The Rise and Fall of Jason Scott Lee / What happened to Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story's Bruce Lee?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 8 лип 2024
- What really happened to Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story's Bruce Lee? In this video, I'll be discussing the rise and fall of Jason Scott Lee.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
00:16 - Jason Scott Lee Biography
05:36 - What happened to Jason Scott Lee?
Jason Scott Lee, most known for playing the title character of Bruce Lee in the biopic, Dragon: The Bruce Lee story was born on November 19th, 1966 in Los Angeles California to a Chinese-Hawaiian father and a Chinese mother. The family moved to Hawaii when Jason was 2, where he grew up. His interest in acting began in high school and further blossomed when he enrolled in Fullerton college, where he studied under acting coach Sal Romeo.
In 1987, he would land his first role, a bit part in Cheech Marin’s Born in East LA and would soon take on many supporting roles and other bit parts, including 1989’s Back to the Future part 2.
1992 would see him play a credible portrayal of a tortured young Inuit, Native Alaskan in Map of the Human Heart, which would lead him to an audition for The Last of The Mohicans. The director thought Jason Scott Lee looked too Asian to play a Native American; however, he did suggest him for the lead role in Dragon: The Bruce Lee story.
Prior to Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, Jason had no martial arts training, but kept himself fit with surfing and gymnastics. Once cast, He would train in Jeet Kune Do, the style that Bruce Lee founded, for just 7 weeks before filming began. Luckily, he was able to adapt with ease under the tutelage of one of Bruce Lee’s owns students, Jerry Poteet. The training was tough. Jason said in a later interview, “I remember being on my knees weeping for days and wondering how I was going to pull this off”. He still remembers the exact moment that carrying the weight of Bruce Lee’s Legacy became too much for him. “I had an emotional breakdown while I was training”, “Everything was too heavy, you know? It was much too much pressure and I just fell apart” he said.
Thankfully, Jason would receive sterling reviews for his portrayal of Bruce Lee while having his name on movie posters across the world. He was also featured in a video game based on the popular movie. The young actor's success in capturing the icon's moves and moods brought international celebrity seemingly overnight. The story in the film was endearing and entertaining, in part thanks to Rob Cohen’s electrifying directing style. The rest of the praise went to Jason Scott Lee’s amazing portrayal of the most recognizable martial artist who ever lived.
Despite being lauded by critics for his performance in Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, the career of Jason Scott Lee didn’t exactly skyrocket as expected.
So, what happened?
Of course, the Bruce Lee biopic was a key that opened many doors, but they all seemed to lead to the great outdoors. Jason couldn't seem to get near a role calling for street clothes.
After Dragon, he'd appear in the cinematically beautiful yet box office bomb Rapa Nui, then later that same year in the live action The Jungle Book, playing the lead character of Mowgli. However, the demands of the Hollywood life were eventually not for him and After spending some time with “one foot in Hollywood and the other in a jungle,” Jason decided to drop his manager and agent and live in Hawaii full time, in his self-sufficient farming compound that he calls ‘Pu Mu,’ which means ‘simplicity.’
Several years later, in 1998, Jason would once again venture into the limelight to star alongside Kurt Russell in the sci-fi action film Soldier. Unfortunately, the film struggled to find an audience at the box office, as many action films would in the late 90s.From there Jason would appear in several straight-to-video releases, such as Dracula 2: Ascension in 2001, Timecop 2: The Berlin Decision in 2003 and The Prophecy Forsaken in 2005.
Several more projects would come over the next decade plus, most notably 2016s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny and 2020’s live-action Disney film Mulan.
In 2021, Jason starred as a main role in the Disney+ series Doogie Kameāloha, M.D., a reboot of Doogie Howser, M.D..
Circling back to the sequel to Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, a film produced by Bey Logan, it’s interesting to hear his thoughts about Jason Scott Lee based on his Bey’s own observations and conversations with the man. - Розваги
Jason Scott Lee is an actor who deserves far more praise than he has gotten. There are unfortunately so many actors that go unnoticed throughout their entire careers. But Jason definitely stands out for both his emotional and physical talent. That so many actors can learn from.
“I’m no bastard.. I’m Bruce Lee…”
That line always cracks me up, cause he had that smartsss quality that made him lovable, which is difficult to do. Cause anytime you play a character with a smart mouth you run the risk of being insufferable. I really like Jason Scott Lee’s work and he was great in The Jungle Book
Mr. Jason Lee was able to find what makes him happy and is at peace with himself and his spirituality. Something that the majority of people are still searching for.
