Brandon Lee’s death at the age of 28 in 1993 after a handful of films under his belt, was tragic for a number of reasons.

A legacy when someone dies can be attributed to an opulent amount of things; possessions, kinship, equity, work history. The term legacy when Brandon is mentioned is often imputed as “The Crow”, namely because it was not only his last film, but the film he was working on when he was killed. However, lets ponder this question without bias:

What is Brandon Lee’s true legacy?

Certainly his last film ‘The Crow’ is noteworthy as part of his enduring legacy, as well as his other films such as ‘Rapid Fire’. Nevertheless, the quality of Brandon Lee’s life and the passion in which he lived his life, is far more significant in regards to his worth as a human being than some of his cinematic contribution. As Billy Graham once said:

“ The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality if our lives”

When considering the question about what Brandon’s true legacy might be there also is the idea that we must explore the complete picture; including his family legacy, his cinematic achievements, the quality of his life, and his own contribution of humanity.

Brandon Lee’s father Bruce died in 1973 at the height of his career, yet many fans of Bruce Lee often say that his legacy is not in his films, but in the teachings of his founded martial art Jeet Kune Do, and the philosophy he left behind (although that was only published after his death). In recent times athletes in sports, from boxing to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) have referenced Bruce Lee as a reputable inspiration on them. All these elements of Bruce Lee’s legacy, Brandon had to learn to come to terms with while rising his own achievements. Brandon started his career in stage, then in film, and was immediately compared to his famous father. At the early part of his career Brandon went to great lengths to separate himself from his famous father’s fame, many misinterpreted this to claim that Brandon was not proud of whom his father was, especially in the eastern culture where there is great pride following in the parental figure’s footsteps. However, Brandon was always proud that he was Bruce Lee’s son, but wanted to achieve his own dream on his own terms, without using the family name. There were many years where on the outside, Brandon, seemed (to the public observer) rebellious, even arrogant about the name and “legacy” he inherited from his father. After a number of years trying to separate the legacy of his father, from the pride he felt as his father’s son he finally came to realize that he could achieve all he wanted to while take full advantage of the heritage of his family. He embraced the study of his father’s art and felt more comfortable marrying together the martial arts with his unique passion for acting (which his father did not have). Brandon in doing this, created his own legacy and his own mark on the world . Brandon never used or exploited his father’s name, a character trait that became part of his OWN legacy he left behind.

Brandon Lee’s last films ‘Rapid Fire’ and ‘The Crow’ are important when examining his enduing legacy. Both films exhibited parts of Brandon’s own creative ideas and talents beyond what the public saw on the silver screen. Had Brandon’s accident not have occurred would these films 18 years on be counted as part of his legacy? It is debatable, but these films did in fact help Brandon achieve something for himself as an actor and as a creative force that audiences probably never can understood and even his fans may need to read about. For Brandon, the quality of his work was important to him. He wanted to do the best with what he had – a perfectionist you might say. Brandon Lee’s films aren’t his legacy, there are simply apart of it. Brandon Lee was not his characters, while he certainly made the parts his own, and worked with the creative teams of his last two films to ensure that the finish script was something he could live with, at the end of the day, Brandon Lee was different from his characters but he was willing to do what he could to make sure that the project the audience saw was of quality. His cinematic legacy may lay also in the ideas and drive that pushed his art, not just the end product.

There were several milestones of Brandon Lee’s life that as an objective observer are fairly obvious. One of those is clearly the period in his life where he decided to stop carrying the impossible burden of being Brandon Lee, son of Bruce and to start living his life in the most authentic way possible. Brandon admitted in his later years that the lived with a huge “chip” on his shoulders and was not living his own life, in fact, he was living in fear and not achieving his dreams. The other important milestone was finding the balance in his life where he could be who he wanted and feel the kind of acceptance that had eluded him all his life. Brandon’s whole disposition evolved from confused and rebellious, angry young actor to a more confident, happy and serenely calm actor who would accomplish his dream no matter what – but on his terms. It was throughout these changes in his life that his unique characteristics help to define part of his legacy. Brandon Lee was very conscious of the legacy he wanted to contribute to and eventually leave behind, of course he had no idea that it would be so soon, but against the odds he achieved a success that was unique his own – away from his father and away from what others expected of him. He belonged to himself and only he knew what was best for him.

