very much and were proud of him. Relatives and friends for a long time could not come to terms with his death.

Bruce Lee's son - Brandon Lee

Bruce Lee's son is Brandon Lee, the actor's eldest child. The boy was born on February 1, 1965. Brandon Lee was a fairly developed and capable boy. He went in for sports, played the guitar and wrote poetry. His son was trained by his father, so he achieved a lot in the field of martial arts.

Brandon Lee graduated from classical Chinese school. He studied at the military school of arts. He was also a student at Emerson College and took acting classes.

Brandon Lee has starred in nine films. One of the films became tragic for him. Brandon Lee died while filming The Crow in 1993. He was accidentally shot by his co-star Michael Massey.

Bruce Lee's daughter - Shannon Emery Lee

Bruce Lee's daughter is Shannon Emery Lee, the second child in the actor's family. The girl was born in 1969 in California. The girl studied at the Chadwick School in the USA and graduated from Tulane University.

Shannon Emiri Lee is also a film actress. She starred in several films that made her famous. The girl sings very well, writes songs, and also stars in videos. After her father's death, she produced films about him. He often takes part in various television shows.

Shannon Emira Lee is now married. Her husband is lawyer Jan Kiesler. A daughter is growing in the family.

Bruce Lee's wife - Linda Lee Kendwell

Bruce Lee's wife is Linda Lee Kendwell, the only wife of the actor. By education she is a teacher. The young people met completely by chance. The girl came to kung fu training. At that time she was 17 years old.

Bruce Lee and Linda Lee Kendwell dated for about two years. Their romance was quite stormy. And in 1964 they officially registered their relationship. Note that Linda Lee Kendwell's parents were not satisfied with their daughter's choice, primarily because of his Asian appearance. But they could not do anything, since the young people were madly in love with each other. Linda herself was Scandinavian.

Linda Lee Kendwell gave birth to two children to the legendary actor - a boy, Brandon, and a daughter, Shannon.

Death of Bruce Lee. Wikipedia cause of death

July 20, 1973 happened tragic event- death of Bruce Lee. Wikipedia named the cause of death as cerebral edema, which was caused by an allergy to aspirin. It is known that the actor took the pill because of a very severe headache. Bruce Lee's death occurred in a dream. Then he lay down to rest during a break between filming a film with the fatal title “Game of Death.”

There were also rumors that the legendary actor was killed by a kung fu master who was Bruce Lee's rival. But this version has not received official confirmation. More than 25,000 people came to Bruce Lee's funeral. It was incredible person, dedicated to his work.

Bruce Lee is a legendary man who amazed everyone with his phenomenal strength and stamina, endurance and fearlessness. He was not only a philosopher, but also a master of his craft, who managed to infuse the love of martial arts into the hearts of millions of boys.

All over the world, guys of any age watched movies with the legendary Bruce Lee and wanted to learn how to fight like him for good and justice.

Few people know, but the young man achieved everything he knew on his own, since he was sickly and weak as a child. His story is a vivid example of the fact that a person makes himself, you just need to apply a little perseverance.

Height, weight, age. How old is Bruce Lee

Every person on globe could answer the question about the famous martial artist’s height, weight, and age. How old Bruce Lee is is quite easy to find out if you know his date of birth.

Bruce Lee was born in 1940 and died suddenly in 1973, so the man was thirty-two years old at the time of his death. According to his zodiac sign, Bruce was friendly, sociable, sincere and straightforward Sagittarius.

By Eastern horoscope possessed the traits inherent in the Dragon, namely strength, brightness, sexuality, directness, wisdom and the desire for knowledge.

Bruce Lee's height was one meter and seventy-five centimeters, and his weight was fifty-nine kilograms. However, pathologists claimed that at the time of death he weighed sixty-five kilograms.