Nobody finds that until they’re dead. Anyone who says differently is a liar.
@@vhscopyofseinfeldyou mad bro because you don’t have two women at the same time. 😂
@@vhscopyofseinfeld How do you know genius? Smh what a loser
He was great in Dragon,. I don't think he looked like Bruce Lee in hindsight, but he somehow managed to convince me that he caught the spirit of Bruce in the film.
Seemed like he moved like him more than others who played the role of Bruce..in my opinion
Yeah he did very well at emulating Bruce
He gets an A for effort. If released today they could use CG to deepfake him to look more close to Bruce Lee. I think a fan edit of this movie could be made using deepfake tech.
That movie is one of my all-time favorites. Jason was fantastic as Bruce.
Bruce Lee didn’t do backflips.
He was great in Soldier (1998) with Kurt Russell
I loved that movie as a kid. Of course also realizing that Jason Scott Lee was in it was exciting because I remembered him in the Bruce Lee story.
@brandonbritto1564 me and my younger brother watched Born In East LA sometime after The Bruce Lee story and recognized him in it 😂
@@Shadowking81 lmao wasssappenning
@brandonbritto1564 hahahaha! No joke 😂 so pretty much we had watched Born In East LA a couple times prior to that through the years, then in '93 we watched Dragon The Bruce Lee Story, sometime '94 we decided to watch some comedies and Born In East LA was one of em so we recognized Jason although at first we were like nah...that can't be him, we rewinded the tape a few times and paused it as well and realized it was him 😂🤣 then the end credits also confirmed it (all this before the internet) 😂👍
It was good and I think it should be in the blade runner universe. It was once intended as a sequel because of the writer who worked on the original film.
Dude didn't fall. He rose and leveled off. He's doing things his way, and he's happy -- that's what counts.
100% he rose above
Taimak did the same thing after just 1 movie 🥰
Click bait
Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story is the movie that got me started training in the martial arts! It’s been 30 years now of training. Everything that is good in my life is a direct result of martial arts. I have endless gratitude for that movie and Jason Scott Lee’s amazing portrayal of Bruce Lee. Simply put, that movie changed my life completely.
🙏💛🥋👊🐲
Damn, that's beautiful.
That's beautiful.
He inspired a nation to get fit and embrace the Buddhist way of life.
That same thing happen to me I seen the movie and had got the book Tao of jeet kune do soon as I got done watching it. Been on that martial arts journey ever since.
Dude my brother and I used the moves from the book on each other in the back yard! We had notes written on the illustrations. Great times.@@williamcooper3975
Loved his performance in Dragon. That must have been such a daunting role to take on. A hero to millions, but thought Jason nailed it, especially considering he had no previous martial arts experience. He's since gone on to train his way up in JKD, so he obviously found his passion with it. RIP Bruce (50 years gone last month) and Brandon, 30 years gone since March. Crazy how time flies.
Both Bruce and Brandon deserves a long successful Hollywood career.
Insane Brandon has been gone for 30 years. I remember exactly where I was when I found out he passed. I thought it was an April Fools joke one day early. 😔
@angelmanfredy Me as well, I was only a teen. Had just enjoyed a great day as my team hammered our local rivals in a soccer match and then heard the news. Couldn't believe it happened again to poor Linda and Shannon.
Nah
Hong Kong or International stardom is still better than Woke Hollywood now.
I love Jason Scott Lee great actor, play Bruce Lee very good
I’ve always thought Jason Scott Lee is the greatest none-martial artist to play an actual martial artist on screen.
Toshiro Mifune!!!!
Yea he's a legend @@4411825
@@4411825
Great choice.
He just exuded “you should’ve just let us keep walking, now I’ll have to slay your entire clan” in his demeanor, especially in the Lone Wolf with Cub films.
@@4411825
Good Choice, I always confuse his name, with Akihiro Tomikawa, who was in the Lone Wolf with Cub films.
No he is a martial artist
Hollywood has slept on a lot of good folks over the years. JSL is one of them.
Still the best depiction of the legend. While Jason didn't look like Bruce exactly, he captured his charisma and essence.
😊😊❤
Oh there's been another that has gotten even closer!
So much so that when watching him play the role, he looked exactly like Bruce Lee.
Not even
@@corwinjkabuki true he did
Jason was perfect as Bruce. That movie was a classic
Was crap total fantasy most of it , actually as a Bruce lee fan for 50yrs I found it embarrassing
Jason was an amazing Bruce Lee. Yes, he did not look like him, but he embodied his spirit completely for me. Jason’s portrayal of Bruce was an homage, rather than a caricature we see everywhere nowadays.
