Bruce Lee would not have said that: training partner joins criticism of Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood portrayal of late icon
- No way was martial arts star arrogant and ungracious, as Quentin Tarantino film depicts him, says Dan Inosanto, who was at his side during several film shoots
- Comments by Inosanto – who admits he hasn’t seen the film – add to chorus of criticism of Lee’s portrayal, including from star’s daughter Shannon Lee
Bruce Lee was many things during his tragically short life: a master martial artist, an actor, director, philosopher and even a poet. But according to his former training partner, Dan Inosanto, he was not arrogant and ungracious the way he is depicted in Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood .
In Quentin Tarantino’s new film, Lee (played by Mike Moh) claims, while on the set of The Green Hornet, that he could easily defeat boxer Muhammad Ali in a fight and talks down the former heavyweight boxing champion.
In an interview with Variety, Inosanto claims that wouldn’t have happened.
“Bruce Lee would have never said anything derogatory about Muhammad Ali because he worshipped the ground Muhammad Ali walked on. In fact, he was into boxing more so than martial arts,” Inosanto said, adding his voice to a growing chorus of criticism about Lee’s portrayal in the movie. (Inosanto also admitted to Variety that he hasn’t seen the film yet.)
After spending years training with Lee and being at his side during movie shoots, Inosanto is upset at the notion that Lee, who he says “broke ground for Asian Americans”, would be so brazen and pompous while on set.
“He was never, in my opinion, cocky,” noted Inosanto. “Maybe he was cocky in as far as martial arts because he was very sure of himself. He was worlds ahead of everyone else. But on a set, he’s not gonna show off.”
“I feel like [Tarantino] turned [Lee’s] confidence into arrogance and his intelligence into mockery,” Lee told The Los Angeles Times. “I feel like he was picked on in the way that he was picked on in life by white Hollywood.”
