Brandon Lee
Encyclopedia
Brandon Bruce Lee was an American actor and martial artist. He was the son of martial arts film star Bruce Lee
. After a promising start in action movies and the signing of a multi-film contract with 20th Century Fox
, Lee was accidentally shot and killed in North Carolina
at the age of 28 while filming The Crow
.
, the son of martial artist and actor Bruce Lee
and Linda Emery
. A week after his birth, his grandfather Lee Hoi-Chuen
died. The family moved to Los Angeles, California
when he was three months old. When offers for film roles became limited for his father, he and his family moved back to Hong Kong
in 1965. His heritage on his mother's side is English and Swedish and his father is Chinese.
When Brandon was eight, his father died suddenly from cerebral edema
. After his father's death, his family (including his younger sister, Shannon Lee
, b. 1969) moved back to the United States. They lived briefly in his mother's hometown of Seattle, Washington, and then in Los Angeles, where Lee grew up in the affluent area of Rolling Hills
.
He attended high school at Chadwick School
, but was asked to leave for insubordination
—more specifically, driving down the school's hill backwards, only three months before graduating. It is not known when exactly, but he did briefly attend Bishop Montgomery High School
, located in Torrance
. He received his GED in 1983 at the age of 18, and then went to Emerson College
in Boston, Massachusetts
where he majored in theater. After one year, Lee moved to New York City where he took acting lessons at the famed Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute
and was part of the American New Theatre group founded by his friend John Lee Hancock. The bulk of Lee's martial arts instruction came from his father's top students, and best friends Dan Inosanto
and Richard Bustillo
.
which was a follow-up to the 1970s television series Kung Fu
. The film aired on ABC
on February 1, 1986 which was also Lee's 21 birthday. In Kung Fu: The Movie, Lee played Chung Wang, the suspected son of Kwai Chang Caine
(David Carradine
). Lee's real life father was originally considered to play the leading role in the Kung Fu TV series.
Lee got his first major film role later that year in the Hong Kong action thriller Legacy of Rage
in which he starred alongside Michael Wong
. This film also featured a cameo appearance by Bolo Yeung
who appeared in his father's film, Enter the Dragon
. The film was made in Cantonese, and directed by Ronny Yu
. It was the only film Lee made in Hong Kong. He was also nominated for a Hong Kong Film Award
in this role.
In 1987, Lee starred in the unsold television pilot
Kung Fu: The Next Generation which aired on the CBS Summer Playhouse
and was another follow-up to the Kung Fu TV series. In this film the story moved to the present day, and centered on the story of Johnny Caine (Lee), the great-grandson of Kwai Chang Caine (David Darlow).
In 1988, Lee made a guest appearance alongside Pat Morita
in an episode of the short-lived American television series Ohara
playing a villainous character named Kenji. In the summer of 1988, Lee also started filming his first English-language B-grade action film
, Laser Mission
; it was filmed cheaply in South Africa
, and was eventually released on the European market in 1990.
In 1991, he starred opposite Dolph Lundgren
in the buddy cop action film Showdown in Little Tokyo
. This was marked as his first studio film and American film debut. Lee signed a multi-picture deal with 20th Century Fox
in 1991. He had his first starring role in the action thriller Rapid Fire
in 1992, and was scheduled to do two more films for them. In August of that year, Bruce Lee biographer John Little asked Brandon Lee what his philosophy in life was, and he replied, "Eat—or die!" Brandon later spoke of the martial arts and self-knowledge:
In 1992, Lee landed the lead role of Eric Draven, in the movie adaptation
of The Crow
, a popular underground comic book
. About his character, an undead
rock musician avenging his murder and that of his fiancée, Lee said, "He has something he has to do and he is forced to put aside his own pain long enough to go do it". It was Lee's last film. Filming began on February 1, 1993, which was his 28th birthday.