Jason, if you’re reading, kudos to you! Definitely a legendary performance for a legendary person.
Actually I think he kind of looked like Bruce.. he certainly had his mannerisms
He was incredible in Bruce Lee Story and Soldier. I still can't believe how messed up Timecop 2 was.
Timecop has always been one of my favourite Van Damme movies (top 5) . I never knew there was a sequel with JSL
@@20FreeWill Unfortunately, they made it in 2003. Thomas Ian Griffith was the villain and they still couldn’t make it work. The script was just too ridiculous and there was no real budget invested in it.
I can never understand why people made B movie nonsensical sequels. Kickboxers, Universal Soldiers etc.. Never knew Timecop had one as well. Bizarre.
This biography film is seriously top-notch! Jason Scott Lee killed it, especially considering he had zero martial arts training before this. Yes, he trained JKD and Wing Chun a few months before the shoot but that’s not a lot. His physique was absolutely impressive too. He poured his heart and soul into capturing Bruce's essence, and the result is mind-blowing. It's way better than those Bruce Lee series that came out years later. I tried watching one the other day, and oh man, it was just plain awful. Bruce Lee would be proud of Jason Scott Lee. One of my favourite films of all-time.
Dragon was a massively underrated film. I think it was thwarted by Bruce Lee gatekeepers who were expecting documentary-level accuracy, but couldn't handle that it was also a feature film too.
Regardless, it had a story with a lot of heart, the cinematography and score were excellent, and the fight choreography was far above anything Hollywood was doing at that time.
Mostly though, I know at least a dozen people who had previously never heard of Bruce Lee, but are now hardcore fans due to this movie. If it was just a stepping stone to his real work then that would be enough, but it was also a genuinely good film.
Loved Jason Scott Lee , very underrated actor .
the jungle book , dragon great performances
Jason Scott Lee was quite good in Dragon, Jungle Book and Soldier. He could have been bigger. He was good in Hidden Dragon & Crouching Tiger and Mulan as well. Additionally he looked relatable and was quite likable. He still has a great screen presence too. Glad he's happy.
So many actors have portrayed Bruce Lee, and some of them really looking like him. But I feel like Jason is the only one who truly did him justice onscreen.
I love the little mini-doc he made a few years ago while training for a week at Shaolin.
So basically after listening to Bey , I would consider Jason Scott Lee as a winner, he had no downfall, he showed that he is a man of integrity. He could have taken those roles that came after his portrayal of Bruce Lee but he didn't.
This is precisely why I dont have much sympathy for the whiners of Hollywood. Those people that are always crying and whining about how toxic and horrible it is, but they choose to stay in it.
I saw this in the theater, only to, obviously, buy it on dvd many many years later.
Jason Scott Lee played an absolutely outstanding portrayal of Bruce. Great movie for me. Thus, I do question the reality of the storyline.
They ended it with him dying, but left out Betty who was a big part of why he died. I wish they showed that. Maybe they didn't want to go out looking for more actors, if I recall the cast was small.
fighting inner demons inherited from his father
I think the story is pretty accurate. Of course they took creative liberties like that fight with the demon. No one knows what that is supposed to represent but could be wrestling with his personal demons for stardom or could be mental health issues or schizophrenia or maybe it's actual delusions or dreams he sees. Or it might be sign of imminent stroke. Or maybe it never happened at all and was just a metaphor for a movie for entertainment.
@@jonfreeman9682 how could you possibly figure the story is pretty accurate, did you know Bruce Lee?
I could point out numerous scenes in that movie that could’ve very easily been far fetched.
@@jonfreeman9682 the demons represented his inner struggles with his father
The fact that Jason doesn’t seem to dwell on regret and what-ifs, and he appears to be happy with his decisions is wholesome to me. I used to live with regret about past decisions and it was slowly killing me.
Once I finally accepted that I needed to slow down my decision making process, as well as recalling past decisions and the consequences that followed, I’ve discovered an inner peace that I have not been able to match with anything else material.
Thank you for sharing these stories and experiences with us. Every single video you post has had a positive effect on me.
