The Death of Brendan Lee

Bruce Lee was the first person Hollywood called the Thunder of the East. Even today, Bruce Lee's death remains a mystery, shrouded in mystery. Many have already said about Bruce Lee. Although death took him away prematurely like a clown without a sense of humor, Bruce Lee still holds the first place in the hearts of martial arts enthusiasts.

This time, I am not talking about Bruce Lee, but about Brendan Lee, Bruce Lee's son, who passed away prematurely like his father. 

Brendan Lee is credited with being the first martial artist child star

Born on February 1, 1965, Brendan Lee, the son of Brendan Lee and Linda Emery, followed in his father's footsteps at a very young age.  Brendan trained in Jeet Kune Do, a martial art developed by Bruce Lee himself, which emphasized balancing and free-kicks. Although he showed his talent in films as a child actor, the main problem that Brendan faced, who entered the film industry completely after his father's death, was Bruce Lee's fame. Brendan, who initially acted in low-budget action films, soon realized that if he continued to accept only the same type of films, he would have to leave this field before long. Brendan was waiting for a different opportunity to establish his own personality in the film, beyond being known as the son of Bruce Lee.

The Crow, a comic book that became a hit in the 1989s, tells the story of the main character, rocker Eric Draven, who is killed by an attacker and gains superhuman strength to open his grave and take revenge on his enemies. When he learned that James O'Barr, the creator of this hugely successful comic, had decided to make a film based on the same story under the same name, Brendan realized that this was the opportunity he had been waiting for and visited James O'Barr privately.

 Although he had Johnny Depp and Christian Slater in mind to play the lead role, James, who was impressed by Brendan's character and interactions, decided on Brendan as the lead character. That decision was not a mistake. Later, many of the mannerisms of the Joker, the greatest villain of the century in the Batman series, and the movements of Captain Jack Sparrow, who Johnny Depp played brilliantly in Pirates of the Caribbean, were displayed by Brendan Lee in The Crow.

Thus, the filming of The Crow began on a budget of $15 million, and with it, many obstacles began to appear on the shooting site, as if a harbinger of the great disaster to come. A carpenter on the site unexpectedly caught fire. A stuntman fell from a rope and was in critical condition. A crew member, who lost his balance due to personal problems, dangerously drove a car through the studio, causing extensive damage, and the set, which had been prepared for the strongest storm of the century, was completely destroyed. 

In addition to choreographing the fight scenes in the film, Lee himself performed all the fight scenes. Brendan Lee, who had lost about 20 pounds for the perfection of the character, looked very tired. 

On the day of the accident, heavy rain fell throughout the area and Lee shivered in the bitter cold.  Lee's manager, concerned about his health, who was drinking more than usual and unable to stand the cold, requested that the shooting not take place in this condition, but no one took it seriously. March 31, 1993 was Brendan Lee's last day on earth. During filming, two real guns containing bullets were accidentally included among the dummy guns. There are still rumors about whether they were accidentally left there or if someone deliberately left them. The scene was supposed to be filmed in which the protagonist Lee was surrounded by his opponents and shot.

 In the last action movie, Brendan Lee, who heard the director's loud call for action and walked into the middle of the enemy, said the cut forever. Brendan, who had a real bullet in his body, was immediately taken to the hospital, but he was too late. Although he was immediately operated on, Brendan Lee succumbed to his death a few hours later. The police investigating the case found no evidence of conspiracy or intentional homicide. James O'Barr, the creator of The Crow, withdrew from the production project due to the impact of Lee's death. The unfinished Brendan Lee scenes were later filmed with a stunt man and Lee's face was added in post-production work.

 The Crow was released in 1994, dedicated to Brendan Lee and his wife, Eliza. Brendan Lee was not there to see the film, which would have been a huge commercial success and the breakthrough of his career. Brendan was also buried next to his legendary father's grave.