Biography and personal life of Bruce Lee

The biography and personal life of Bruce Lee is a subtle interweaving of truth and fiction, reality and legend. The boy was born in San Francisco, America, in the year and hour of the Dragon. At birth, the boy was named Li Xiaolong - Little Dragon. It reliably protected the baby from evil forces. The name Bruce was given to the boy by the nurse who delivered the baby.

Little Bruce was a frail and sickly baby; from the age of three months he acted in Chinese films. Because of his thinness, he had to play hooligans, tramps, thieves, orphans and difficult children.

The boy lived in Hong Kong, he studied mediocrely, but was fond of dancing in the cha-cha-cha style. He studied at La Salle College, and at the age of 17, Bruce Lee won the dance championship.

From the age of fourteen he studied kung fu, impressing his master with endurance and coordination of movements. From that time on, he trained daily and thoroughly mastered the nunchaku. The guy practiced boxing, jiu-jitsu, judo, and later developed his own style - jit kune do. Already in 1961, the Bruce Lee School was opened, in which all people, regardless of age and nationality, could study, however, the cost of training was $ 275 per hour.

Many fans tried to repeat the famous Bruce Lee one-inch punch, a video of which could be found on old video tapes. So far, not a single person in the world has been able to repeat this blow.

At nineteen, the guy realized that life in China would give him nothing, so he went to America, where he confirmed his citizenship by birth and took the name Bruce. The future actor worked as a waiter for a long time, and then entered the Edison Technical School and the University of Washington, where he studied philosophical practices.

Filmography: films starring Bruce Lee

The guy often starred in films and, by the age of 15, could boast of starring in 20 films. The filmography includes such films as “Golden Gate Girl”, “The Green Hornet”, “The Big Boss”, “Fist of Fury”, “Return of the Dragon”, “Enter the Dragon” and the unfinished film “Game of Death”.

It was on the set that the famous Bruce Lee's 1-inch punch was demonstrated for the first time, the secret of which was to hit the enemy quickly and powerfully without clenching your palm into a fist. He forced even strong and prepared opponents to fall to the ground.

Another trick was Bruce Lee's kick, the video of which still receives millions of views on the Internet. This is the most swipe, with which he could smash into pieces a boxing training bag that weighs more than 150 kilograms.

Bruce Lee was so famous that over thirty films have been made about him. documentaries, and his fees reached $19,000 per film.

Family and children of Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee's family and children were international, since his father, Lee Hoi Chen, was Chinese by nationality, and his mother, Grace Lee, was half German.

The guy’s parents were creative and artistic people who couldn’t imagine their life without touring and performing. Dad shone on the stage of Chinese opera as an actor-comedian. Mom was a theater actress, she gave birth to little Bruce on an American tour.

Children have always been the great actor’s favorite people, although he could not devote enough time to them due to filming. He literally gave the children everything; his little son was trained by Bruce Lee himself, so he achieved a lot in martial arts and the world of cinema.

Bruce Lee's son - Brandon Lee

Bruce Lee's son, Brandon Lee, was born in 1965, he was a capable boy. At five years old, the boy could jump up to his father's head and walked on his hands. He was fond of playing poker, ping-pong, backgammon and chess.

Graduated from classical Chinese school and military school arts, Emerson College and acting classes. The guy played the guitar and composed songs, and starred in nine films.

He died tragically and absurdly: on the set of the film “The Crow” in 1993, Brandon was accidentally shot by his partner Michael Massey.

Bruce Lee's daughter - Shannon Emery Lee

Bruce Lee's daughter, Shannon Emery Lee, was born in 1969 in hot California. She graduated from Chadwick School in the USA and Tulane University. After the death of her beloved brother, she moved to Washington, and later to Los Angeles.

She starred in several low-budget films and ten films that made her famous. She participated in TV shows and produced films about her father.

She sings beautifully, writes songs and stars in videos. Shannon is married to lawyer Jan Kiesler and has a fourteen-year-old daughter, Ren.

