“Hollywood Is Like a Magic Kingdom”: Bruce Lee Was Left Astonished by Crowd’s Reception on His Homecoming in 1970
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Late actor Bruce Lee became a big part of pop culture through his impeccable martial art skills. Lee moved to the United States to teach people martial arts in 1961. He also influenced a great portion of the American crowd with his martial-art movies. However, people in Hong Kong were not impressed initially, as he contributed to western cinema. But only till, the release of the American television series, The Green Hornet, as it earned him great stardom in Hong Kong. Bruce Lee was unaware of it until he landed at the Kai Tak Airport.
Lee played the role of a Chinese martial artist operating as Green Hornet’s sidekick. Although the show was canceled after its first season due to its low viewership, it was nicknamed, The Kato Show in Hong Kong for Bruce Lee.
Bruce Lee was shocked by the attention at the Hong Kong Airport
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Although The Green Hornet could not survive for a long time on the western screen, it reaped Bruce Lee some benefits. Prior to the show, martial artists did not have much fame in Hong Kong. In his autobiography, Bruce Lee; A Life, Lee mentioned how his reputation changed when he landed at the Hong Kong Airport in 1970.
Lee left The Green Hornet because he did not want to play any supporting role in the west. Hence, he returned to Hong Kong with his son Brandon. As soon as he stepped into the Kai Tak Airport, Lee was followed by a huge crowd of reporters. At first, they could not comprehend the reason behind such fame. However, he found it to be quite beneficial for his stardom in Hong Kong.
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After a few hours, Lee discovered the reason behind the celebrity treatment that he was getting. After The Green Hornet’s success in Hong Kong, Lee’s mother disclosed his arrival in the country. Therefore, common people and reporters went crazy as soon as they saw him.
Moreover, seeing Lee make a name for himself in Hong Kong was a huge thing for the Chinese crowd. He stated in his autobiography, “To most people, including the actors and actresses, Hollywood is like a magic kingdom. It’s beyond everyone’s reach and when I made it, they thought I’d accomplished an incredible feat.”
Lee’s arrival in Hong Kong boosted his acting career in the country. He began filming several hit films in Hong Kong that made him a global icon.
Lee did not like the word superstar
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After his success in Hong Kong, Bruce Lee gained the term ‘superstar’ in the country. However, The Green Hornet actor did not like the term as he thought it was quite an illusion.
Even after gaining great fame as an actor, Lee concentrated on improving his skills. When asked about dominating which industry, Hong Kong or Hollywood, Lee chose both.
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Edited by:
Pritam Priyedarshi