And that's how you should live life. In many interviews and biographies it's no secret that Bruce Lee was that way as well. He wanted to break into Hollywood but was beset by alot of prejudice and roadblocks. The movie portrayal is rather accurate of what it was like back in the 60s and 70s. It wasn't easy back in the day and even now. He was the first immigrant to break into mainstream Hollywood but struggled to find roles so had to move back to HK to look for work. But he never regretted his decisions and loved to joke about life. Amazing attitude in life that we can all embrace for a happy positive outlook. That's the stuff of life.
He looks forward and not backwards
Soldier was one of the most underrated movies ever, i never knew that was him in it.
He was a good actor, and he had a strange face, which drew attention to his mannerisms. He used this a lot in his acting style - very expressive.
I worked at a movie theater in high school when Map of the Human Heart came out. I loved it. Growing up as a huge Bruce Lee fan, I was excited to see him in Dragon. He was quickly becoming a favorite of mine and then he just kind of disappeared. I will always be a fan.
For somebody was under pressure emotionally she pulled through gloriously. Jason wasn't a dead ringer for Bruce but his charisma and Bruce's Spirit jump right off that screen.
What an awesome interview! Jason Scott Lee seems like a very introspective and genuine person. Reminds of a saying "Moderation in temper is always a virtue, but moderation in principle is always a vice." But, we should always consult with trustworthy people before making decisions, it can be a trap to get too fixated on your own thinking.
I met him once at his Rapa Mui premiere and very nice guy. That was 30 years ago when he became a star and he was always humble and funny guy. The way he portrays Bruce Lee is actually how he is in real life. Seriously.
I love Jason Scott Lee in Dragon the Bruce Lee Story. And he was awesome as a bad guy in Soldier opposite Kurt Russel. Somehow his career reminds me of how Robin Shou’s career turned out. They should have been big action stars.
JSL was also amazing as Mowgli in Disney's 1994 Jungle Book remake and also had a memorable voice role in another Disney project, the fan favorite animated film Lilo & Stitch.
Probably just stopped. Robin Shou went back to HK and did more films but then he just stopped too.
@@daoyang223He didn’t stop? He’s still working
robin was a stuntman
Sorry I meant during 1995 and 2010@@psilva2462
I've met himself three times in Los Angeles. Such a super nice guy. And... He was BLISTERING FAST like Bruce Lee while even he was in private . 😂👍 Go Jason ! ✊
The guy still works. He is doing bigger movies than Van Damme and Seagal are nowadays.
One thing I really liked was at the end of the movie when Bruce fought his personal demon using the nun-chucks to choke the warrior to death. Philosophically it proves that you got to adapt to each opponent in different way and make the most out of the environment. Street Fighting is a no-rules fight to the death and you must come out on top by ignoring conventions and dogma. The bad guy certainly won't hold back. That is what Bruce taught: fighting is not about flashy sports and entertainment. You will one day need to kill someone who is trying to kill you. Don't believe the fake martial artists trying to make money and give you sanitised crap. Learn how to kill if the other guy wants to kill you. Then you can say your style is practical in real life situation where your own life depends on the skill you learned. (much like samurai sword duel: you f up? You will bleed to death. No more chances. All other kung fu movies seemed to be aimed at kids but the Bruce Lee flicks wanted to educate people about realism and philosophical concepts. For eg in Game of Death Bruce fights tall guy who is immortal vampire so martial arts doesn't even do shit to him. When he uses light to harm him, then he has a chance. This is teaching people to use weaknesses to gain an edge and it applies to war. The 'style' has nothing to do with it! If it worked it's tactically sound decision to include it. That's true in street fighting. You might like a certain style, but if its not practical to you and practical to use on the current opponent you have before you, swallow your ego and adapt by trying different approach to win and always be open-minded in bending rules that result in victory. That is all you should care about, not honoring traditions )
Great comment!
That was Bruce’s whole approach to martial arts when it came to actual combat tho.u have to hurt your opponent.remember as a youngster seeing people fighting and someone would get a beating but it was obvious they weren’t really trying.Almost like they’re convinced if they don’t try their best the person they’re fighting will also hold back and the beating won’t b as bad.Never happens but the mind does weird things in stressful situations
@@darrenstopper1806 Exactly! Also Joe Lewis (friend of Bruce Lee and actual student of his) mentioned in interviews he prefers the full contact tournaments in karate (most tourneys in Bruce Lee time was point based. No MMA back then) because to him it really matters in a fight how much DAMAGE you are doing to the opponent. If you put a lot of energy into a well placed hit and it takes them out, you will end the fight right there in seconds. But if the other guy is hitting you 5 times he may be getting lots of points, but you are not in pain and its not doing damage. That means if it was a street fight, the guy would likely not be considered "winning" the fight. In the street fight, the guy who wins is the one that takes less damage and causes the other guy to either by dead, or in to much pain to continue a fight so they yield. This is the same system in sword duel. If you lose you can beg for mercy or if you are proud you can request to be beheaded (as seen in japanese samurai culture where people care about honor) In street racing they have the "pink slip races". If you lose the race you have to give your car to the other guy. (featured in "The Fast and the Furious 1") Same concept different street sport.