's office, located at the headquarters of 20th Century Fox
. Hutton was working as a personal assistant to Harlin, and later became a story editor for Stillwater Productions, in 1991. Lee and Hutton moved in together in early 1991 and became engaged in October 1992.
They were due to be married in Ensenada, Mexico on April 17, 1993, a week after Lee was to complete filming on The Crow
, just 17 days after he died. At the time of Lee's death, Hutton was working as a casting assistant and was on set of The Crow so much that she was later credited with being Lee's on-set assistant. After his death, Hutton petitioned to have gun safety
regulations tightened on film sets. The Crow is dedicated to the couple.
, the crew filmed a scene in which his character walks into his apartment and discovers his fiancée being beaten and rape
d by thugs. Actor Michael Massee
, who played one of the film's villains, was supposed to fire a revolver at Lee as he walked onto the scene.
Since the movie's second unit
was running behind schedule, they decided to make dummy cartridges (cartridges
that outwardly appear to be functional but contain no propellant
or primers) from real cartridges by pulling out the bullets, dumping out the propellant and reinserting the bullets. However, the team neglected to remove the primers, which, if fired, could still produce just enough force to push the bullet out of the cartridge and into the barrel (a squib load
). At some point prior to the fatal scene, the live primer in one of the improperly constructed dummy rounds was discharged by an unknown person while in the pistol, leaving the bullet stuck in the barrel.
This malfunction went unnoticed by the crew, and the same gun was later reloaded with blank cartridges
and used in the scene in which Lee was shot. When the first blank cartridge was fired, the stuck bullet was propelled out of the barrel and struck Lee in the abdomen, lodging in his spine. He collapsed instantly, and director Alex Proyas
shouted "Cut
!". When Lee did not get up, the cast and crew rushed to him and found that he was wounded. He was immediately rushed to the New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington by ambulance, but following a six-hour operation to remove the bullet, Lee was pronounced dead at 1:04 p.m. on March 31, 1993. He was 28 years old.
Lee's body was flown to Jacksonville, North Carolina
, where an autopsy
was performed. He was then flown to Seattle, Washington
, where he was buried next to his father at Lakeview Cemetery, Seattle
in a plot that Linda Lee Cadwell had originally reserved for herself.
The private funeral took place in Seattle, Washington, on April 3, 1993. Only close family and friends were permitted to attend, including Lee's immediate family as well as fiancée Eliza Hutton's parents and younger sister, who flew in from Missouri. The following day, 250 of Lee's family, friends and business associates attended a memorial service in Los Angeles, held at the house of actress Polly Bergen
.
The gravestone, designed by North Snohomish County sculptor Kirk McLean, is a tribute to Lee and Hutton. Its two twisting rectangles of charcoal granite join at the bottom and pull apart at the top. "It represents Eliza and Brandon, the two of them, and how the tragedy of his death separated their mortal life together", said his mother, Linda Lee Cadwell, who described her son, like his father before him, as a poetic, romantic person. The shooting was ruled an accident.
' decision to complete The Crow. At the time of Lee's death, only eight days were left before completion of the movie. A majority of the film had already been completed with Lee and only a few scenes remained to be done. To complete the film, stunt double Chad Stahelski, who was a friend of Lee's at Inosanto Academy, served as a stand-in; special effects were used to give him Lee's face. Another stunt double named Jeff Cadiente was also used to complete the movie.
The Crow was released in May 1994 and became a box office hit, grossing over $50 million dollars in the U.S., and retaining a loyal cult following many years after its release. The film is dedicated to Lee and Hutton.
In an interview just prior to his death, Lee quoted a passage from Paul Bowles
' book The Sheltering Sky
that he had chosen for his wedding invitations; it is now inscribed on his tombstone:
The quotation is not attributed to Bowles on his tombstone. The interview can be seen on VHS
, DVD
and Blu-ray
releases of The Crow.
At the time of his death, his father's biopic Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story
was ready for release. The film was released two months after Lee's death, with a dedication to his memory in the end credits. In the film, his father was portrayed by actor Jason Scott Lee (no relation).
