Bruce Lee.

Bruce Lee (Chinese: ; born Lee Jun-fan, Chinese: ; November 27,

1940 July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong American martial artist, Hong Kong action
film actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, filmmaker, and the founder of Jeet
Kune Do. Lee was the son of Cantonese opera star Lee Hoi-Chuen. He is widely
considered by commentators, critics, media and other martial artists to be one of
the most influential martial artists of all time, and a pop culture icon of the 20th
century. He is often credited with helping to change the way Asians were presented
in American films.
Lee was born in Chinatown, San Francisco on November 27, 1940 to parents from
Hong Kong and was raised in Kowloon with his family until his late teens. He was
introduced to the film industry by his father and appeared in several films as a child
actor. Lee moved to the United States at the age of 18 to receive his higher
education, at the University of Washington, at Seattle and it was during this time
that he began teaching martial arts. His Hong Kong and Hollywood-produced 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 in the
1970s. The direction and tone of his films changed and influenced martial arts and
martial arts films in the United States, Hong Kong and the rest of the world.
He is noted for his roles in five feature-length films: Lo Wei's The Big Boss (1971)
and Fist of Fury (1972); Golden Harvest's Way of the Dragon (1972), directed and
written by Lee; Golden Harvest and Warner Brothers' Enter the Dragon (1973) and
The Game of Death (1978), both directed by Robert Clouse.]Lee became an iconic
figure known throughout the world, particularly among the Chinese, as he portrayed

Chinese nationalism in his films. He trained in the art of Wing Chun and later
combined his other influences from various sources, in the spirit of his personal
martial arts philosophy, which he dubbed Jeet Kune Do (The Way of the Intercepting
Fist). Lee held dual nationality of Hong Kong and the United States. He died in
Kowloon Tong on July 20, 1973 at the age of 32.