Claim: Bruce Lee was an athlete.

Lee Jun-fan -LRB- ; November 27 , 1940 -- July 20 , 1973 -RRB- , known professionally as Bruce Lee , was a Hong Kong and American martial artist , actor , philosopher , filmmaker , and founder of the martial art Jeet Kune Do . Lee was the son of Cantonese opera star Lee Hoi-chuen . He is widely considered by commentators , critics , media , and other martial artists to be one of the most influential martial artists of all time , and a pop culture icon of the 20th century . He is often credited with helping to change the way Asians were presented in American films .   Lee was born in Chinatown , San Francisco , on November 27 , 1940 , to parents from Hong Kong and was raised in Kowloon , Hong Kong , with his family until his late teens . He was introduced to the film industry by his father and appeared in several films as a child actor . Lee moved to the United States at the age of 18 to receive his higher education , at the University of Washington , at Seattle and it was during this time that he began teaching martial arts . His Hong Kong and Hollywood-produced films elevated the traditional Hong Kong martial arts film to a new level of popularity and acclaim , sparking a surge of interest in Chinese martial arts in the West in the 1970s . The direction and tone of his films changed and influenced martial arts and martial arts films in the US , Hong Kong and the rest of the world .   He is noted for his roles in five feature-length films : Lo Wei 's The Big Boss -LRB- 1971 -RRB- and Fist of Fury -LRB- 1972 -RRB- ; Golden Harvest 's Way of the Dragon -LRB- 1972 -RRB- , directed and written by Lee ; Golden Harvest and Warner Brothers ' Enter the Dragon -LRB- 1973 -RRB- and The Game of Death -LRB- 1978 -RRB- , both directed by Robert Clouse . Lee became an iconic figure known throughout the world , particularly among the Chinese , as he portrayed Chinese nationalism in his films . He trained in the art of Wing Chun and later combined his other influences from various sources , in the spirit of his personal martial arts philosophy , which he dubbed Jeet Kune Do -LRB- The Way of the Intercepting Fist -RRB- .  Lee held dual nationality of Hong Kong and the US . He died in Kowloon Tong on July 20 , 1973 at the age of 32 .