Seven years after Lee's death, a direct-to-video
Swedish film titled Sex, Lögner & Videovåld (Sex, Lies & Video Violence) was released in which Lee had a very brief cameo appearance. Lee had filmed his cameo appearance in 1992 at the time he was promoting Rapid Fire in Sweden, but the film was delayed for seven years before finally being released in 2000. It, too, was dedicated to Lee during the end credits.
In 2003, Lee's fiancée Hutton married and now resides in Los Angeles, after years of working with a nonprofit organization for abused and neglected children.
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
. After a promising start in action movies and the signing of a multi-film contract with 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
, Lee was accidentally shot and killed in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
at the age of 28 while filming The Crow
The Crow (film)
The Crow is a 1994 American action film based on the 1989 comic book of the same name by James O'Barr. The film was written by David J. Schow and John Shirley, and directed by Alex Proyas...
.
Early life
Brandon Lee was born in Oakland, CaliforniaOakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, the son of martial artist and actor Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
and Linda Emery
Linda Lee Cadwell
Linda Lee Cadwell is an American teacher and the widow of martial arts master and actor Bruce Lee.-Life and career:...
. A week after his birth, his grandfather Lee Hoi-Chuen
Lee Hoi-Chuen
Lee Hoi-Chuen was Bruce Lee's father and was a Hong Kong Cantonese opera singer and film actor.Lee Hoi-chuen and his wife, Grace Ho, were in San Francisco in 1940 when Bruce Lee was born; they were on a one-year U.S. tour with the Cantonese Opera Company...
died. The family moved to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
when he was three months old. When offers for film roles became limited for his father, he and his family moved back to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
in 1965. His heritage on his mother's side is English and Swedish and his father is Chinese.
When Brandon was eight, his father died suddenly from cerebral edema
Cerebral edema
Cerebral edema or cerebral œdema is an excess accumulation of water in the intracellular or extracellular spaces of the brain.-Vasogenic:Due to a breakdown of tight endothelial junctions which make up the blood-brain barrier...
. After his father's death, his family (including his younger sister, Shannon Lee
Shannon Lee
Shannon Emery Lee is an American actress. She is the daughter of martial artist and actor Bruce Lee and Linda Lee Cadwell, and the younger sister of Brandon Lee.-Personal life:...
, b. 1969) moved back to the United States. They lived briefly in his mother's hometown of Seattle, Washington, and then in Los Angeles, where Lee grew up in the affluent area of Rolling Hills
Rolling Hills, California
Rolling Hills is a city in the Palos Verdes Hills, in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,860, down from 1,871 at the 2000 census...
.
He attended high school at Chadwick School
Chadwick School
Chadwick School is a nonsectarian independent K-12 day school located on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Los Angeles County, California.-History:...
, but was asked to leave for insubordination
Insubordination
Insubordination is the act of willfully disobeying an authority. Refusing to perform an action that is unethical or illegal is not insubordination; neither is refusing to perform an action that is not within the scope of authority of the person issuing the order.Insubordination is typically a...
—more specifically, driving down the school's hill backwards, only three months before graduating. It is not known when exactly, but he did briefly attend Bishop Montgomery High School
Bishop Montgomery High School
Bishop Montgomery High School is a Catholic high school serving twenty-five parishes in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. BMHS was founded in 1957, and staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, Conventual Franciscans, and lay faculty...
, located in Torrance
Torrance, California
Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring...
