Martial art legend Bruce Lee belonged to a respectable family in Hong Kong. His father was a famous opera singer, whereas his mother was a Chinese actress who was a member of the richest clan in Hong Kong. The Lee family needed to uphold their image in public.
Lee?s biography, Bruce Lee: A Life by Mathew Polly, revealed an anecdote in which the members of the Lee family threw multiple explanations in public to protect the image of their family. Let?s find see what happened!
Bruce Lee was expelled from a respectable institution in Hong Kong
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Growing up, Bruce Lee was a highly mischievous kid. His parents, especially his father, wanted him to learn a good work ethic, so that he could later become something in life. Hence, Lee tried his hands at acting during his teenage years. He performed in several melodramas in 1955, but soon his attention diverted back to fighting and troublemaking.
During those days, he studied at one of the most respected institutions in Hong Kong, La Salle College. Bruce was a part of the college for only five years. In 1956, The Little Phoenix was expelled from the institution due to the escalation of his aggressive behavior. Many sources reveal that Lee would bash British students in his college, assuming their privileges.
Moreover, Lee?s rustication was a matter of utter disgrace for his family. In his biography, Mathew Polly wrote, ??this was a terrible embarrassment.? The family?s level of shame could be measured by the reasons its members gave out in public, trying to cover up the main reason.
His sister claimed in the biography, ?Bruce was very lazy. The school only allowed students to repeat a grade once. After his first repetition, his school didn?t give him a second chance.? However, the reality was that Lee repeated college twice. In fact, La Salle Students revealed that repeating a grade was common and certainly not cause for expulsion.
Three years after this incident, Lee decided to make something of his life by moving to America in 1959. While he was boarding his ship to San Francisco, his mother gave him a warning.
Bruce Lee?s mother gave him a bizarre warning along with $100
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After spending a major part of his life in Hong Kong, Lee decided to move to the US to pursue his degree at Washington University. It was a gut-wrenching decision to stay away from his family, yet he went forth with his dream. On 29 April 1959, Lee headed to Victoria Harbor with a one-way ticket on the SS President Wilson, a high-end ocean liner. Before he boarded the ship, his mother did the most unexpected thing.
Grace handed him $100 for his expenses along with a warning to only come home after he made something of himself. Lee not only promised his mother to be at his best in the US but also to return only when he makes money.
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Despite his mischievous attitude, Lee made the best of his life by becoming a global actor!