Rare Bruce Lee interview footage unearthed from before martial arts legend became famous
- Pioneering American celebrity reporter Harry Martin interviews future martial arts superstar circa 1966
- Lee is asked to explain kung fu in this segment released by the Centre for Sacramento History
YouTube is a treasure trove of gems from the past and present and fans of Bruce Lee were pleasantly surprised to see extremely rare colour footage of the martial arts legend unearthed before he became world famous.
The Centre for Sacramento History has released a series of segments of celebrities over the years with Lee joining such stars as Star Trek’s Leonard Nimoy, singer and actress Barbra Streisand, Batman’s Adam West and even Sylvester Stallone in interviews conducted by KCRA-TV’s Harry Martin, considered to be America’s pioneering celebrity reporter.
Filmed around 1966 on 16mm colour film, Lee was interviewed as he was breaking out as a star playing Kato in the TV series The Green Hornet.
The 70-second film clip shows some banter between Lee and Martin as the then 25-year-old Lee rides into the interview on a “Chopper” bike made popular during the 1960s.
“Who’s this strange fella riding on his bicycle? I think his name is Bruce Lee! Looks very familiar as Kato,” says Martin’s fellow reporter. “Well, you need any help?” says Lee to laughter as he dismounts from his bike. “A lot of kung fu going around here,” says the reporting team.