Bruce Lee was a Hong Kong-American martial artist, actor, filmmaker, and philosopher. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy formed from his experiences in unarmed fighting and self-defense, as well as eclectic Zen Buddhist and Taoist philosophies, creating a new school of martial arts thought.

With a film career spanning both Hong Kong and the United States, Lee is regarded as the first global Chinese film star and one of the most influential martial artists in the history of cinema. Known for his roles in five feature-length martial arts films, he helped popularize martial arts films in the 1970s and promoted Hong Kong action cinema.

Born in San Francisco and raised in British Hong Kong, Lee was introduced to the Hong Kong film industry as a child actor by his father. His early martial arts experience included Wing Chun (trained under Ip Man), tai chi, and boxing, winning a Hong Kong boxing tournament. In 1959, he moved to Seattle, where he enrolled at the University of Washington in 1961. It was during this time that he began teaching martial arts and aspired to have a career in acting.

He opened his first martial arts school in Seattle, then another in Oakland, California. His demonstrations at the 1964 Long Beach International Karate Championships in California drew significant attention. Lee subsequently moved to Los Angeles to teach, including famous students like Chuck Norris and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

His American roles, including Kato in The Green Hornet, introduced him to American audiences. After returning to Hong Kong in 1971, he starred in The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, The Way of the Dragon, and the US-Hong Kong co-production Enter the Dragon. His films elevated Hong Kong martial arts films to a new level of popularity, influencing martial arts films worldwide.

Lee's career was cut short by his sudden death at age 32 from a brain edema, but his films gained a large cult following. He became an iconic figure worldwide, especially among the Chinese and Asian Americans, for defying Asian stereotypes in the United States.

His legacy continues to influence modern combat sports and popular culture, including film, television, comics, animation, and video games. Time named Lee one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century.