The celebrity universe is full of urban legends and now one of them, involving star Bruce Lee, has been debunked.
The urban legend in question claims that Bruce Lee left Hollywood for Hong Kong because he lost his starring role in “Kung Fu”, and was denied by the CBR.
Bruce Lee was reportedly shocked and decided to leave Hollywood to pursue his career in Hong Kong. Warner Bros. Executive Vice President Fred Weintraub is also tied to this story, as he would have been the one who advised Bruce Lee to go to Hong Kong.
The fact that it was Weintraub who recommended Lee to move to Hong Kong to pursue a film career and return to the United States with proof that he could be a movie star fits the narrative that the move was motivated by not getting the main role in “Kung Fu”.
But that’s not exactly what happened, and the reason we know it is simple: time. Weintraub met Lee about a possible film version of “Kung Fu” in 1970. When that didn’t work, Weintraub recommended Bruce Lee to move to Hong Kong.
It was also in 1970 that Bruce Lee visited Hong Kong when he was shocked to find that he was a huge celebrity there for his supporting role in “The Green Hornet”.
Bruce Lee himself commented on the moment at News Week: “Whenever I have to go to public places like a restaurant, I try to get in unnoticed. I go straight to a corner table and sit down quickly, facing the wall, with my back to the crowd. I keep my head down while I eat … You see, if I am recognized I am dead, because I cannot eat with the hand that I have to use to sign autographs. And I’m not one of those guys who can ignore people. “
Bruce Lee can be seen in the video below doing martial arts demonstrations for Hong Kong TV in April 1970:
So Lee entered into a deal with Golden Harvest Studios and began shooting his first Hong Kong-produced film, “The Chinese Dragon,” in July 1971. The film was released in Hong Kong in October 1971 and that’s when time proves this urban legend about Bruce Lee to be false.
It wasn’t until December 1971 that the actor auditioned for the TV series “Kung Fu”. So Bruce Lee couldn’t have moved to Hong Kong because he was disappointed that he didn’t get the role, as he had already moved there when he rehearsed for the role on the series.
Famous Urban Legend post about Bruce Lee is fake; understand first appeared on Digital Look.
Source: Olhar Digital
Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.
