Brandon Lee, the son of Bruce Lee, and a talented actor, was born on February 1st, 1965, in Oakland, California.
Lee’s acting career began in 1985; he had an uncredited role in Crime Killer. In 1986 he used his inherited talent for martial arts in the films Kung Fu: The Movie and Legacy of Rage. Lee’s career may have been brief, but it was spectacular!
Following the previously mentioned roles from 1986, Lee had roles in four other movies and two TV shows. The first being in an episode of CBS Summer Playhouse in 1987, he portrayed the role of Johnny Caine in the episode Kung Fu: The Next Generation. He appeared in one more Television show before solely starring in movies.
In 1989 Lee starred in the film Laser Mission, an action-packed spy movie! He starred alongside the like of Ernest Borgnine and Werner Pochath. Lee had his next role two years later in the film Showdown in Little Tokyo, before appearing in his last two films.
1992 brought us Rapid Fire, an action-fueled crime film featuring gangsters and a corrupt FBI agent! Not only did Lee act in this film, but he was also the fight choreographer! He featured some of his Dad’s trademark Jeet Kune Do fighting style. This was Lee’s last film before his infamous role in The Crow, which lead to his untimely death in 1993.
His early career was incredible, but let us go ahead and focus on his last and most well-known film, The Crow!
In 1992 Lee was cast in The Crow, a film adaption of James O’Barr’s comic book of the same name. The story centers around the character of Eric Draven, a rock star who is brought back to life. Draven seeks revenge on those who murdered his fiance, as well as himself. Lee was also the fight choreographer for the film!
While filming on October 31st, 1993, Lee was accidentally shot by his costar. In the scene, Davern is supposed to get shot and killed when he walks in on a group of men beating his fiance. The gun used for the scene originally had dummy cartridges in it but were switched out for blank rounds before filming.
The previous dummy round was stuck in the barrel, along with the blank, causing the gun to fire with the same force as a live round. Lee was hit in the stomach.
He was ushered off to New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, North Carolina; after six hours of surgery, the attempts to save him were futile. Brandon Bruce Lee was pronounced dead on March 31st, 1993, at 1:03 P.M.; he was only 28 years old.
The Crow was released in 1994. It was completed with the help of CGI, stunt doubles, and rewrites.
Brandon Lee may have garnered some of his fame because of his father’s legacy. But it was his immense talent and dedication to his craft that made him a legend in his own right!