Believe it or not, Bruce Lee did a screen test. Yes, it’s absolutely true. You know, the test filming of a performer to see if you make the cut for a movie or TV series. That’s the old school Hollywood way of testing a performer’s talent and onscreen charisma. But even though they came out of classic Hollywood, they aren’t mired in the past. Screen tests are still used all the time in today’s modern film and TV industry.
Of course thinking Lee needed to go through a screen test seems pretty unthinkable now. The man, martial artist, the myth - he’s simply legendary now. Lee is the iconic figure from which most of current martial arts movies mayhem stems. All apologies to Keanu Reeves in The Matrix or John Wick. Sorry Donnie Yen, Jet Li, Tony Jaa and Jean Claude Van Damme. It’s not about you guys. We all should know Bruce Lee started a martial arts movie mainstream ball rolling which still is going strong.
But even Bruce Lee had to start somewhere. Let’s talk about how much this rarely seen screen test can tell us about a future superstar - one which is still alive in the hearts and minds of his fans everywhere in the world.
Bruce Lee's Hollywood Screen Test