In 1971, Bruce Lee starred in the Hong Kong movie, The Big Boss. Here’s how the actor landed the role in the film that made him a martial arts star.
The Big Boss was Bruce Lee’s breakout role and the movie that started him down the road to becoming a martial arts superstar. Directed by Lo Wei, it was the first of five kung fu movies that Lee made between 1971 to 1973. Lee starred in The Big Boss a few years after his show, The Green Hornet, ended.
In the 1971 Hong Kong film, Lee plays a young martial artist who goes to work at an ice factory with his cousins and becomes embroiled in a conflict with a local gang.
For a while, Lee’s character tries to avoid fighting due to a vow that he made to his mother before her death. However, the events of the movie test his devotion to his pacifist lifestyle. Finally, he makes the hard decision to go against his beliefs and help his family fight off the villains. The movie culminates in an exciting showdown between the hero and his nemesis, portrayed by Han Ying-chieh.
The Big Boss marked a huge turning point in Lee’s career. While Lee was living in Los Angeles, his goal was to become a Hollywood star,
but he was unable to find a studio willing to take a chance and cast him as a lead in one of their movies. During a trip to Hong Kong, Lee discovered that he had become famous there thanks in large part to reruns of The Green Hornet. It only aired for one season on ABC, but it was received rather well in Hong Kong because of Lee’s performance as Kato. Many in Hong Kong referred to it as “The Kato Show.” The extra attention Lee received helped him enter into a negotiation with Shaw Brothers, the biggest studio in the kung fu movie industry.
Feeling that the amount that they had offered him wasn’t enough, Lee turned down an opportunity to make movies with Shaw Brothers. Afterward, an appearance on a Hong Kong variety show caught the attention of Raymond Chow, a former Shaw Brothers producer who had left the company to form his own studio, Golden Harvest. Chow, having been impressed by Lee’s talents, convinced him to sign a three-movie deal.
After signing a contract with Golden Harvest, Lee was cast in The Big Boss, but not as the main character. Originally, it was James Tien who to have top billing.
That changed though, when The Big Boss dropped Ng Kar-seung as its director and replaced him with Lo Wei. The director change led to Tien being relegated to a supporting role, and Lee becoming the star. The decision ended up being a winner for both Bruce Lee and Golden Harvest, as the movie proved to be a major success at the Hong Kong box office. It was followed up by more hits like Fist of Fury, Way of the Dragon, and Enter the Dragon. The Big Boss of course is far from Bruce Lee’s most famous film, but it’s a solid martial arts story and an important part of his legacy.
