Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee in his first martial arts feature, the Hong Kong actioner, "The Big Boss" (1971).

"People have always appreciated the degree to which Bruce Lee, in his movies, was the underdog," said playwright David Henry Hwang. "And I think when those early Hong Kong movies were first starting to be shown in the U.S., you had a huge population of African Americans and Latino Americans who really embraced those martial arts movies, and felt Bruce Lee was them."

They identified with Lee -- and audiences still do, four decades after his untimely death. "The key to immortality," Bruce Lee once said, "is first living a life worth remembering."

By CBSNews.com senior producer David Morgan

Family Photo

Born in San Francisco, Bruce Lee grew up in Hong Kong. The son of a Cantonese opera and film star, Lee as a child appeared in 20 Chinese films. His first starring role was in a movie called "The Kid," playing alongside his father.

But after Lee got involved with street gangs in Hong Kong, his father shipped him off to America, where he would settle in Seattle.

Linda Lee Cadwell was Linda Emery in 1963 when she met Lee at the University of Washington. She described him to correspondent Anthony Mason as "a cute Chinese guy. He was dynamic. From the very first moment I met him, I thought, 'This guy is something else.'"

They would marry and have two children.

"The Green Hornet"

Bruce Lee taught martial arts classes, first in Seattle and later in Los Angeles, where his students included Steve McQueen and James Coburn. Those martial arts skills landed Lee the role of Kato on "The Green Hornet" in 1966 (left, with Van Williams).

"That was huge," said Hwang, the Tony Award-winning playwright ("M. Butterfly"). Before then, Hwang told Mason, American audiences were usually fed stereotypical Asian characters, like Charlie Chan (who was actually played by a white actor).

"Marlowe"

Another Bruce Lee martial arts student was screenwriter Stirling Silliphant, who wrote Lee into the James Garner gumshoe mystery "Marlowe" (1969). Silliphant later wrote a character for Lee to play in the TV series "Longstreet," who imparted wisdom to the blind investigator played by James Franciscus.

Writings

Bruce Lee developed a form of martial arts called Jeet Kune Do, whose purpose, he said, was "to simplify."

He wrote, "Art is the expression of the self. The more complicated and restricted the method, the less the opportunity for expression of one's original sense of freedom. Though they play an important role in the early stage, the techniques should not be too mechanical, complex or restrictive. If we cling blindly to them, we shall eventually become bound by their limitations ...

"The highest technique is to have no technique. My technique is a result of your technique; my movement is a result of your movement."

Family

An undated photograph of Bruce Lee with his two children, Brandon and Shannon.

"The Big Boss"

Passed over by ABC to star in the pilot of the series, "Kung Fu" (which would star David Carradine), Bruce Lee took an offer to make a film in Hong Kong. He returned to Asia to star in "The Big Boss" (1971).

"The Big Boss"

A gang of hoodlums is outnumbered by Bruce Lee in "The Big Boss."

Linda Lee Cadwell still remembers opening night in Hong Kong:

"The film was over and it was perfectly quiet for at least a minute. Perfect quiet. Bruce is like, 'Oh no. What's gonna happen?' All of a sudden, there was an uproar, cheering, clapping, raising him up on their arms, carrying him out of the theatre. They loved it. They loved him."

"Fist of Fury"

Bruce Lee followed "The Big Boss" with another success, "Fist of Fury" (which was released in the U.S. under the title, "The Chinese Connection").

"Way of the Dragon"

Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris in "Way of the Dragon" (1972).

"Enter the Dragon"

After his success in Hong Kong films, Warner Brothers came courting for "Enter the Dragon."

"Enter the Dragon"

In "Enter the Dragon" (1973), Bruce Lee plays a Shaolin expert whose participation in a martial arts competition allows him to go undercover to investigate a drug ring.

"Enter the Dragon"

Bruce Lee in "Enter the Dragon," the first martial arts film bankrolled by a major Hollywood studio.

"Enter the Dragon"

"Enter the Dragon" was Lee's biggest success, earning nearly $100 million worldwide.

"Enter the Dragon"

Bruce Lee in a hall of mirrors in "Enter the Dragon" (1973).

"Enter the Dragon"

Bruce Lee defeats Shih Kien (a drug trafficker and pimp with a metal hand) in "Enter the Dragon."

"Game of Death"

Bruce Lee's career was skyrocketing when, in 1973, during production of the film "Game of Death," he suffered a brain seizure and died. He was 32.

"Game of Death"

Bruce Lee battles Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one of several sentinels at a heavily-guarded pagoda, in "Game of Death," a film for which Lee served as writer, producer and director before his untimely death.

"Game of Death"

"Game of Death" was left incomplete following Lee's sudden death. A recreation of unfilmed scenes was incorporated into a 2000 DVD release.

Gravesite

Yuki Shigeoka of Tokyo places incense at the gravesite of martial arts leader and movie star Bruce Lee, at a cemetery in Seattle, Wash., on July 20, 1998, the 25th anniversary of Lee's death. The 33-year-old Shigeoka has been interested in Lee since age seven, when he saw an "Enter the Dragon" poster in Tokyo.

Lee's son, Brandon Lee, died in 1993 as the result of an accident on the set of the film, "The Crow."

Memorial

Fans look at the statue of late martial arts legend Bruce Lee after an unveiling ceremony at Avenue of Stars along Hong Kong's waterfront, Sunday, Nov. 27, 2005, as part of celebrations marking the star's 65th birthday.

Mural

Pedestrians walk past a graffiti-strewn wall with a mural of martial arts legend Bruce Lee in Beijing on July 22, 2010.

Flash Mob

Samir Hussein/Getty Images For Revolver Entertainment

Martial arts experts take part in a flash mob outside Shepherd's Bush Tube Station January 4, 2012 in London, as part of a promotion for the "Legend of Bruce Lee" DVD launch.

Mural

A man walks past graffiti depicting the late martial arts icon Bruce Lee, in Hong Kong, July 16, 2013.

"Kung Fu"

A new play by David Henry Hwang, "Kung Fu," about the life of Bruce Lee, recently opened at New York's Signature Theatre.

"Everybody knows him as the star and the martial arts guy with the yell," Hwang said. "But no one knows how he got there."

"Kung Fu"

Mason asked the playwright, "What part of Bruce Lee surprised you the most?"

"I began approaching Bruce Lee with the idea of him being a symbol almost, 'cause I thought, well, he is sort of the symbol of the rise of the new China," Hwang said. "And the more I got into the story, what surprised me was the degree to which he had to struggle."

"Kung Fu"

Cole Horibe plays Bruce Lee in "Kung Fu."

"It's very intimidating," Horibe told Mason. "I try not to think about the fact that I was playing this huge icon."

Horibe told Mason he grew up with motivation similar to Bruce Lee's: "His whole thing was, he wanted to show that an Oriental man can be strong and not stereotyped as comedy relief or what-not. That's a passion I share with Bruce."

The Master

For more info:

brucelee.com

Bruce Lee Foundation

"Kung Fu" by David Henry Hwang, at the Signature Theatre, New York

All Bruce Lee images and footage courtesy of Bruce Lee, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
BRUCE LEE is a registered trademark of Bruce Lee Enterprises, LLC. The Bruce Lee name, image, likeness and all related indicia are intellectual property of Bruce Lee Enterprises, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

By CBSNews.com senior producer David Morgan