Bruce Lee's wife - Linda Lee Cadwell

Bruce Lee's wife, Linda Lee Cadwell, appeared in Bruce's life quite by accident, she simply came to his training in a form of martial arts popular in the sixties - kung fu.

The wedding of the master and his student took place in 1964, after two years of a whirlwind romance. Linda's parents were not delighted that an Asian man became the husband of their beloved daughter, but the young people managed to convince them of the power of their love.

Linda was a Scandinavian by nationality and a teacher by training, she gave up everything to help her husband with his work and give birth to his children. Before the death of her beloved, the marriage lasted nine years.

Death of Bruce Lee. Wikipedia cause of death

In July 1973, the whole world was shocked by one piece of news - the death of Bruce Lee. Wikipedia named the cause of death as cerebral edema, which occurred due to the fact that the actor was overworked while working on the film “Tower of Death” and took a regular headache pill containing aspirin and meprobomate.

There were legends about the death of Bruce Lee; it was said that he was killed by a rival master at a distance. The legend’s wife asked not to make a fuss about his ridiculous death, but simply to believe in the official version of what happened.

Bruce Lee is a famous martial artist, Hong Kong and American film actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. He can rightfully be called a legendary man, who, thanks to his skills, gained huge number followers all over the world.

Bruce Lee was born on November 27, 1940 in San Francisco. His parents were Lee Hoi Chuen and Grace Lee. The head of the family is a Chinese opera actor who earned good money. According to the Chinese calendar, the boy was born in the Year of the Dragon and the Hour of the Dragon, which is why he received the name Li Xiaolong, which translates as Little Dragon. According to Chinese beliefs, children should have several names in order to protect them from evil spirits. Bruce's mother subsequently gave her son the name Li Zhenfan, which means "come back."

Bruce Lee with his parents

The couple, who live in Hong Kong, went to America for a theatrical tour. And when it became clear that the pregnant Grace could no longer continue the trip due to the imminent birth, she remained in San Francisco. Immediately after the birth, one of the nurses suggested calling the boy the American name Bruce: by the way, no one remembered this name before Bruce Lee moved to America.

The child grew up in Hong Kong. Incredibly, as a child, Bruce was a rather “frail” child and, despite the fact that he was interested in martial arts, he was not seriously interested in them. The guy was not particularly successful at school either.

At the age of 12, the boy was sent to college comprehensive development"La Salle". At the age of 13, Bruce began attending dance lessons, and four years later he won the cha-cha-cha championship in Hong Kong.

When Bruce Lee turned 19 years old, he decided to move to the United States, thereby confirming his American citizenship by birthright. He first went to San Francisco and then to Seattle, where he got a job as a waiter in one of the local restaurants. During these years he graduated from the Technical School and also went to study at Faculty of Philosophy University of Washington.

Sport

As a teenager, Bruce Lee decided to master kung fu - he needed these skills to stand up for himself in street fights. The parents approved of their son’s choice and sent him to master Ip Man to study the art of Wing Chun. Thanks to dancing, the guy had excellent coordination of movements, which helped him in as soon as possible master the basics of Taijixuan technique. From that time on, Bruce Lee never stopped training. The style Bruce studied involved fighting without weapons, although later he mastered it too - the athlete handled the nunchaku best of all.

Lee later mastered judo, jiu-jitsu and boxing. In addition, he contributed to martial arts by developing a new style Kung Fu called Jeet Kune Do. By the way, he taught this style at his own martial arts school, which he opened in 1961 while living in the States. The lessons weren't cheap ($275 per hour), but Bruce Lee's school had one fundamental difference from similar educational institutions- it taught everyone, regardless of nationality, while other masters undertook to teach only Asians.

As a teacher, Bruce himself never stopped improving his kung fu skills, bringing every move to perfection. He even created his own nutrition system; later his training methods were published, which gained popularity all over the world.