. He received his GED in 1983 at the age of 18, and then went to Emerson College
Emerson College
Emerson College is a private coeducational university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," Emerson is "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts...
in Boston, Massachusetts
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
where he majored in theater. After one year, Lee moved to New York City where he took acting lessons at the famed Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute
Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute
__notoc__The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute is an acting school located at 115 East 15th Street between Union Square East and Irving Place in the Union Square neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, as well as at 7936 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, California...
and was part of the American New Theatre group founded by his friend John Lee Hancock. The bulk of Lee's martial arts instruction came from his father's top students, and best friends Dan Inosanto
Dan Inosanto
Daniel Arca Inosanto is a Filipino-American martial arts instructor from California who is best known as a student of the late Bruce Lee and authority on Jeet Kune Do Concepts.-Martial arts:...
and Richard Bustillo
Richard Bustillo
Richard S Bustillo is an Filipino-American martial arts instructor from Hawaii who was a student of the late Bruce Lee and an authority on Jeet Kune Do Concepts and Filipino Martial Arts.-Martial arts:...
.
Career
Lee returned to Los Angeles in 1985, where he worked for Ruddy Morgan Productions as a script reader. He was asked to audition for a role by casting director Lyn Stalmaster and got his first acting role in Kung Fu: The Movie, a feature-length television movieTelevision movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
which was a follow-up to the 1970s television series Kung Fu
Kung Fu (TV series)
Kung Fu is an American television series that starred David Carradine. It was created by Ed Spielman, directed and produced by Jerry Thorpe, and developed by Herman Miller, who was also a writer for, and co-producer of, the series...
. The film aired on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
on February 1, 1986 which was also Lee's 21 birthday. In Kung Fu: The Movie, Lee played Chung Wang, the suspected son of Kwai Chang Caine
Kwai Chang Caine
Kwai Chang Caine [虔官昌 or 拐杖棍 Qián Guānchāng] is a fictional television character in the 1972–1975 western television series, Kung Fu. He has been portrayed by David Carradine as an adult, Keith Carradine as a younger Caine and Radames Pera the child Caine and Stephen Manley as the youngest...
(David Carradine
David Carradine
David Carradine was an American actor and martial artist, best known for his role as a warrior monk, Kwai Chang Caine, in the 1970s television series, Kung Fu, which later had a 1990s sequel series, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues...
). Lee's real life father was originally considered to play the leading role in the Kung Fu TV series.
Lee got his first major film role later that year in the Hong Kong action thriller Legacy of Rage
Legacy of Rage
Legacy of Rage is a 1986 Hong Kong action film starring Brandon Lee in his film debut, Michael Wong, Regina Kent, Chung Lam and a cameo appearance by Bolo Yeung who had appeared in Lee's father Bruce Lee's last film Enter the Dragon. It was directed by Ronny Yu and made in Cantonese...
in which he starred alongside Michael Wong
Guang Liang
Michael Wong Kong Leong , born August 30, 1970, is a Malaysian Chinese singer and composer. Wong began his singing career in a duo with Victor Wong. The pair had attained notable success in Taiwan, but in a mutual agreement the two split in 2000. Wong has released five solo albums, the third being...
. This film also featured a cameo appearance by Bolo Yeung
Bolo Yeung
Yang Sze , better known as Bolo Yeung, is a former competitive bodybuilder and a martial arts film actor. Primarily cast as the villain in the movies he stars in, he is best known for his performances as Bolo in Enter the Dragon and as Chong Li in Bloodsport, and also for his many appearances in...
who appeared in his father's film, Enter the Dragon
Enter the Dragon
Enter the Dragon is a 1973 Hong Kong martial arts co-production with Golden Harvest and Warner Bros. studios, directed by Robert Clouse; starring Bruce Lee, Jim Kelly and John Saxon. This is Bruce Lee's final film appearance before his death on July 20, 1973...
. The film was made in Cantonese, and directed by Ronny Yu
Ronny Yu
Ronny Yu Yan-Tai is a Hong Kong director, producer, and movie writer. Yu was born in Hong Kong and graduated from Ohio University. He has worked on both Hong Kong and American films.- Career :...
. It was the only film Lee made in Hong Kong. He was also nominated for a Hong Kong Film Award
in this role.
