Bruce Lee was a popular American actor and martial artist. Aside from gaining fame for his films, Lee was also an instructor, filmmaker and philosopher. He has been credited for changing how Asians are portrayed by the movie industry and is one of the most influential martial artists of all time.
Born in San Francisco, California, Lee lived there until he was three months old, when his parents returned with him to their native country. He was raised in Kowloon, Hong Kong, and appeared in several films as a child.
At age 18, Lee returned to the United States. After finishing high school, he enrolled at the University of Washington and began teaching martial arts to others. In 1964, he dropped out of college and moved to Oakland, California, where he co-founded a martial arts studio. Lee began competing in Karate Championships, and gained recognition for his exceptional skills.
Following a Martial Arts exhibition in 1964, Lee was approached by producers and made several appearances in television series, including the role of Kato in The Green Hornet. He began appearing in films in 1969, and choreographed fight scenes for several movies. Dissatisfied with his secondary role in the industry, he returned to Hong Kong in 1970. There, he was already recognized as a star for his role in The Green Hornet. He made several films in Hong Kong from 1971 to 1973, and was in the middle of his fifth film, The Game of Death, when he died unexpectedly.
Lee was best known for his marital arts, but he also studied philosophy and drama. He wrote poetry, and was considered by many to be the consummate artist, who happened to choose Karate as his medium of self-expression. His belief was that, “any knowledge ultimately leads to self-knowledge.” Lee was an atheist and said his religious affiliation was “none whatsoever.”