What I like about Bruce Lee is the realism to his philosophy in fighting, not the flashy stuff in his movies! Yes the flashy stuff is cool, but ultimately you only do the flashy finisher moves when your opponent is crippled and can't move anymore so you do that to end the fight in style or because the opponent is less able to dodge or defend at that point. But if you watch MMA sports, referees never let the other guy "finish their opponent" "mortal kombat" style. But I feel like if Bruce Lee was still alive perhaps he could have bought an island and created laws where it is legal to kill the opponent if they lose. (sort of like Samurai sword duel but for Mixed Martial arts) The rules: "You lose? You have to let the other guy kill you because that is what you tried to do to him!" (various countries could secretly send their spies/assassins or soldiers there to train them to be better assassin?) The only exception is if the guy decides to be merciful because he enjoys living his life on the edge and enjoys the risk of almost dying. (these are alpha males - if they don't get that adrenalin rush they feel bored)
I liked Blood Sport as a movie and I am of the belief that those illegal tournaments are real (not fictional) but must be held underground as invite-only events. (like the illegal street racing in The Fast and Furious movie - someone has to watch out for cops.) These types of events is where the REAL test of your skill is tested because it's under realistic conditions. (the threat of death if you don't take the opponent seriously like you would if you fought some criminal on the street who has no honor and wants to kill you)
Why damage matters: if a guy is fast on his feet, and you break his leg as a "joint lock" guy, he no longer has the ability to move or dodge now right? Then your finisher moves can be busted out to kill him now because these moves have become an option. But you don't see the finisher moves in tournaments like UFC because of the referee and it having to be safe sport. Real blood sport tournament would resemble more of what Bruce Lee imagines is going to happen to you if you were forced to defend yourself in a life or death situation. This is why I prefer the movies of his which are more aimed at adult audience over the kung fu movies where nobody gets hurt. (no offense to Jackie Chan fans. I like them but Bruce Lee wanted to teach you something about fighting in his flicks)
One of my teacher's was an Army Ranger in Vietnam whose job was to go behind enemy lines and get the down pilots before the Viet Cong could get to them. He said he couldn't use guns in that environment because they would find him and his unit, so he killed a lot of people with his hands, knives, and improvised weapons. He said he had no problem killing people in Nam, but when he came back home then that is where all the problems started happening. Killing was so easy for him that he flipped out for awhile and went back to Washington State to live in the woods. He did a complete 180 and couldn't even kill anything for awhile. He said he couldn't even kill a butterfly after that war. Eventually he would come back around after time and go back to hunting. He use to tell me that you have to learn how to control it to turn it on and off, and if you don't control it then it will destroy you. He use to tell me, "it's easy to hurt and kill people, but if you could fight someone without hurting them then you're good." Some of the strikes that he learned from Jimmy H Woo in San Soo he would modify, so he wouldn't kill the person. My point is, the most important thing in fighting and martial arts is control. To gain the power to control yourself is the ability to overcome anything which gives you choice in the outcome.
Learn to fight well without killing to avoid prison.
I used to live on the Big Island of Hawaii, kind of in the area that Mr. Lee’s farm is. The greatest delight for us was when a friend would see him at a Farmer’s Market. He’s actually a quiet, decent guy. Gossip travels faster than light there and I never heard a bad thing about him in town.
I truly appreciate you covering Jason Scott Lee, one of my favorite actors/ stunt men. I love his work.
I believe the issue is how fans or other people view our tv stars… WE think we know what is best and what they should do. WE think we have a great idea as to what should happen, and get upset if it doesn’t turn out our way…. A lot like some of our friends who alway have something we should be doing instead; yet aren’t doing much on their side of things.
I feel like it is a bit of selfishness in us to see what we want from our actors and celebs. They should follow their lives and paths to bette themselves and hopefully better their environment. Thanks Viking Samurai 👊🏾🏆🙂
Jason Scott Lee was also in a 2006 movie Only The Brave. Japanese Americans 442 RCT.