Humanity became very meaningful for Brandon Lee. He wanted to be seen as an individual not because he was related to someone else, or even for what he could do. What he sought is what all human beings do – a sense of belonging and acceptance. The journey Brandon Lee went on was often long and painful, yet at the tender age of 28, he somehow was able to achieve what he once thought was impossible. When he died there was a huge amount of grief expressed, from people you wouldn’t normally expect – Hollywood insiders and executives. Brandon was well regarded as someone who treated everyone he came into contact with respect and compassion (and as long as they treated him the same it stayed that way). He is remembered certainly as someone who loved acting and had great talent, but more importantly as someone who was a wonderful human being, who was decent, generous and kind. Brandon wasn’t perfect (no one is), but he tried to be the best person he could be and in one of his last interviews discussed the importance of loyalty, and good will in human relationships. As an actor he wanted to explore the many facets of human nature that can both empower and destroy – the psychology of the individual in other words. There are aspects of Brandon Lee’s lives that fans don’t know about, and hopefully will at some point, but if his legacy has to one element, shouldn’t it be his humanity and the kind of inspiration he ultimately gave to others? No one knows what a legacy will look like after death, Brandon Lee’s legacy is rich (not in asset), but in heart.

Next time you hear someone talk about THE LEGACY OF BRANDON LEE remember that this at the very core is about a young man, who was just a man with a dream, who achieved what he did because of his own talents and not because of biology. The true worth of a man is not always in what they produce, but in many of the “little things”, in other words the trivial matters that eventually count as the most significant in life. Like Shakespeare did once write, it is the honesty that a individual brings to their life that a true net worth will be judged on.

I begun writing about Brandon’s own “legacy” in the late 90′s, to small readerships, which eventually grew. The Brandon Lee Movement was not created to communicate with fans as much as it was to educate them, and provide them with the factual details about his life. As the years have progressed our objectives have changed slightly, and there is huge responsibility not to fans, but to Brandon’s own memory, as well as those in his life, to get the facts right for history too. To think objectivity and to observe that information through “real world” eyes has become paramount. The BLM of course have our critics (the same people who consistently use our original research information and material for their own purposes – not always honorable I might add), and you are always bound to ruffle a few feathers (and egos) when you are doing your own thing. People get mad, threatened, jealous, vindictive, envious – you name it. I have had some amazing experiences whilst in the default position of Brandon Lee historian, but also some that could only be described as character building. The internet has become a scary place in many cases – a vicious and often apathetic environment where you have to learn where you step, because many times words are used to harm and contextual interpretations can quickly elevate into negative backlash. I still find Brandon’s life and legacy fascinating all these years later – that is in part why I continue. Brandon’s life is worth a whole lot more than the majority of coverage has provided his legacy with.

Brandon Lee was not just a pretty face, someone who could do a few moves here or there, or just Bruce Lee’s son – and these are the least interesting ideas about him. There was so much more going on underneath the facet of the Hollywood machine, there was someone we all could and DID relate to. A life is not lived through or for someone else – or despite of it. Brandon was not an actor simply because his father had been, it was a deeply ingrained dream and a need that as a individual he needed to accomplish. Acting was so much apart of how Brandon chose to express himself – he was an artist of life and a lover of living.

Some critics may say that when someone dies, their legacy and people’s memories of them can become almost mythic. People wish to portray the deceased person in some kind of perfected light, whereby objectivity dare not reveal itself. However, I have found that the fact that as individuals we are fallible, makes the quest for an authentic life so much more endearing to humanity. Life is not perfect, there are changes at every turn, and as humans with very fragile souls, we all are transformed by the complexity of everyday living – much like a symbolic butterfly.

Brandon was a person who not only loved life but had an affinity for the human experience. He rode motorcycles, might of drove a little too fast in his ACURA NSX, he had an ego, at times he may have been even arrogant (like we all are from time-to-time), had arguments and struggled with who he was – but also at the end of his life he did exactly what he wanted. He laughed, he cried, he hurt and he loved.

