“What Kind of Life Was That?”: Jackie Chan Was Delivered Depressing News Following Bruce Lee’s Death in 1973

Published 02/21/2023, 3:51 PM EST

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We see Jackie Chan as a promising actor who is really successful in his career. He received many honorary awards for his delivery in action-comedy, with incredible stunts. But, interestingly, Chan’s life was not so smooth initially. He faced many obstacles while starting his career in the movies. In fact, he had to return to his home twice from Hong Kong because of a lack of jobs, even after working in more than a dozen films.

The martial artist has talked his heart out in his book, where he addressed every phase of his life. When he visited Hong Kong for the second time to start a job, Chan heard the news of the sudden demise of Bruce Lee. Eventually, losing the legendary actor and martial artist impacted the workflow of the Hong Kong movie industry. Devasted by the news, Chan couldn’t accept the truth.

Jackie Chan failed to believe his own ears

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In chapter nine of his book Never Grow Up, Chan talked about the struggle he faced while he made a comeback in Hong Kong. After working as a driver at a construction site, a busboy at a restaurant, and even a rookie in the movies, Chan once again hoped for doing something else. While he called his friend Sammo for some work, his friend informed him about the sudden demise of the “Enter the Dragon” star. He also shared, “The studio has had to cancel a lot of projects,” It indeed hit the rock bottom for Chan, when his friend further added, “Never mind finding work for you, I might not be able to hang on to my own job.”

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Getting the news of losing his idol who inspired him throughout, as well as not being able to find any job, Chan staggered to get a hold of the situation.

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Bruce Lee’s sudden demise in 1973

Chan once shared how he got to know Bruce Lee just some days before his catastrophe. They even spent some time with each other while bowling. Interestingly, Chan was in “Enter the Dragon”, the last movie with Lee, as a stuntman. The “Rush Hour” actor regarded the “Little Phoenix” as a role model and wanted to emerge like him.

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ENTER THE DRAGON ENTER THE DRAGON Bruce Lee fighting with Jackie Chan Date: 1973. Strictly editorial use only in conjunction with the promotion of the film. Credit line mandatory. This image is copyright of the film company and is supplied under the terms of issue as film still. No commercial or book cover use permitted without prior consent from the film company. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Mandatory credit line: Image courtesy Warner Bros / Ronald Grant Archive / Mary Evans

Unfortunately, in 1973, a month before the release of his last movie, Lee passed away. Doctors diagnosed him with cerebral edema, in which the brain loses its balance because of fluid buildup. Within one month of the detection, Lee took his last breath due to an allergic reaction to a painkiller.

Though Chan was not in a celebrated situation then, he now has been dominating the industry for over three decades, taking inspiration from the best one. Do you think Chan held on to Lee’s legacy?

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Written by:

Soumili Chatterjee

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Soumili Chatterjee is a US Sports author for EssentiallySports. She secured her bachelor’s and master's degree in English literature from the University of Calcutta. After being a technical and blog writer for nearly three years, it was her ardent love for sports that steered her career toward the sports industry.
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Edited by:

Anupama Ghosh