Bruce Lee He was born on November 27, 1940 in San Francisco in the year of the Dragon and the hour of the Dragon according to the Chinese calendar (between 6 and 8 am) during the American tour of his parents, comedian of the Canton Chinese Opera Li Huichen (02/04/1901 – 02/07/1965 ) and his wife Grace Lee. Grace Lee’s mother (12/12/1907 – 06/24/1996) had Eurasian roots (she was half German) and was brought up in the family of Hong Kong magnate Robert Hothun, his father was Chinese.
Bruce Lee started acting in films since childhood. His childhood name is Li Xiaolong. Li Xiao Long, Little Dragon), adult name – Li Zhenfan.
Bruce opened his own martial arts school, where he began teaching Jeet Kune Do, his own style of kung fu, which Bruce Lee developed and perfected until his death. Bruce Lee’s private lessons cost about $275 an hour, which was quite expensive and could ensure Lee’s financial independence for years to come.
But he never got the main roles in the cinema, which upset him terribly. Out of frustration in 1971, Bruce Lee decided to leave the United States and return with his family to Hong Kong. At that time, a new film studio Golden Harvest (later to become very famous) opened in Hong Kong. Bruce Lee persuaded studio director Raymond Chow to give him the lead role in The Big Boss and allow him to direct the fight scenes himself. The risk was justified: the film was an unprecedented success. Bruce Lee literally turned the idea of martial arts in cinema. His polished fast movements, naturalistic battle scenes and bloody outcomes appealed to Asian audiences, and then this wave was transmitted to viewers around the world. Chou entrusted Lee to direct two more films, Fist of Fury and Return of the Dragon, this time with solid budgets. The films were even more successful and made Lee a superstar.