Jason played a Japanese Hawaiian who actually contributed more than the Japanese American mainlanders who’s families were incarcerated in camps.
Pat Morita, Tamlyn Tomita, Yuji Okumoto and Mark Dacascos are all in it as well as Lane Nishikawa.
He killed it in Soldier 👏👏
Jason Scott Lee has comedic chops as well. Aside from Born in East L.A., check him out in Balls of Fury!
Thanks so much for doing this. The title scared me a little because there was no fall. JSL rose, had his fun, and walked away. And I'm so glad you told that story. I read this really long, in depth article about him several years ago that was just wonderful. He sounds like a contented, lovely guy. I watched the live action Mulan specifically for him and he was brilliant.
I thought he should have got an Oscar for the Bruce Lee story.. even more so ...7 weeks training WTF! Amazing.. what a movie what a guy.. Jason I salute you .. god bless you man
It’s always nice to hear people speak of my cousins career with fondness.
I just saw that Jason Scott Lee interview. It was really awesome. Your conversation with Bey Logan's experience is amazing!
JASON SCOTT LEE Killed it!
He did a Shaolin boot camp UA-cam video, it was inspiring!
Mad RESPECTS!! -hELLA HUNG
"Searching for a sugar man" is the greatest documentary I've ever seen ! Absolute gem !❤
Wow! Great video. Great interviews. Jason Scott Lee is one of my favorite actors since childhood. And what a great message about living life in this insane time of the internet.
Im mean, one of the most memorable portrayals iv ever seen and to think Jason had SO many reservations. His performance in this film was beautiful.
"Map of the human heart" is a great movie, that unfortunately didn't reach a big audience. A poetic romance, and epic tragedy. "Rapa nui" is also a very good movie in my opinion, that attempts to explain what happened to make Easter Island what it is today. If you look beyond the outright action movies he's made, Jason Scott Lee is a very good dramatic actor. His physicality is only one aspect, his ability to convey emotion is much more impressive to me. The way he inhabits the roles he plays, and invests the characters with something genuine, so that the movies he's in becomes better through his presence.
Awesome guy met him a couple times.Down to earth he came to visit us at Hilo high school. He made a lot of local people believe if you try anything is possible. At the time a lot of local people thought acting and singing were a dream and would never make it to Hollywood cause of locals like Brada IZ,Jason Scott Lee and Jason Mamoa we saw that hope that you can make it. Cause of Jason Scott Lee I tried a few auditions and was in a commercial. Grateful I got to met him and thank you for being a role model for us kids in PALC. Mahalo Jason!
LOVE this channel!
We need that Taimak/Bruce Leeroy vid from The Viking Samurai!
Jason Scott Lee was a gifted athlete in his prime. I also remember him playing a chef that was tasked with cooking a human being off a secret recipe on an episode of a horror show
Best Bruce Lee documentary movie ever thank you Jason Scott lee🙏
That movie was in no way a documentary almost all of it was complete fiction
I was doing professional theatre in Honolulu after Jungle Book came out, attending a show at a well-known community theatre, when I saw this guy walk in and, even though it wasn't crowded at all, make his way up to the last row. I went, "Hmmm…that looks like Jason Scott Lee," so I went over and introduced myself and sat next to him. My artistic director was in the play, as was a playwright I'd worked with, and they were just giddy afterwards, asking me to ask my new "friend" if he wanted to go see the downtown Christmas lights with the cast. Jason politely declined, saying he had a party to go to, and I believed him. I also believed him when he told me was interested in doing some local theatre and asked me about my company. When I told them about it and said we should contact him because we needed a replacement for our school tour, they all laughed and laughed hard that a "big star" would want to run around the islands with us doing children's theatre. Once we started touring, there was a headline about Mr. Lee working for the theatre where I met him-no one at MY theatre was laughing then, least of all me-and when I bumped into him later, he said that publicity irked him because he didn't want his name upstaging the production or the other actors. He also said he would've definitely been interested in a school tour. Seriously…how many Hollywood stars are like that? Years later, talking to two different friends on the Big Island where I grew up, they each told me Jason's farm was in their neighborhood and they could reintroduce me if I wanted. I said I wouldn't want to bother him and they said he was just their neighbor, no big deal. I didn't take them up on it, but it was tempting. Another time, someone else told me they knew him because he mowed their mom's lawn. I thought they were joking, but they said one of his good friends mowed lawns for a living and, yeah, Jason helped him out. Again, not your typical celebrity.