Recently, I saw a program that examined the new concept in gaming called Permadeath. In Permadeath the gamer instead of having multiple lives in the virtual world, the person is given just ONE life – just like in “real life”. I found this new concept interesting because at last some kind of virtual reality is starting to mirror the real world where you don’t have a second chance sometimes to get something right. Life is not on pause, and it certainly is no fantasy. When you are shot in this world, you don’t get to have that opportunity to always live to see another day. As human beings, we do not know when we die and therefore everything is illuminated.

Prior to Brandon Lee’s death in preparation for his marriage to his long-time partner Eliza Hutton, he  reflected on the fragility of life from Paul Bowles novel, ‘The Skeltering Sky’. The quote (originally printed on his wedding invitations) became his epitaph. It has symbolized to many fans and admirers how mundane events can hold real significance, when you take into account just how unexpected life can change. Tragedy he said in an interview in 1993, often provides humans with the opportunity for growth, or it can ruin our whole view about ourselves. Humans are lazy, we don’t like to change BUT when life forces us to re-think, to move in the opposite direction, we can sometimes find out that there is whole new world that can open up – if we allow ourselves to adapt to life. The trap of conformity and fear can lead to our downfall – but the possibilities are endless if we only look at life as a gift.

The pain of Brandon’s passing for his family and friends can never be dissolved, for people live on through memories and for what those experiences with what people have given them. There will be more than a few fans making reference to personalizing the idea when it comes to Brandon Lee’s passing, but that is also part of someone’s legacy. The fact that his life is remembered and it is cherished fondly – is more important in retrospect than any superficiality people can get carried away with. To be loved and to be missed – in the end don’t we all crave that kind of immortal acceptance? My late mother once said to me as a teenager, “you’ll miss me when I’m gone”, and a short-time later I had to bury her and guess what?… I do. Humans can never truly appreciate what we have when we have it, it’s all part of that ignorance is bliss idea we all are born with. However, on a personal level if someone touches your life, they will touch it forever. Strangers or loved ones – today Brandon Lee, you are missed and we all are sure glad that you were born.

Brandon’s positive energy in life lives on through the legacy he left behind. It is our hope that more people will realize the extent of his contribution. Brandon deserves a lasting and true tribute to his own legacy.

Brandon Lee, 1965 – 1993 “A life worth Remembering”.

Everyone has moments of inspiration. Think back: who was the first non-family member who influenced you? Perhaps a teacher or perhaps you didn’t even meet the individual.

People are inspired and transpired by works of literature and film that impact how we view the world and ourselves. A novel can help explore the journey of the human soul through deep metaphors and sharp dialogue. A film about fictional characters can provide answers to our own hearts desires. Words and music are more likely to impact on a person’s cognitive thought system that a simple action does, according to a recent study by the American Psychological Association.

Brandon Lee inspired many – does that shock you? Because it shouldn’t. I had a conversation not too long ago with a Bruce Lee enthusiast who despite spending many years interested, fascinated and inspired by Brandon’s father Bruce Lee, couldn’t quite understand that scores of strangers could be inspired and impacted (in a platonic way) by him.

Brandon in fact insightfully influenced many to live their lives authentically, to dream, to love, to never give up and to be secure who they are. Over the last 12 years I have spoken with hundreds of people – strangers, whose lives have been changed because Brandon Lee was born. You don’t have to discover the cure for cancer, or even a new martial art to be someone who inspires others. In our own daily lives we all have that opportunity. A small gesture, a kind deed or a selfless action may prove to someone else to be the catalyst to change their life in some way.

Today would have been 46th birthday and while it may be beyond the realm of possibility to imagine what his life might look like had he not been killed, what is evident is that his life continues to impact others in a very positive light.

I recently asked on our FaceBook page how Brandon had impacted people’s lives. Many expressed the most deepest of emotions to recall how exactly he impacted them. Some were influenced by his acting roles and the passion he delivered to them, others were affected by his life story and his tragic death, while others still articulated that Brandon’s own words or his unique perspective on life helped them to become a better person – or at least aspire to be.

