Chuck Norris Refused Bruce Lee’s Proposal After ‘Getting Beat Up’ During Their Iconic Fight in 1972
Follow Us
Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee are two big names in the world of martial arts and acting. In addition to being great martial artists, both were great friends too. They trained together, appeared in movies together, fought together, and also against each other. One such fight with Bruce Lee especially left Chuck Norris a bit skeptical.
Norris was still not over the fight they had in 1972 and hence, was reluctant to do a project with Bruce Lee.
Chuck Norris refused to play a part alongside Bruce Lee
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
In the iconic movie, The Way of the Dragon, Norris, and Lee had an epic fight scene. But after being the one who lost in that fight, Norris was not too excited to be paired off against Lee one more time. In the biography of Bruce Lee called Bruce Lee: A Life, written by Matthew Polly, Polly describes the incident in the Chapter named Blood and Steel.
Trending
Martin Truex Jr’s Crew Chief Makes Heartbreaking 4-Word Racing Admission
May 04, 2024 04:11 PM EDT
Billionaire Michael Jordan’s Drink With Derek Jeter Was Enough for Yankees Legend to Invest in $11.69 Billion Worth Industry
May 03, 2024 01:00 PM EDT
Fresh Controversy Brews After Sha’Carri Richardson and Team USA ‘Outfit’ Fallout As Athlete Robbed of Paris Olympics Dream Over Sponsorship
May 01, 2024 04:27 PM EDT
‘I Was Already Salty’- Serena Williams Pokes Husband Alexis Ohanian Over His $180 Million Master-Stroke for Their Daughter Olympia
May 03, 2024 08:01 PM EDT
Shaquille O’Neal and TNT Co-Hosts to Part Ways After 13 Years? Analyzing “Inside the NBA” Hurdles That Might End an Era
May 04, 2024 02:30 PM EDT
Get instantly notified of the hottest stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.
Follow Us
Apparently, during the making of the movie Blood and Steel, Lee offered the role of O’Hara to Chuck Norris. O’Hara was supposed to be Han’s evil bodyguard. However, after getting beaten up by Lee in The Way of the Dragon, Norris took a resolution that Lee was not aware of. Norris had made a vow to himself that he would not be a part of a movie where he was not the main hero.
When Lee got to know this, he tried to appeal to Norris’ competitive side and told him, “If you don’t take this part, I’m going to give it to Bob Wall.” And Chuck Norris countered by saying, “Bob will do a great job.” It was clear to Lee that Norris wouldn’t relent, so Lee decided to cast other actors.
The making of Blood and Steel
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Lee had a lot of expectations from Blood and Steel and fought with Warner Brothers tooth and nail to retain his vision of the movie till the end. He signed a contract with the Warner Brothers in 1972, and the filming was to last for eighty days. It was decided that all the fight scenes would be directed by Lee himself.
While Norris might have refused to fight against Lee, he made many successful movies, and Norris and Lee remained friends for a long time.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Watch this story: Bodybuilding Legend Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Build Compared to Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan
What do you think of Chuck Norris’ decision?
Edited by:
Simar Singh Wadhwa