In 1987, Lee starred in the unsold television pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
Kung Fu: The Next Generation which aired on the CBS Summer Playhouse
CBS Summer Playhouse
CBS Summer Playhouse is an American anthology series that ran from June 12, 1987 to August 22, 1989 on CBS. It aired unsold television pilots during the summer season.-Overview:...
and was another follow-up to the Kung Fu TV series. In this film the story moved to the present day, and centered on the story of Johnny Caine (Lee), the great-grandson of Kwai Chang Caine (David Darlow).
In 1988, Lee made a guest appearance alongside Pat Morita
Pat Morita
Noriyuki "Pat" Morita was an American actor of Japanese descent who was well-known for playing the roles of Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi on Happy Days and Mr. Miyagi in the The Karate Kid movie series, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1984.-Early life:Pat...
in an episode of the short-lived American television series Ohara
Ohara (TV series)
Ohara is an American television series that first aired on the ABC television network from January 17, 1987, until May 7, 1988, starring Pat Morita in the title role of Lt. Ohara. Morita also co-created the series along with Michael Braveman and John A. Kuri. Kevin Conroy, Jon Polito, Rachel...
playing a villainous character named Kenji. In the summer of 1988, Lee also started filming his first English-language B-grade action film
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
, Laser Mission
Laser Mission
Laser Mission is a 1989 action movie starring Brandon Lee and Ernest Borgnine. The film was also released under the title Soldier of Fortune.-Plot:The plot concerns a mercenary named Michael Gold who is sent to convince Dr...
; it was filmed cheaply in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, and was eventually released on the European market in 1990.
In 1991, he starred opposite Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren is a Swedish actor, director, and martial artist. He belongs to a generation of film actors who epitomise the movie action hero stereotype including Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme.A graduate in chemical...
in the buddy cop action film Showdown in Little Tokyo
Showdown in Little Tokyo
Showdown in Little Tokyo is a 1991 action film. It features Brandon Lee in his first American film role, starring alongside Dolph Lundgren. Set in Los Angeles, California, two police officers attempt to take down a new and deadly Japanese drug gang...
. This was marked as his first studio film and American film debut. Lee signed a multi-picture deal with 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
in 1991. He had his first starring role in the action thriller Rapid Fire
Rapid Fire (1992 film)
Rapid Fire is a 1992 action film starring the late Brandon Lee. Lee was reportedly in talks with 20th Century Fox about making Rapid Fire 2, prior to his death. School scenes were filmed at Occidental College in Los Angeles...
in 1992, and was scheduled to do two more films for them. In August of that year, Bruce Lee biographer John Little asked Brandon Lee what his philosophy in life was, and he replied, "Eat—or die!" Brandon later spoke of the martial arts and self-knowledge:
In 1992, Lee landed the lead role of Eric Draven, in the movie adaptation
The Crow (film)
The Crow is a 1994 American action film based on the 1989 comic book of the same name by James O'Barr. The film was written by David J. Schow and John Shirley, and directed by Alex Proyas...
of The Crow
The Crow
The Crow is a comic book series created by James O'Barr. The series was originally written by O'Barr as a means of dealing with the death of his girlfriend at the hands of a drunk driver. It was later published by Caliber Comics in 1989, becoming an underground success, and later adapted into a...
, a popular underground comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
. About his character, an undead
Undead
Undead is a collective name for fictional, mythological, or legendary beings that are deceased and yet behave as if alive. Undead may be incorporeal, such as ghosts, or corporeal, such as vampires and zombies...
rock musician avenging his murder and that of his fiancée, Lee said, "He has something he has to do and he is forced to put aside his own pain long enough to go do it". It was Lee's last film. Filming began on February 1, 1993, which was his 28th birthday.
Personal life
In 1990, Lee met Dianne Eliza "Lisa" Hutton at director Renny HarlinRenny Harlin
Renny Harlin is a Finnish-American film director and producer. He is best known for Die Hard 2 , Cliffhanger , The Long Kiss Goodnight and Deep Blue Sea...
