The Untold Story of Brandon Lee

The Untold Story of Brandon Lee

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re discussing actor Brandon Lee’s tragically short life and immortal legacy.

Before Brandon, There Was Bruce

By the time he could walk, Brandon Lee remembered training with his father, the legendary Bruce Lee. The son of Chinese parents, Bruce was born in California, but brought up in Hong Kong where his father (a Cantonese opera singer) helped him enter the film industry at a young age. The father and son even co-starred in 1950’s “The Kid,” marking the nine-year-old Bruce’s first lead role. As an adult, Bruce aspired to pursue acting in America, but quickly found that Asian actors were often restricted to playing servants and stereotypes. Lee had a breakthrough when he was cast as the Green Hornet’s sidekick, Kato. Despite lasting just 26 episodes, the series not only helped popularize Bruce in the States, but martial arts as well.

Bruce became an even bigger star in Hong Kong where “The Green Hornet” was rebranded as “The Kato Show.” His star continued to rise with films like “The Big Boss,” “Fist of Fury,” and “The Way of the Dragon.” Hollywood took notice with American distributors reportedly offering as much as half a million dollars for Bruce’s most influential film, 1973’s “Enter the Dragon.” It would also be Bruce’s most heartbreaking film. A month before “Enter the Dragon” was to make its L.A. premiere, the 32-year-old Bruce took a nap after consuming a painkiller. He never woke up. Numerous rumors circulated surrounding Bruce’s death, which Brandon compared to Elvis conspiracy theories. Bruce’s death was concluded to be an accident with the medication causing cerebral edema.

Being The Son of Bruce Lee

Along with the eight-year-old Brandon, Bruce left behind his daughter Shannon, his wife Linda, and a legion of fans. At a time when many martial artists frowned upon sharing secrets of their craft, Bruce created bridges, not only teaching Asian students, but caucasian ones as well. Brandon, who was white on his mother’s side, continued to study martial arts with his father’s teacher, Dan Inosanto. Although Brandon didn’t advertise who his father was to other students, he struggled to escape Bruce’s shadow with photos of the late legend adorning dojos. Brandon briefly left martial arts during his teenage years to focus on soccer, but he would continue his training with one of his father’s star students, Richard Bustillo, and fight coordinator Mike Vendrell.

A rebellious teenager, Brandon was kicked out of multiple high schools, proclaiming that he had a “knack for raising hell.” Only a few months shy of graduating, the 17-year-old Brandon left Chadwick School and started hitchhiking across the country. It was a journey of self-discovery. While Brandon didn’t want to merely be seen as Bruce Lee’s son, he was drawn to his father’s passions, which included martial arts, philosophy, and performing. Upon getting his GED, Brandon began studying acting, majoring in theater at Emerson College. After doing a few plays, Brandon moved to L.A. where he made a living as a script reader. Brandon landed his first on-screen acting gig when he was offered a part in the TV film, “Kung Fu: The Movie.”

Linda Lee Cadwell claimed that her husband conceived the idea for the original “Kung Fu” show, but Warner Bros. reworked it with David Carradine in the lead. Carradine returned for the 1986 TV movie with Brandon playing his character’s son. Wanting to avoid comparisons to his father, Brandon was apprehensive about kicking off his career with a martial arts movie. He was eventually persuaded, though, with “Kung Fu: The Movie” premiering on his 21st birthday. In addition to starring in a follow-up, “Kung Fu: The Next Generation,” Brandon hit the big screen with the Hong Kong action picture “Legacy of Rage” and the West German spy film “Laser Mission.” Brandon made his American silver screen debut in “Showdown in Little Tokyo,” starring opposite Dolph Lundgren.

Brandon gained more mainstream attention as Jake Lo in 1992’s “Rapid Fire.” While critics took notice of Brandon’s charisma and martial arts expertise, many reviews drew parallels to his father. The fact that Jake witnesses his father’s death only invited more real-world comparisons. Brandon had been offered the lead in the 1993 biopic, “Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story.” He decided against portraying his father, uncomfortable with the idea of filming romantic scenes with an actress playing his mother. The role went to Jason Scott Lee, who wasn’t related to Brandon, but received his blessing to play his father. Still hoping to form a unique career path, Brandon accepted a role that (while action-oriented) wasn’t quite like anything his father had done.

The Legacy of “The Crow”

James O’Barr created “The Crow” comics after his fiancé Beverly died in a drunk driving crash. Protagonist Eric Draven is similarly plagued with grief as he watches his fiancé Shelly die before his own life expires. Rising from the dead, Eric seeks revenge against the killers who destroyed two happy lives. O’Barr was approached about a film adaptation with one studio envisioning “The Crow” as a Michael Jackson musical. Collaborating with writer John Shirley, O’Barr eventually got a faithful adaptation off the ground with Alex Proyas directing. Christian Slater and River Phoenix were eyed for the lead, but Brandon was ultimately cast as Eric. O’Barr initially didn’t feel Brandon was right for the role, although the two soon hit it off.

Although the Crow was another action hero, the role allowed Brandon to demonstrate his range. Eric walks a fine line between being a brooding lost soul, wisecracking warrior, and affectionate protector of those he cares about. Brandon balanced all of these notes wonderfully in performance that unlocked his full potential. While Brandon knew typecasting was common in Hollywood, he aspired to branch out with comedies, straight dramas, commercial films, and indies, citing Tom Hanks as one inspiration. In his career-defining role, we saw what could’ve been from a life cut far too short. “The Crow” was only three days from wrapping when the crew shot a crucial scene when Eric is murdered. After actor Michael Massee fired the prop gun, everyone soon noticed that Brandon wasn’t getting up.

While the filmmakers intended to use blanks, a dummy round had mistakenly been left in the revolver. With a lead tip, the ensuing blast had the impact of an actual bullet, resulting in a wound that proved fatal after six hours of surgery. In an interview shortly before his death, Brandon recalled getting shot 20 times in one scene. He was wearing a bulletproof vest then, but not this time. Although Brandon finished most of his scenes, the filmmakers were left with the difficult decision of completing “The Crow.” Paramount backed out, but Miramax resurrected the production, providing an additional $8 million. Following rewrites, stunt doubles Chad Stahelski and Jeff Cadiente stood in for Brandon with newly developed digital face replacement technology doing the rest.

It’s miraculous that “The Crow” turned out as well as it did, but it’s impossible to view the production as anything other than a tragedy. O’Barr regretted ever writing the comic while Massee was too guilt-ridden to ever watch the film. In addition to its star, “The Crow” was dedicated to Eliza Hutton, Brandon’s romantic partner of almost three years. The two were to be married a week after “The Crow” wrapped. As hard as Brandon tried to forge his own path, fate dealt a cruel hand just under 20 years after his father died in an equally tragic and sudden freak accident. Although this would further intertwine the father and son’s legacies, Brandon proved himself to be one of a kind.

Unlike Eric, Brandon couldn’t return from the dead. Yet, watching “The Crow,” it’s as if Brandon is still with us, immortalizing him for generations. A “Crow” remake starring Bill Skarsgård was announced for 2024, much to the disapproval of Alex Proyas, who called the original Brandon Lee’s “legacy.” Of course, “The Crow” also inspired three forgettable sequels. Those films didn’t diminish what Brandon accomplished and however the remake turns out, his legacy will live on. We’ll always wonder what could’ve been with Stan Lee once saying he would’ve been a good fit for Shang-Chi. Along with James Dean, Heath Ledger, and his father, though, Brandon Lee is forever an icon.

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