Anyway, this is my long-winded way of saying that the reason Jason Scott Lee didn't remain a big star is because I truly don't think he CARES about it. He just wants enough money to chill and work his farm and pursue things that interest him, and if he needs more money he just does another film. I remember arguing with an actor friend who said Jason had a responsibility to further his career because how many Hawaii people, how many Asians, have had the A-list opportunities he's had, and I said that's true, but it's HIS career. Like he said when I asked him what he was doing after Jungle Book, "Y'know, just hanging out and surfing." That's straight-up local boy: nice, easygoing, low-key, and at least by Hollywood standards, unambitious. But you know what? Ain't nothing wrong with that. Not everyone wants or needs to be the Rock.
Awesome, thanks for sharing!
I was so into the Bruce Lee story movie that I went to it in the theater myself in 1993 at 13 years old. The following year I started praying mantis style kung-fu and took instruction for a few years.
Which led to you becoming the best ballistic tester on UA-cam
Why Mantis ?
@@creaturecaldwell9858 Rural Michigan lol. Out options are not vast in the neighboring towns of what they offer.
@@DanTheWolfman Yes lol. Really, whatever that is inside a person that makes them feel the need for self defense, will show itself in some way or another. The other commenter asked why Mantis, and not only because the options are limited, but they do not teach sports arts, they teach dirty tricks, same things the original woman who invented kung-fu came up with centuries ago to defeat larger opponents.
The 90`s was my childhood and we all really thought after DRAGON: The Bruce Lee story, we were going to see alot more of JSL for many years to come. Such a shame he didnt crack Tinsel town. Jason has a real charm and likability about him
He did alright actually and as an minority it is really tough to find roles and sustain a career in Hollywood. Keep in mind even non minorities struggle so you can imagine how much harder it is for him. But he did well and have acted in films TV shows and even theater. He is a very funny humble guy in real life and loved to joke about things. How he portrayed Bruce Lee in the movie is actually how he is in real life. I think I have his autographed martial arts book from back in the day.
I ran into him once in front of Safeway during the evening in my neighborhood in Hawaii. He was checking out my Bronco. He had his parked not far away. His had a canvas top. Both Broncos were older models I don't remember the exchange, but he had a big local braddah smile and seemed easy going and down to Earth. I'm glad he escaped to the Big Island and made his own peace away from the crazy Hollywood. His portrayal as Bruce Lee was outstanding and expressed great energy.
He’s one of those actors that I’ve always rooted for. Loved him in Dragon, always wondered why he didn’t get more quality leading roles.
Thanks for the amazing video ❤
Glad you liked it!
🫵😑😑👍
Jason..i will always applaud you!!!! You did a great job an you have my Prayers to go on with your journey in life, no matter what people say, no matter what Hollywood says you were a great an exceptional actor an you will be missed in the theater!!! Stay blessed🙏😇
Jason Scott Lee did amazing depicting Bruce Lee shame his movie career never took off after the movie
He should not have stopped
Jason did an incredible job in dragon. I remembered watching the movies literally over 100 times as a kid.
Dragon is a wonderful film, he’s great and the music theme is great
This "3rd type" of actor also explains what Rick Moranis did. He got very popular and decided to stop acting to be a father and live the life he wanted.
As for Jason Scott Lee, I loved watching his movies and I did wonder what happened to him. I'm glad to know he found purpose outside of acting, although I guiltily would have wanted to see him in more films.
One of my ALL TIME FAVOURITE actors.
He is a great actor. So far was the best to portray Bruce Lee, and the Dracula movie the only one I believe to be a priest in Dracula, and in Balls of Fury made me laugh... 2nd time cop was pretty good as well. I'm glad you all spoke about him.
That movie was amazing!! I loved that movie so much as a teenager that I was able to show it in school. Everyone knew I love that movie. Lol.
Soldier which bombed at the box office at the time is a great movie to rewatch now and I’d love to get the opportunity to watch it on the big screen 💯👌🏼
Dragon the Bruce Lee Story was one of my favorite movies growing up. I remember renting it from blockbuster all the time. Rapanui, Jungle Book, Balls of Furry hehe. They were all great movies and part of my childhood. Im from hawaii too and that’s probably another reason why I liked him but he’s a great actor and I enjoyed his movies.
I watched Dragon on vhs 😂 I wore that tape out, it was literally one of my favorite’s growing up, I saved up enough money to buy The Tao of Jeet Kune Do and wore that book out as well. It was different times back then, especially in the movie industry, personally I feel it was the best era for films, definitely gonna rewatch Dragon now, get my nostalgia fix 🤙🏽
It would be dope to see JSL in a new film, the dude was a part of my childhood for sure.