's office, located at the headquarters of 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
. Hutton was working as a personal assistant to Harlin, and later became a story editor for Stillwater Productions, in 1991. Lee and Hutton moved in together in early 1991 and became engaged in October 1992.
They were due to be married in Ensenada, Mexico on April 17, 1993, a week after Lee was to complete filming on The Crow
The Crow (film)
The Crow is a 1994 American action film based on the 1989 comic book of the same name by James O'Barr. The film was written by David J. Schow and John Shirley, and directed by Alex Proyas...
, just 17 days after he died. At the time of Lee's death, Hutton was working as a casting assistant and was on set of The Crow so much that she was later credited with being Lee's on-set assistant. After his death, Hutton petitioned to have gun safety
Gun safety
Gun safety is a collection of rules and recommendations that can be applied when handling firearms. The purpose of gun safety is to eliminate or minimize the risks of unintentional death, injury or damage caused by improper handling of firearms....
regulations tightened on film sets. The Crow is dedicated to the couple.
Death
On March 31, 1993, while making The CrowThe Crow (film)
The Crow is a 1994 American action film based on the 1989 comic book of the same name by James O'Barr. The film was written by David J. Schow and John Shirley, and directed by Alex Proyas...
, the crew filmed a scene in which his character walks into his apartment and discovers his fiancée being beaten and rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d by thugs. Actor Michael Massee
Michael Massee
Michael Massee is an American actor perhaps best known for his roles as villains in film and television, as well as his unintentional and accidental involvement in the death of Brandon Lee.-Career:...
, who played one of the film's villains, was supposed to fire a revolver at Lee as he walked onto the scene.
Since the movie's second unit
Second unit
In film, the second unit is a team that shoots subsidiary footage for a motion picture. Its work is distinct from that of the first unit, which shoots all scenes involving principal actors...
was running behind schedule, they decided to make dummy cartridges (cartridges
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
that outwardly appear to be functional but contain no propellant
Smokeless powder
Smokeless powder is the name given to a number of propellants used in firearms and artillery which produce negligible smoke when fired, unlike the older gunpowder which they replaced...
or primers) from real cartridges by pulling out the bullets, dumping out the propellant and reinserting the bullets. However, the team neglected to remove the primers, which, if fired, could still produce just enough force to push the bullet out of the cartridge and into the barrel (a squib load
Squib load
A squib load, also known as a squib round, pop and no kick, or just a squib, is a firearms malfunction in which a fired projectile does not have enough force behind it to exit the barrel, and thus becomes stuck...
). At some point prior to the fatal scene, the live primer in one of the improperly constructed dummy rounds was discharged by an unknown person while in the pistol, leaving the bullet stuck in the barrel.
This malfunction went unnoticed by the crew, and the same gun was later reloaded with blank cartridges
Blank (cartridge)
A blank is a type of cartridge for a firearm that contains gunpowder but no bullet or shot. When fired, the blank makes a flash and an explosive sound . Blanks are often used for simulation , training, and for signaling...
and used in the scene in which Lee was shot. When the first blank cartridge was fired, the stuck bullet was propelled out of the barrel and struck Lee in the abdomen, lodging in his spine. He collapsed instantly, and director Alex Proyas
Alex Proyas
Alexander "Alex" Proyas is a Australian film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for directing such films as The Crow, Dark City, I, Robot and Knowing. He is known for employing a stylish photographic techniques in his films, with dark overtones usually in a post-apocalyptic...
shouted "Cut
Cut (filmmaking)
In the post-production process of film editing and video editing, a cut is an abrupt, but usually trivial film transition from one sequence to another. It is synonymous with the term edit, though "edit" can imply any number of transitions or effects. The cut, dissolve and wipe serve as the three...
!". When Lee did not get up, the cast and crew rushed to him and found that he was wounded. He was immediately rushed to the New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington by ambulance, but following a six-hour operation to remove the bullet, Lee was pronounced dead at 1:04 p.m. on March 31, 1993. He was 28 years old.