Here are just some the stories of those individuals who were affected by the life of Brandon Bruce Lee:

Brandon had an untamable spirit that wasn’t afraid to express his passions or sense of humor. He seemed fearless to embrace life on his own terms being his own man along the way. Instead of trying to live up to expectations or becoming something or someone he wasn’t he managed to overcome so many obstacles in his life simply by just being himself. Being fearless was more than just pulling some silly prank, making someone laugh or even some silly stunt – Sandy Brookshire

Brandon was so funny and it is reflected through stories from the people that knew him best and and all of the films he chose to do, he was just coming into his own when tragedy struck. In the past it was hard for me to look back on all of that and not be bitter, it all could’ve been prevented. But Brandon didn’t seem to live his life that way, so why should I - Steph

Stepping out of his father’s shadow and creating his own legacy would have been just the start of a creative flame that would be burning bright this very day. Brandon was more than just the son of an icon, he was a creative talent that had a legacy to leave in his own right and yet through his brief career he did just that. People used to talk about him being the son of Bruce Lee yet his own talent and skill now make him his own man which is exactly how we should remember him. Creative, talented, charismatic and often larger than life, he was his own man – Dean Fraser-Phillips

Brandon Lee impacted my best friend & my life in his acting. Then, when my friend passed away the movie & Brandon Lee took on even more meaning. Finally, I learned how much of a humanitarian Brandon Lee was; we have common ground. We both were/are looking for who we were/are and found something even greater than ourselves – Rita Owens

Brandon taught me that to be who you are is important even if life expects you to be something else, he inspired me to believe that we all have a space in time , age means nothing,i lost my only son in 92 and then 93 he left us with words and a life worth remembering i am indebted to him and his father for showing me through their sharing their life with us. i walk on always till my space is gone – James Mc Keown

Brandon and Bruce have inspired me to be the best person I can be. they’re so wise, and they have helped me become a stronger & better person, and also helped me realize the potential i have. and that i can achieve my dreams if i truly want to – Lauren Cawdell

I can honestly say that if it wasn’t for Brandon and his father Bruce, I might never have become an actor. Thanks to them I’ve followed my dreams and although its taken a lot longer that even I thought it would, the dream is finally shaping into reality. Eternal thanks – Daniel Whyte

Watching his interviews, it really touched me how obviously evident it was how much he loved Eliza. I have my own love and I try not to take anything for granted, as we all know how it can end in an instant – Gina Capparelli

No matter what the circumstance for the impact – however small, Brandon Lee mattered to many. When I have read another’s very mistaken view that someone’s achievements are based on how much money they make, or how old someone is when they die, or who they know – then they miss the entire compass of the landscape of dreams and life purpose. As people, we need others. Brandon viewed human connection as very important and discussed the vital role others played in his spiritual journey. Without connections how can human beings relate and interact with each other?

A while ago I was sent a youtube link to a song I had long forgotten about. There comes a period as you mature where you move away from an experience, a person or even a song. The song was called ‘You Were There’ by Australian 90′s pop group Southern Sons. The song was released the same week Brandon died in 1993 and reflected much what I felt at the time as a 15 year old trying to comprehend how someone I admired was killed. My best friend and I sat around her CD deck one Saturday afternoon and played the song constantly for 4 hours. Eventually two more good friends of ours joined us and we all reflected in complete silence on the fragility of human life – all without saying a word to each other. The song helped us communicate through the trauma of teen angst and emotional uncertainty. Now 18 years later I was struck by the poignancy of the first verse:

“In time, I’d have told you but I guess I am too slow”

At the time I couldn’t have known how the ideas that this song implanted in my head (feeling sad for not being able to thank someone who impacted your life) would take on even greater significance for our group. Two years later two of my friends who were with me that day were killed in a car accident and like I felt that day in April 1993, I never was able to tell them how much they changed my life.

As I was listening to it as an almost 33 year old I began to smile ever so slightly because in hindsight, I think that Brandon probably would have been touched that so many people have been affected like they have. I would like to think had things worked out differently for him that I probably might of gotten the chance eventually to send a note to say ‘Thanks” but as the character in the song sings, “I guess I’m too slow”. Perhaps we all were – he was one of us but we didn’t appreciate his value until it was too late. We never do appreciate how fragile life is to we are forced to.

