Bruce Lee biopic! Who is Mason Lee, playing the Hong Kong star in the upcoming film? The actor was cast by his Oscar-winning dad Ang Lee and has worked with Bradley Cooper and Scarlett Johansson
Since Bruce Lee’s tragic death in 1973, there have been numerous on-screen portrayals of the iconic martial artist … and now we can add one more name to the list.
According to Deadline, prolific Oscar winner director Ang Lee (behind Life of Pi and Brokeback Mountain) is set to helm a biopic where his son, Mason, will star in the lead role.
“Accepted as neither fully American nor fully Chinese, Bruce Lee was a bridge between East and West who introduced Chinese kung fu to the world, a scientist of combat and an iconic performing artist who revolutionised both the martial arts and action cinema,” Ang Lee told the same publication recently.
So, what do we know about 32-year-old Mason Lee, the Taiwanese-American son of a director dad and a microbiologist mum?
He’s starred with Bradley Cooper and Scarlett Johansson
Remember the teenager named Teddy who gets kidnapped in The Hangover Part II (2011)? Yes, that was Mason Lee’s first foray into Hollywood.
The Illinois-born actor told Fandom Entertainment that he answered an open call for a role of a 16-year-old Asian-American kid. “At that point, it was just an untitled WB [Warner Bros] film so I really had no idea what I was getting into. I saw probably three pages of the script and then I got a call about a month later saying they wanted to call me back. That’s when I found out what movie it actually was.”
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The Asian-American star has also acted in an off-Broadway production, in Michael Golamco’s Year Zero, per Playbill.
He’s worked on Asian films too
Lee has starred in numerous Taiwanese films including Dream Flight (2014), The End of Love (2015) and Where the Wind Settles (2015).
After that, he has been cast in Chinese, Taiwanese and even Hong Kong films appearing in a myriad of genres including drama, comedy and action.
His Hong Kong film Limbo (2021), also starring Gordon Lam and Cya Liu, premiered at the 71st Berlin International Film Festival. He earned a nomination for best supporting actor at the 59th Golden Horse Awards for this film, per HJ News.
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He spent three years training as Bruce Lee
“Bruce Lee is a long-time passion project for Ang and a deeply emotional story depicting the triumphs and conflicts of one of the foremost real-life action heroes of our time,” said Sony’s producer Elizabeth Gabler in an interview with Deadline.
What are fans’ reactions so far?
Mason’s involvement in the project has resulted in positive feedback from fans who have taken to social media to express their excitement.
One Twitter user wrote, “Ang Lee to direct Mason Lee in a biopic of Bruce Lee might be my favourite headline of the day.”
Another fan, meanwhile, expressed his curiosity about the upcoming film: “I love Bruce Lee and his life has been adapted numerous times by Jason Scott Lee (Dragon: A Bruce Lee Story) and perfectly by Danny Chan Kwok-kwan (Ip Man film series and the 2008 TV series). Mason Lee does look like Bruce so I’m intrigued.”
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He’s married – and very low key
The New York University graduate is reportedly not a bachelor any more. He announced his marriage on November 6 on his Instagram account: “Want to say sorry to my wife for not announcing our marriage the way you should have. But I’m happy. Thank you, Lord, for letting me find you.”
The low-key actor posted three pictures with his wife Silver Chiu on Instagram, although he didn’t tag her on the post.
While Lee seems to be very private about his personal affairs now, things are likely to change once he plays Bruce Lee in the upcoming film.
So, are we witnessing a new Hollywood superstar in the making? Only time will tell …
- Taiwanese-American actor Mason Lee was cast by his dad, who directed Life of Pi, Brokeback Mountain and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, in the upcoming biopic of the kung fu star
- He’s previously starred in The Hangover II with Bradley Cooper, then Lucy with Scarlett Johansson, and has worked on numerous Asian cinema films, including Limbo