Lee's body was flown to Jacksonville, North Carolina
Jacksonville, North Carolina
Jacksonville, North Carolina, is a city in Onslow County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the population stood at 70,145, which makes Jacksonville the 14th largest city in North Carolina...
, where an autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
was performed. He was then flown to Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, where he was buried next to his father at Lakeview Cemetery, Seattle
Lake View Cemetery (Seattle)
Lake View Cemetery is a cemetery located on Seattle, Washington, Capitol Hill just north of Volunteer Park. It is named for its view of Lake Washington to the east. It was founded in 1873 as the Seattle Masonic Cemetery.-Notable interments:...
in a plot that Linda Lee Cadwell had originally reserved for herself.
The private funeral took place in Seattle, Washington, on April 3, 1993. Only close family and friends were permitted to attend, including Lee's immediate family as well as fiancée Eliza Hutton's parents and younger sister, who flew in from Missouri. The following day, 250 of Lee's family, friends and business associates attended a memorial service in Los Angeles, held at the house of actress Polly Bergen
Polly Bergen
Polly Bergen is an American actress, singer, and entrepreneur.-Career:Bergen appeared in many film roles, most notably in the original Cape Fear opposite Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum...
.
The gravestone, designed by North Snohomish County sculptor Kirk McLean, is a tribute to Lee and Hutton. Its two twisting rectangles of charcoal granite join at the bottom and pull apart at the top. "It represents Eliza and Brandon, the two of them, and how the tragedy of his death separated their mortal life together", said his mother, Linda Lee Cadwell, who described her son, like his father before him, as a poetic, romantic person. The shooting was ruled an accident.
Legacy
After Lee's death, his fiancée Eliza Hutton and his mother supported director Alex ProyasAlex Proyas
Alexander "Alex" Proyas is a Australian film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for directing such films as The Crow, Dark City, I, Robot and Knowing. He is known for employing a stylish photographic techniques in his films, with dark overtones usually in a post-apocalyptic...
' decision to complete The Crow. At the time of Lee's death, only eight days were left before completion of the movie. A majority of the film had already been completed with Lee and only a few scenes remained to be done. To complete the film, stunt double Chad Stahelski, who was a friend of Lee's at Inosanto Academy, served as a stand-in; special effects were used to give him Lee's face. Another stunt double named Jeff Cadiente was also used to complete the movie.
The Crow was released in May 1994 and became a box office hit, grossing over $50 million dollars in the U.S., and retaining a loyal cult following many years after its release. The film is dedicated to Lee and Hutton.
Paul Bowles
Paul Frederic Bowles was an American expatriate composer, author, and translator.Following a cultured middle-class upbringing in New York City, during which he displayed a talent for music and writing, Bowles pursued his education at the University of Virginia before making various trips to Paris...
' book The Sheltering Sky
The Sheltering Sky
The Sheltering Sky is a 1949 novel by Paul Bowles. The story centers on Port and Kit Moresby, a married couple originally from New York who travel to the North African desert accompanied by their friend Tunner...
that he had chosen for his wedding invitations; it is now inscribed on his tombstone:
The quotation is not attributed to Bowles on his tombstone. The interview can be seen on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
, DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Blu-ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
releases of The Crow.
At the time of his death, his father's biopic Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story
Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story
Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story is a 1993 American semi fictionalized biographical martial arts action film telling the story of actor and martial arts expert Bruce Lee, starring Jason Scott Lee as Bruce Lee, Lauren Holly and Robert Wagner...
was ready for release. The film was released two months after Lee's death, with a dedication to his memory in the end credits. In the film, his father was portrayed by actor Jason Scott Lee (no relation).
