With well over a hundred roles to his credit, hes easily recognized despite never being a leading man.
Typically, he was the leads adversary.
To make a strong hero, you need a strong villain, and Lee was perfect for that role.
Lee had a commanding physique, statuesque, cut and yoked.
In his early 20s, he competed as a weightlifter and bodybuilder, as well as a swimmer.
His long muscular body and his skill at Kung Fu made him a natural for the silver screen.
However, he didnt have a leading mans face, so he played supporting roles, mostly villains.
Lee frequently exaggerated the bushiness of his eyebrows, which supported more villainous parts.
He was also bald, so he was cast as a lot of warrior monks.
Lee often appeared shirtless onscreen to show off his spectacular physique.
All these elements made him instantly recognizable to any fan whether they knew his name or not.
Lee began his film career in 1974 at the beginning of Hong Kongs golden age of Kung Fu movies.
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In the late 80s, he migrated to martial arts television dramas.
Lees final film appearance was in the Chinese New Year ensemble comedy,I Love Hong Kong 2012.
In 2019, he was recognized by the Hong Kong Stuntmen Association with an Outstanding Contribution Award.
He continued to work in television for TVB until quietly retiring last year.
Executioners from Shaolin (1977)
You dont have to wait long for Lees role here.
Yes, you read that rightiron crotch suction powerits a Kung Fu skill!
The rest of the film is about Chi Shans student avenging his masters murder.
This sort of pivotal yet tiny role is a hallmark of most of Lees early appearances.
However, to graduate from the temple, Liu must face Lee in a ritual temple duel.
Liu fights with staff while Lee uses the signature short weapons of Wing Chun, twin butterfly swords.
Lee wins their first round, but inevitably Liu develops a way to defeat him.
Hes playing a Bruce fan.
Donnie Yen remade this film in 2020, but he wore a fat suit while Hung was genuinely fat.
And the plot was very different, but perhaps rightly so.
By todays standards,Enter the Fat Dragonis horribly dated, most glaringly with Lees role.
Hows that for product placement?
Considering Hungs girth, his flips and aerials are truly impressive.
When facing Lee, its length versus width.
Lee retorts with an absurd whirling tornado fist.
Despite the lighthearted cartoonish combat, the level of Kung Fu skill is incomparable.
The scenes are long and complex, demanding perfect timing and precision.
Only true masters like Lee and Hung can make it look so easy and natural.
Theres no mistaking that Lee is doing the fire breathing stunt himself.
Lee took a lot of hard hits like that throughout his career.
Of the three martial brothers, Yuen Biao is the most acrobatic.
Lee isnt the main villain, but he shouldve been.
Nevertheless, Lee delivers another fight where his bald skull is beaten so badly that it gets comically bruised.
InKnockabout, its so bad that his head looks like the coronavirus.
Magnificent Butcher (1979)
Its Lee Hoi-Sang versus Sammo Hungthe rematch!
But this time, veteran Kung Fu star Kwan Tak-Hing reprises his most famous role as Wong Fei Hung.
Sammo Hung plays Wongs real-life student, the butcher Lam Sai-Wing.
Lees calligraphy duel with Kwan is awesome, the kind of mind-blowing Kung Fu choreography that is simply untouchable.
Thats no special effect.
Thats Kwan and Lee creating beautiful brush strokes between brutal strikes.
On top of that, Lees final fight with Sammo is a true masterpiece.
Anyone who dared to fill Bruces slippers had to have serious Kung Fu at the start.
Lee plays Kwai, a villain who cripples three masters.
In turn, they train Leung for revenge.
And its Lee who empowers him as his formidable foil, allowing Leung to fully showboat his skills.
He was at the height of his physicality and this film is packed with outrageously clever and jaw-dropping choreography.
BothThe 36th Chamber of ShaolinandShaolin and Wu Tangare heavily cited as inspirations for the Wu-Tang Clan.