Brandon’s death grounded me in the reality of life, and other deaths since then – from friends to parents – have help cement the need for me to enjoy the miracle of each day. Brandon was alive for only 28 years and while that may not be that long in the history of the world, I am grateful that he came into my life and changed the way I approached life and my dreams. I never knew him, but I didn’t have to. He gave me a gift that I now give back to my readers everyday through words. My writing career may never have started had it not been for that opportunity to consider where my own passion took root. A stranger made me embrace living again through his words- and 18 years on I have so much to be thankful for.

In closing, birthdays are for celebrations and amongst all the superficial “other” kind of  tributes that no doubt will take place on networking sites, that recall moments of his character rather than Brandon in his own reality, BUT perhaps there might be a person out there who can understand, even appreciate the kind of time and consideration many decent people have spent trying to convey just two basic words to someone none of us really knew.

Happy Birthday Brandon!

This time of year there is always a fun element to October 31. Halloween is traditionally celebrated by those in the Northern Hemisphere by dressing up as Ghosts or spirits and other undead beings (or even Hannah Montana these days) to symbolize an old pagan belief hundreds years ago whereby the living and the dead could be united for a night, according to mythology. In popular culture, it has moved away from these roots and is now a mass commercialization that is just one big party feast.

Nothing wrong with that of course!

The real history of the holidays like Halloween is not about spooking the neighbors or to stuff your face with candy, but to reflect on how we view death.

Similar cultural festivals exist in the days after Halloween from Mexico’s Day of the Dead to the Catholic ones of All Saints Day and All Souls Day, that commemorate the lives of deceased loved ones. This time of year is about reflection and renewal but how many honestly do this? The notion of feeling grateful for the life we live each day is something humans mostly take for granted. As I was contemplating this philosophy question I was reminded of an old article in Fangoria Magazine written by The Crow’s screenwritter David J. Schow.

Schow was a frequent contributor to the famed horror magazine in the early 90′s and a year after Brandon Lee’s death  in 1994, Schow wrote a column to, in part, commentate the then up-coming film. Schow discussed the poignancy of Brandon’s passing and his own experience working with the young actor. One particular memory stands out that illustrates the importance of realizing the beauty and purpose of our lives:

Brandon and I went poking around the suite and discovered, inside a closet, a second closet hidden away behind the racks, like a secret panel. “This is what Eric needs,” he said. “A secret room.” This was the genesis of a scene in which Eric tricks Shelly, his fiancée, into climbing up to their bathroom attic, where he has laid an ambush consisting of many glowing candles and her new engagement ring. That attic was to be the repository of Eric’s art, containing everything from the fallout of his aborted wedding to the fundaments of his Crow getup and remnants to key memories of his band, Hangman’s Joke. Stashed up there, the stuff would have escaped the notice of the squatters and thieves who have passed through Eric’s abandoned and condemned loft in the year since his murder. A piece of this scene remains in the finished film (as a flashback, during a scene in which Eric sorts through the pawned rings at Gideon’s), but at the time, the “secret room” insight helped us localize the emotional core of the movie we were making.

Too often material items after death hold much more emotional significance than they never did while alive. When someone dies we hold on to pictures of happier times as if the absence of such remnants would dissipate our memories of them. Schow and Lee’s ideas about having a secret room connect to the fragility of life, one where Eric Draven could retreat to, to reflect on what he had lost so he could see what a life was reduced to. The room would represent what a human being in the end was worth; A few pieces of scrap of paper, a few tokens photographs, but ultimately he would be left with the reminder that a life is so easily dissolved without reason, without purpose.

Brandon was fond of philosophy, it appealed to his introspective nature and intellect. But even he spent the majority of his young adult life seeking the question of who he was – under the facet of being Bruce Lee’s son or as an passionate actor. What was his life worth? Many who knew him in his early days sometimes mistakenly made the assumption that his ability to push his own physical and mental boundaries was some kind of death wish. In reality Brandon was a young man who was in emotional pain because he felt invisible to the majority. Without titles as a human being – was he worth anything? At some point in his mid-20′s he took control of his insecurities, changed the course of his life in the right and positive direction and demanded to be counted as his own person.

Brandon did learn that his life was worth so much more than being someone’s son or having a dream. He was a human being whose greatest purpose was tied to the relationship he had with himself; his own self worth. He found a greater purpose through the discovery of himself once he found true love, and started living not for his father or away from that shadow, but for his own potential and his own self. His ability to relate to others human beings set them at ease. People were attracted to Brandon’s spirit because it appeared to have no judgment – he loved life and seemed so comfortable within his own skin.

