Bruce Lee was a Chinese American martial artist, Hong Kong action film actor, martial arts instructor, and filmmaker. As the founder of Jeet Kune Do, Lee was the son of Cantonese opera star Lee Hoi-Chuen. He is widely considered by commentators, critics, media and other martial artists to be one of the most influential martial artists of all time, and a pop culture icon of the 20th century.
Born in Chinatown, San Francisco on 27 November, 1940, to parents from Hong Kong, Lee was raised in Kowloon with his family until his late teens. He was introduced to the film industry by his father and appeared in several films as a child actor.
He is noted for his roles in five feature-length films: Lo Wei's The Big Boss (1971) and Fist of Fury (1972); Way of the Dragon (1972), directed and written by Lee; Warner Brothers' Enter the Dragon (1973) and The Game of Death (1973), both directed by Robert Clouse. Lee became an iconic figure known throughout the world, particularly among the Chinese people, as he portrayed Chinese nationalism in his films. Lee held dual citizenship of Hong Kong and the United States. He died in Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong on 20 July, 1973, at the age of 32.
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