Marrie Lee
Encyclopedia
Doris Young Siew Keen is a Singaporean actress. Given the stage name Marrie Lee, she made her film debut at age 18, portraying the title character in 1978's They Call Her Cleopatra Wong
, a martial arts film
about a female Interpol
agent written and directed by Bobby A. Suarez
. She reprised the role in 1979's Dynamite Johnson, in which she was teamed up with the 10-year-old Singaporean tae kwon do practitioner, Johnson Yap, from Bionic Boy, a 1978 film written by Suarez, and The Devil's Three, in which Cleopatra Wong leads an all-female team of crimefighters in the Philippines.
Doris started her acting career when she was working as a receptionist in a nightclub and she answered a newspaper ad that asked "Are you smart, sexy and seductive?" The ad was placed by Suarez' BAS Film Productions, which was looking for a heroine who could ride a motorcycle
. She auditioned in a miniskirt
and boot
s and won the role.
Her screen name, Marrie Lee, was created to capitalize on the fame of the late Bruce Lee
. "Some fans thought that I was his younger sister," she told The Business Times in a 2005 interview.
She performed her own stunts, including jumping through a real glass window and dangling from a helicopter
, and sustained many injuries, including a fractured left wrist.
She retired from acting in 1985 and runs her own health-care company.
They Call Her Cleopatra Wong
They Call Her... Cleopatra Wong is a 1978 film, starring Marrie Lee, Franco Guerrero, Dante Varonna and George Estregan. The film, riding on the success of Hong Kong martial arts films of the era as well as the James Bond and superspy craze, details the adventures of a female Interpol agent...
, a martial arts film
Martial arts film
Martial arts film is a film genre. A sub-genre of the action film, martial arts films contain numerous fights between characters, usually as the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often as a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently...
about a female Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
agent written and directed by Bobby A. Suarez
Bobby A. Suarez
Roberto A. Suarez or commonly referred to as 'Bobby' or 'BAS' is a Filipino film producer, director and screenwriter. He had a very humble beginning. At an early age, he sold various things on the street to support a sick mother and 3 younger siblings...
. She reprised the role in 1979's Dynamite Johnson, in which she was teamed up with the 10-year-old Singaporean tae kwon do practitioner, Johnson Yap, from Bionic Boy, a 1978 film written by Suarez, and The Devil's Three, in which Cleopatra Wong leads an all-female team of crimefighters in the Philippines.
Doris started her acting career when she was working as a receptionist in a nightclub and she answered a newspaper ad that asked "Are you smart, sexy and seductive?" The ad was placed by Suarez' BAS Film Productions, which was looking for a heroine who could ride a motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
. She auditioned in a miniskirt
Miniskirt
A miniskirt, sometimes hyphenated as mini-skirt, is a skirt with a hemline well above the knees – generally no longer than below the buttocks; and a minidress is a dress with a similar meaning...
and boot
Boot
A boot is a type of footwear but they are not shoes. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle and extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearly distinguishable from the rest of the sole, even if the two are made of one piece....
s and won the role.
Her screen name, Marrie Lee, was created to capitalize on the fame of the late 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...
. "Some fans thought that I was his younger sister," she told The Business Times in a 2005 interview.
She performed her own stunts, including jumping through a real glass window and dangling from a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
, and sustained many injuries, including a fractured left wrist.
She retired from acting in 1985 and runs her own health-care company.
Filmography
- They Call Her Cleopatra WongThey Call Her Cleopatra WongThey Call Her... Cleopatra Wong is a 1978 film, starring Marrie Lee, Franco Guerrero, Dante Varonna and George Estregan. The film, riding on the success of Hong Kong martial arts films of the era as well as the James Bond and superspy craze, details the adventures of a female Interpol agent...
(19781978 in filmThe year 1978 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 1 - Bob Dylan's film Renaldo and Clara, a documentary of the "Rolling Thunder Revue" tour premieres in Los Angeles, California....
) - Dynamite Johnson (1978)
- Devil's Three (19791979 in filmThe year 1979 in film involved some significant events.- Major events :* March 5 - Production begins on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.* May 25 - Alien, a landmark of the science fiction genre, is released....
) - Target Scorpion (19831983 in film-Events:*February 11 - The Rolling Stones concert film Let's Spend the Night Together opens in New York*May 25 - Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, the final film in the original Star Wars trilogy, is released. Like the previous films, it goes on to become the top grossing picture of...
) - Showdown at the Equator (19841984 in film-Events:* The Walt Disney Company founds Touchstone Pictures to release movies with subject matter deemed inappropriate for the Disney name.* Tri-Star Pictures, a joint venture of Columbia Pictures, HBO, and CBS, releases its first film....
)