Great interview gentleman, thank you kindly.
Lee has tremendous charisma. Love to see him in more projects.
I remember going to watch Dragon when it came out at our local theatre. I was hoping it would be a good movie. It was great. Loved the movie and Jason Scott Lee was incredible.. Easily one of my fav movies !
Incredible video, love this series!
Thanks, will be doing a lot more!
Great video. Thank you
Well said ... I could not agree more than ever.. Often our life is defined by what others think of it not how we actually live in a private manner. Often the celebrities live thier life around thier silver screen imagine ... In todays world more than ever. Great guest he had greatly insightful words
Samsara - enough said :) Thanks for posting this vid. Success is very personal - JSL was awesome in Dragon, will always remember that movie. Glad he found what makes his life worth living.
As a kid, I watched that movie and thought he was a really big movie star. I continued to watch his stuff because of that movie. I love when he pops up on stuff
I've always been a fan of Bey Logan ever since reading his columns in Combat magazine. His perspective on JSL was really refreshing. I thought JSL was amazing as Bruce in Dragon, The Bruce Lee story. If it's on TV, it's one of those films you just end up watching.
He seems like such a genuine person and he did such a great job in Enter the Dragon and soldier and I’ve seen all his work I really feel like he’s one of those actors and stories of a great talent who for whatever reason just didn’t stick with him, and all the projects he passed on he made the right choice because those films are iconic because of the actors who played in them. So with that said I wish him the very best and who knows so many actors get second & third acts in their lives. I’d really like to see him star on the current HBO a max show “Warrior”
Fall? Nope. Lots of voiceover work for Disney (Lilo & Stitch). Living life on his terms and ability to do so is the greatest success. A great person. He volunteered his time for Jerry Poteet on his dvd series which only two were released. I filmed, co-wrote, codirected, and appear in them. Lots of unused footage floating around the net from that
Show some Respect 4 Jason Lee!
He wanted 2 be an Actor not an Action Hero!!!
That Man is A National Treasure!!!
Jason did a phenomenal job emulating Bruce Lee in Dragon. There’s a few movies that are difficult to make, being Bruce Lee is definitely one of them. Amazing job and still a great movie
Great video viking! It would be awesome if you could get Jason scott Lee on the channel! Be interesting to here the movies he turned down and his experiences filming dragon and soldier (Kurt russell)! Keep up the great work!
Definitely
Jason Lee was great in "My name is Earl".
@@strikingmachine2975😂
He killed it in balls of fury… his talent included a hidden gem in comedy….. great actor with an incredible range of talent.
Map of the human heart is one of the best films i have ever seen. Jason was amazing.
whole generation learning the Bruce lee story thanks to Dragon
The Soldier movie with Kurt Russell was excellent! Very underrated. Nice comparison to the Sugar Man, never thought of it like that.
Good Video, Jason good job Bruce Lee Story moves, underrated
This was a great movie, and i really thought he was Bruce Lee, cause i was a kid when it came out and i had no idea about actors and so on. When i was older i really saw the acting in a different view and he just nailed it. One of the best actors to ever play a biografie.
Jason Scott Lee did an awesome job in this movie, I love this movie.
Dude I loved the movie Soldier. Even saw it in theaters. Well done flick IMO
Bey Logan and Alex Richter. Two of my favorite guests🔥
Jason did an awesome job incapsulating Bruce's Human side and who he was as a person rather then just the martial art movie star. I enjoyed it very much.
Great interview
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
👍 Jason Scott Lee. Awesome actor. Interview him.
Thanks for this JSL is really a cool dude!
Wow! Jason is a Great human being.
Should give his Shaolin Temple journey he embarked on to train as they do. Really interesting watch.
I absolutely loved loved loved this movie! I used to be able to quote that movie word for word. I watched it every single day for about three or four months. It's been many years since I've seen it but some scenes cross my mind on a weekly basis lol.
Incredibly talented guy that looks to have lived life on his terms, respect! 🙏
great work
I went and saw that movie 3 weeks in a row when I was 13,I figured he’d be a star after that
humble man now a big fan.
Working at HNL back in the late 90's, I've had the opportunity of meeting lot's of celebrities, athletes, and politicians. JSL was probably the nicest down to earth dude I've met. He would be waiting for his luggages at baggage claim and his dad would be outside waiting for him. He always had the time to chill and make conversations.