It takes a strong person to look into themselves to see the truth, to even find the truth. These days the internet is filled with people not comfortable within their own identity, that they feel they must adopt someone else’s identity – even among Brandon’s own fans. If people can take an honest message from a fictional story like The Crow it is perhaps to live with the idea that life is fragile, but to not let it consume you.

Human beings are worth so much more than what we do for a career, what we drive or what material possessions we have managed to secure. At the end of a life, these account for so little.

We never will know what someone like Brandon Lee ultimately wanted for his life because it was stolen from him, in a moment that destroyed many around him. His energy lives on through those people and from the legacy that he has left on film. It is unfortunate that it took Brandon’s own death for so many to realize what his life was worth. He is a man deeply missed – even by people who never knew him.

As I was compiling some of Brandon’s quotes during interview for research purposes, I examined more closely a statement from him to Journalist John Little that always has resonated with me as profound:

“We reduce ourselves in a certain point in our lives to kind of solely pursuing things we already know how to do. You know, because you don’t want that experience of not knowing what you’re doing and being an amateur again.”

For me, reading this quote when I was 15 was something of a marvel. While my teenage brain could certainly process the words in theory, the wisdom of these words, I wasn’t able to fully digest what Brandon was saying and to fully appreciate his words until I was an adult. I doubt Brandon himself had much concern or thought that some random teenager would read his words and become affected by its meanings, but the nature of what he was eluding to – doing an experience that you never had done before, you do find out what you are capable of achieving. It is a lesson that almost everyone can relate to.

Too often in life people judge achievement and success on everything working out to plan. However, how often do dreams happen just the way we have planned them in our minds? Very rarely. And if the dreams we did plan for don’t come true, is that failure? People generally have very narrow views of what failure and success is. If a dream ends, people deem that a failure when people should be valuing an experience based on growth and what quality it has brought to their lives. Sometimes too other dreams develop when we start progressing through this thing we called life, just like John Lennon said “life is what happens when you are making other plans”.

Success is in the eye of the beholder and how you deal with both success and failure also can tell you what kind of individual you are. The notion of what failure and success is was something that Brandon also had considered:

“When you come against the limitations of your will, your ability, your natural ability, your courage, how you deal with success – and failure too for that matter. And as you overcome each of these barriers , you end up learning something about yourself.”

Brandon made a very interesting observation, that being that many people will achieve what is very easy for them to do, opposed to taking any kind of risk. By not seeking to enrich their life by new experiences, people have limited their life to experiences they know,and life becomes very safe as a result where nothing much changes. Failure is not always something not working, it may also be a dream that we deem unreachable and we go for an experience that is “safe” instead of becoming all we can be. Dreams without action are in fact just daydreams, but dreams with action that are uniquely ours, can be the kind of success that Brandon talked about, and what I feel is very achievable in each of our lives.

To be original you only have to be yourself, not an extension of someone. We don’t live for others, we live for ourselves (if we really want to be honest) and those experiences that give our lives growth and purpose. Brandon too lived for himself and had a very keen sense of self (which is what spirituality is all about). Without considering your own dreams and what you want for your own life, none of us can truly become a success or truly “alive” metaphorically. I learned a longtime ago that individuality and being original was the only way you can live an authentic life and grow as an individual. Even if at times people may not understand what you do, by believing in yourself and developing in your skills, then trusting in what you create, you can only ever be a success. Without even recognizing who you are and why you do what you do, are you even an individual anymore?

Don’t do what is safe, believe in what you dream and then make sure it really is what you want. Remove all other beings from those dreams and look at yourself, only then you will begin to see the bigger picture. So many people hurt themselves and hurt others because they don’t like who they are, or they blame others for their own failures. Take responsibility and live the life YOU want – perhaps that is what Brandon was saying. By becoming a “child again”, as Lee said, you really are learning more about who you are, and who you aren’t, and you will know then if your life is a success because you tried, or a failure because you played it safe.

Be an original and pick out your cloud!

Was Brandon signed on to do two sequels to The Crow?