Brandon — who was born in Oakland, California, and raised in Los Angeles - demonstrated those traits early in life. "I remember very clearly when he wanted to go into acting," Cadwell says. "He was 8 years old, which is how old he was when his dad died. Maybe that is why he wanted to go into movies." Cadwell never dissuaded him from acting, but she always stressed the importance of an allaround education so he would have something to fall back on in case he changed his mind or found out that show business was not what he expected. "From Bruce's experiences, I knew that show business can be tough on your psyche," she says. "Therefore, I wanted him to consider all of his options. There were times, however, when it was tough to get Brandon to go to school because he did not see any reason to study math and science." Brandon's determination definitely paid off. He got his first professional acting job at age 20 when he appeared in the television pilot Kung Fu: The Movie with David Carradine, and his first starring role was in the Hong Kong film Legacy of Rage. In 1991, he made his American movie debut in Showdown in Little Tokyo, starring with Dolph Lundgren. The 1992 release Rapid Fire was the first of a three-picture deal Lee negotiated with 20th Century Fox. Alan Nierob, Brandon's publicist, said his client's career was just beginning to blossom. "He had a hugh future in the film buisness," Nierbo says. "Brandon had a broad mass appeal nationally and internationally. He was on his way. Not only did he have talent and looks, but he had ability." When Brandon finally made it to the silver screen, Cadwell was not surprised. "I never doubted that he would do it," she says. "He worked so hard to achieve this. He was driven. He never sat around and waited for breaks. He went out and created his own opportunities."
When she watched him perform, she usually forgot he was her son. "I remember watching him in a lead role in high school, and I thought he was a natural," Cadwell says. "He assumed the character easily, and he was believable. When I saw him on the screen, he got into the role the same way, and I would forget that I was watching my son. I was very proud of him." In Lee's final project, The Crow, he portrayed a rock star who was killed by a drug gang, but is reincarnated and avenges his death. Ironically, Brandon, who was engaged to Eliza Hutton at the time of his untimely death, was killed during the filming of the scene in which his character dies. In the scene, filmed shortly after midnight on soundstage four at Corolco Studios, Brandon walked through a doorway carrying a bag of groceries when actor Michael Massee, who played a villain, fired at him from about 15 feet away. Brandon's friends were saddened and shocked by his death. "His death was unexpected, and I was speechless," says Dan Lee, chief instructor at the Southern California Tai Chi Chuan Center in Pasadena, and a former training partner of Bruce Lee. "This was Bruce's only son. It is tragic." Carradine, who stars in the television series, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, initially thought the news report of Brandon's death was a mistake. "When one of our number goes down, it touches me deeply, especially with someone I worked with," Carradine says. "We had a lot of fun together. He was easy to get along with, and he put a lot of effort into his work. I will really miss him." No one, however, will miss him as much as his mother. "I will miss him every day of my life," Cadwell says.
by Douglas Jeffrey
Entertainment, 1995
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