Bruce Lee's legacy treads the boards

Bruce Lee is not only a legend to Hongkongers and fans of martial arts films. He's also an iconic figure for Asian Americans, who sometimes claim the San Francisco-born actor as one of their own. As the first Asian to become a superstar in the West, Lee was an inspiration for those seeking to succeed in the entertainment industry; he also delivered an almighty boost to the confidence of Asian-American men.

Hawaiian-born Cole Horibe, who plays Lee in the musical Kung Fu - by playwright David Henry Hwang - at New York's Signature Theatre, shares those feelings about the legend. But, as a taekwondo Olympic medallist, Horibe thought of Lee first and foremost as a martial artist, rather than a cultural icon or movie star. "I always admired him as a martial artist, especially since I was into martial arts myself. He was the real deal, he could fight," the 28-year-old says.

"I was very interested in jeet kune do, his fighting style, as it was a kind of mixed martial arts style, which was unusual back then. It was only when I studied his life story for the show that I grew to admire him more as a person, and realised what he did for Asian Americans. He showed we could be strong."

Horibe certainly demonstrates Lee's strength - both mental and physical - on stage in Kung Fu which, thankfully, is more of a play with music than a musical. Hwang's script focuses on Lee's early life, taking in his time as a child actor in Hong Kong, his martial arts classes in the US, his early forays into acting in Hollywood, and his eventual return to Hong Kong to pursue his career here.

Although some of the details have been adapted to suit the format of the play, it's generally true to the spirit and events of Lee's life. Interest comes from Hwang's Asian-American perspective, and the way he portrays Lee as a rebel who refuses to be cowed by the racism, subtle or otherwise, that blocks his career in Hollywood.

Horibe says he was surprised to discover how much he empathised with Lee when he began his research for the show. "I share a lot of Bruce's beliefs, and I did not realise that until I started to study him. I have the same aspirations as he did," he says, referring to Lee's desire to be treated with the same professional respect that Caucasian actors were shown in Hollywood.

"The problems that I face are nothing like those which Bruce faced back in those days, but they are still there," says Horibe. "It has definitely got better - and a lot of that is down to what he achieved - but there are still problems for Asian-American actors, and it's still not an ideal place for us. We still haven't had an Asian-American leading man in Hollywood, for instance. That's something I would love to see happen in my lifetime."