Movies

Interestingly, the first time Bruce Lee starred in a film was when he was only 3 months old - it was the film “Golden Gate Girl”. Thanks to the fact that his father was connected with the world of art, the boy began to often act in films. Already in 1946, he made his debut in the film “Born of Man.” Then Bruce managed to star in two dozen films before he turned 15 years old. These roles did not bring much income or fame to the young man, although the experience he gained was enormous.

Bruce Lee (right) in The Green Hornet

During his years in the USA, Bruce Lee began acting in American television series and films, demonstrating martial arts. From 1966 to 1967 The series “The Green Hornet” was released with the actor’s participation, and a year later Lee appeared in an episode of the film “Marlowe”. He did not get the main roles, and he decided to leave America and return to Hong Kong, where the Golden Harvest film studio was then opened.

Bruce managed to negotiate with the studio director about the opportunity to star in leading role, while he himself had to stage all the fight scenes. Thus, in 1971, the film “Big Boss” was released, which changed the concept of martial arts in the world of cinema. On the wave of success, the films “Fist of Fury” and “Return of the Dragon” were made - these films made Bruce Lee a super popular actor.

In 1972, Bruce Lee worked on the film Enter the Dragon, which premiered six days after his death. This picture became the last completed film with his participation.

Another film in which the idol of millions managed to star, “Game of Death”: Bruce starred in only 28 minutes of the film. It was released in 1978; filming had to be completed without the participation of the actor, having involved a similar person in the filming.

Personal life

In 1964, Bruce Lee married Linda Emery. He met his future wife during his own lectures - a 17-year-old student attended kung fu classes. The couple had two children in their marriage. In 1965, Linda gave Bruce a son, who was named Brandon, and four years later the couple had a daughter, Shannon.

Unfortunately, the fate of Bruce Lee's son was tragic. followed in his father's footsteps and became an actor and martial artist. In 1993, he died right on film set– the pistol from which they shot at the actor in the frame accidentally turned out to be loaded with a live cartridge.

Death

At the age of 33, Bruce Lee died unexpectedly. Death occurred on July 20, 1973; this event came as a shock to all of Hong Kong, as well as fans of the star around the world.

According to the official version, death was caused by cerebral edema. The cause of the swelling was allegedly a headache pill taken by the actor. Bruce's body was transported and buried in Seattle.

Fans did not want to believe in such an absurd death of their idol, which led to the birth of a lot of rumors about how exactly Lee died. One of these versions spoke in favor of the murder of the actor by another master who did not want him to teach martial arts to Europeans and Americans. However, such rumors were not confirmed.

Filmography

• "Orphan"
• "Love"
• "It's my father's fault"
• "Faithful wife"
• "Game of Death"
• "The path of Dragon"
• "Fist of fury"
• "Storm"
• "Big boss"
• "Tower of Death"

8 chosen

She herself sought a meeting with Him. I even signed up for kung fu courses for this, and exactly 47 years ago I became Mrs. Lee...
He was captivated by this young Swedish blonde from the very first meeting...
They got married despite protests from their relatives and never separated for almost a minute until the end of their lives (cinema and kung fu are exceptions)…

She…

She was born in Everett into a family of benevolent and upright Baptists.

“Cold” Scandinavian blood flowed in her veins, mixed with English blood similar in temperament.

She was studying at Garfield School when one day, coming to a lecture on philosophy, she met Him...

He…

He was the second child in the family of Chinese opera actor Lee Hoi Chen and half-Chinese, half-German Grace Lee, and that is why many in China (and Lee himself in particular) believed that he was cursed: in China they believe that the second child in a family should be girl. Therefore, the believing father and mother confused the spirits as best they could: Grace adopted the girl of one poor man, and they came up with a girlish nickname for her son - Baby Phoenix.

