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Casting Call: Bruce Lee

Widow to Bruce Lee, Linda C. Emery first met her beau as a student in his Kung Fu school. They married in 1964, had two children, Brandon and Shannon Lee, and she continued to be by his side until the day of his death. We nominate Rooney Mara to steal the spotlight as Lee's wife.

 

Brandon Lee, Bruce Lee's son, followed in the footsteps of his father (for better or for worse). After misbehaving in high school, Brandon Lee continued in theater and acting, both in the U.S. and in Hong Kong. After an accidental shooting on set of the film The Crow, Brandon Lee died at the age of 28. But, Brandon showed the same determination and drive as his father in his youth, and for that, we nominate half-German, half-Indonesian heartthrob Arifin Putra (Macabre, The Raid 2). Predominantly an action and horror film star, we know that Putra will channel perfectly the energy and animation into the role of Bruce Lee's young son.

 

While Edison Chen was born and raised in Vancouver B.C., his acting career, much like Bruce Lee's, truly began when he moved to Hong Kong. Chen's made his success in Infernal Affairs and also appeared in smaller roles in international films like The Dark Knight and Initial D. Yet his film career was put on hiatus in 2008 due to several sex scandals. But, as American media has proven time and time again, there's no such thing as bad publicity, which is why Chen is our first choice to be cast as Bruce Lee. Alluring and athletic, this international superstar proves that, like Lee, he knows what it takes to win the hearts of both an American and Chinese audience.

 

After Bruce Lee's move to Seattle, he soon becomes friends with judo practitioner Jesse Glover. Curious about Kung Fun, Glove became Lee's first student and continued to teach Lee's new wave of Kung Fu after Lee's death.Known for both action and comedy roles, we imagine Brandon Jackson (Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightening Thief) to bring a little comedic relief to Glover's role as Lee's close friend.

 

Growing up, Bruce Lee was inspired by his martial arts teacher, Yip Man. Following the wave of Wing Chun Kung Fu, Man's teachings focused on close-range combat and Kung Fu as a concept. We nominate Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Ka-Fai to mentor Lee through his childhood misdemeanors.

 

As Bruce Lee was gaining reputation as a martial artist, he encountered criticism and disapproval from the Chinese community for teaching Kung Fu to non-Chinese people. When Lee refused to stop teaching to Westerners, he was challenged to a private match by Wong Jack Man. The controversial fight ended in a decisive victory for Lee. To play Wong Jack Man, we musician-turned-actor Leehom Wang (Blackhat)