Seven years after Lee's death, a direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
Swedish film titled Sex, Lögner & Videovåld (Sex, Lies & Video Violence) was released in which Lee had a very brief cameo appearance. Lee had filmed his cameo appearance in 1992 at the time he was promoting Rapid Fire in Sweden, but the film was delayed for seven years before finally being released in 2000. It, too, was dedicated to Lee during the end credits.
In 2003, Lee's fiancée Hutton married and now resides in Los Angeles, after years of working with a nonprofit organization for abused and neglected children.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1985 | Crime Killer | Gangster | Uncredited |
| 1986 | Legacy of Rage Legacy of Rage Legacy of Rage is a 1986 Hong Kong action film starring Brandon Lee in his film debut, Michael Wong, Regina Kent, Chung Lam and a cameo appearance by Bolo Yeung who had appeared in Lee's father Bruce Lee's last film Enter the Dragon. It was directed by Ronny Yu and made in Cantonese... |
Brandon Ma | Alternative title: Long Zai jiang hu |
| 1990 | Laser Mission Laser Mission Laser Mission is a 1989 action movie starring Brandon Lee and Ernest Borgnine. The film was also released under the title Soldier of Fortune.-Plot:The plot concerns a mercenary named Michael Gold who is sent to convince Dr... |
Michael Gold | Alternative title: Soldier of Fortune |
| 1991 | Showdown in Little Tokyo Showdown in Little Tokyo Showdown in Little Tokyo is a 1991 action film. It features Brandon Lee in his first American film role, starring alongside Dolph Lundgren. Set in Los Angeles, California, two police officers attempt to take down a new and deadly Japanese drug gang... |
Johnny Murata | |
| 1992 | Rapid Fire Rapid Fire (1992 film) Rapid Fire is a 1992 action film starring the late Brandon Lee. Lee was reportedly in talks with 20th Century Fox about making Rapid Fire 2, prior to his death. School scenes were filmed at Occidental College in Los Angeles... |
Jake Lo | |
| 1992 | Sex, Lies and Video Violence | Cameo | Not released until 2000. |
| 1994 | The Crow The Crow (film) The Crow is a 1994 American action film based on the 1989 comic book of the same name by James O'Barr. The film was written by David J. Schow and John Shirley, and directed by Alex Proyas... |
Eric Draven | Tragically killed during on set accident. |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1986 | Kung Fu: The Movie | Chung Wang | Television movie |
| 1987 | Kung Fu: The Next Generation | Johnny Caine | Television Pilot Television pilot A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an... . Aired on CBS Summer Playhouse CBS Summer Playhouse CBS Summer Playhouse is an American anthology series that ran from June 12, 1987 to August 22, 1989 on CBS. It aired unsold television pilots during the summer season.-Overview:... |
| 1988 | Ohara Ohara (TV series) Ohara is an American television series that first aired on the ABC television network from January 17, 1987, until May 7, 1988, starring Pat Morita in the title role of Lt. Ohara. Morita also co-created the series along with Michael Braveman and John A. Kuri. Kevin Conroy, Jon Polito, Rachel... |
Kenji | Episode: "What's in a Name?" |
Further reading
- Baiss, Bridget. The Crow: The Story Behind The Film. London: Making of The Crow Inc, 2000. ISBN 1-8700-4854-7.
- Dyson, Cindy. They Died Too Young: Brandon Lee. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2001. ISBN 0-7910-5858-1.
- Pilato, Herbie J. The Kung Fu Book of Caine: The Complete Guide to TV's First Mystical Eastern WesternThe Kung Fu Book of Caine: The Complete Guide to TV's First Mystical Eastern WesternThe Kung Fu Book of Caine: The Complete Guide to TV's First Mystical Eastern Western is a companion book to the television series and sequels, Kung Fu , Kung Fu: The Movie , Kung Fu: The Next Generation , Kung Fu: The Legend Continues , by Herbie J...
. Boston: Charles A. Tuttle, 1993. ISBN 0-8048-1826-6. - Brandon Lee on the Tonight Show
External links
- Brandon Lee Movement tribute site