In general, the future kung fu master always had a leapfrog with names: at first his name was Li Zhanfen - translated from Chinese as “go back”, then Li Yen Kam - “never sitting still”, and after Li was invited to movie the name Li Sui Lung - “little dragon” appeared. One might assume that Bruce is a pseudonym taken by the actor so that in the West his name would not offend the ears. But no. On his birth certificate, issued at a San Francisco hospital, this is the name recorded - Bruce. His mother always wanted her son to return to America one day...

To say that Bruce had a hot temper as a child would be an understatement. He haunted the entire area and bullied everyone. Moreover, the size of the enemy did not matter to him. Several times a day, Grace washed her son’s abrasions and darned his clothes.

In order to somehow rein in the boy, he was sent to a Jesuit school. But a few years later, Bruce was kicked out of there for obnoxious behavior. Although his former guardian spoke of him as an intelligent, receptive child who just needed to be occupied with something.

At one point, Bruce decided to take up kung fu, and his father, who did not give money to his children out of principle, unexpectedly agreed to pay for these lessons, hoping that this would somehow rein in his son. The future master chose tough and aggressive Wing Chun (according to legend, the creator of the style was a nun who lived in the 15th century). Lee practiced the technique first on his classmates, and then on the English big boys. His vanity was satisfied - he became a legend in Hong Kong, and as a result, the stupid, senseless childish mischief disappeared somewhere.

By the age of 18, Bruce had another reason to be proud of himself - he won the Hong Kong Cha-Cha Championship (his father taught him to dance when he was still a child). early childhood), played several children's roles in action films. And now dance lessons have been added to the training. Bruce looked like a dandy - carefully licked and greased hair, an immaculately ironed black suit (he ironed it himself, not trusting his mother), a narrow tie with an even knot. Either a student at a missionary school or a dancer from a variety show, he is an ideal target for a street hooligan looking to have fun. Three of these hooligans turned out to be representatives of the local Triad, whom Lee knocked out with a sau-do blow - his favorite blow, when the edge of the palm, hardened by many hours of training, falls on the attacker's throat. Such impudence was not forgiven - Bruce had to die.

America saved him - Bruce took advantage of the right to citizenship given to him at birth. In one evening, Bruce was collected and sent to his friends in the States. So the future Hollywood star stood on par with many future celebrities - Lee became a waiter.

It was an incredible blow to my pride. But over time, his hot temper pacified. He began to learn the language. Friends appeared. And one of them once invited Bruce to a Seattle school, where he was able to demonstrate martial arts, defeating the strongest guy in the school in a fair fight. So a poor waiter became a famous kung fu teacher in Seattle: he taught a martial arts section and lectured on Chinese philosophy. And one day She appeared at a lecture...

They…

They were like heaven and earth, like yin and yang: he was a fiery brunette with a distinctly Asian appearance and a funny Hong Kong accent (he pronounced “v” instead of “r”); she is a Scandinavian blonde, about whom one could well say “a persistent Nordic character.”

She was 17, he was 22. Through her Chinese friend, Linda signed up for Bruce’s class. And after some time, he invited her to the most expensive restaurant in the city. A bright scarlet silk shirt, a black satin tie, a black suit with a red lining - it was impossible not to fall in love with such a gentleman. And the girl made a very strong impression on Bruce (especially since after arriving in America, Lee somehow did not particularly communicate with the opposite sex due to objective reasons).

Linda's parents were shocked by their daughter's choice. And after we met Lee in person, Linda’s mother even cried.

But they were too good together to abandon each other because of racial prejudice. In addition, the obstacles only fueled their feelings and three months later - August 17, 1964 - they got married. They had two children - son Brandon and daughter Shannon.

Lee became increasingly popular - a wave of fashion for everything oriental swept the West. But even when Bruce Lee’s fame reached incredible heights, rumors about the actor’s adultery were perceived in the family with a condescending smile, because they almost never parted...

On July 20, 1973, the Great Kung Fu Master suddenly died while filming another film. He just fell asleep and didn't wake up. Bruce always told his wife that he was cursed...