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Brandon Lee: I have this one dream every month or so: that I’m fighting with somebody, anybody. And I’m fighting great. Everything’s on – I’m focused, I’m centered. They should make a movie out of how I’m fighting, it’s go great! But…it’s having no effect…whatsoever. No matter how hard I hit him, it just does not hurt. And then he starts to toss me around the room. It’s an anxiety dream. I’m doing everything right and it’s not working. Details: Is there anything that makes you nervous? They’re getting ready to do this film [Dragon, starring Jason Scott Lee] over at Universal about my father’s life. Things like that make me very nervous. I guess it hits a little close to home. Details: Why does that make you nervous? BL: I don’t want to seem ungrateful, but I don’t that my father’s contribution to the world needs a tremendous amount more said about it. Certainly not by me. What my father did and my association with him are just a little too private. I don’t want to subject it to the claws and teeth of this fucking business. Details: In many ways your dad is like Elvis: fans aren’t willing to accept his death[he died from an allergic reaction]. What’s the difference between thinking you saw Elvis at a Burger King or believing that Bruce Lee was murdered with a Ninja Death Touch? BL: Why does one person become the focus for the insanity and another not? James Dean and not Montgomery Clift? My father only made four films… Details: Did you dad train you? BL: Yes Details: Was he a rigorous trainer? BL: Yeah, he…you know what? I don’t talk about this. If I ever want to write an autobiography about my growing up, I’ll do so. Details: Um, O.K. Well, do you like hearing stories about your dad? BL: I like it now that I’m older. During Showdown in Little Tokyo I bought my first new car, an Acura NSX. It’s kind of a sporty little number. [fight choreographer] Pat Johnson told me stories about when my dad bought a Porsche and how excited he was about it. He would show up on set and say, “Hey! Who wants to go on a drive with me” But Dad was a really bad driver, and everyone would be, like, “Uh, love to! But, uh, I’m busy”. [laughs] I love hearing stories like that. I always heard, “ Oh, he was a great man,” but I wanted to hear human stuff about him, something from a real-guy point of view, stuff like he was a bad driver. Details: When you were a child, was there always some kid who wanted to pick a fight with you? BL: When I was growing up we moved around a lot, and whenever I’d get to a new school there’d be somebody there trying to kick my ass.Details: Did this teach you to reason with your enemies? BL: No. Generally, I just got into a lot of fights. Details: There is a current trend among martial-arts film stars that seem to take inspiration from pro wrestlers: one martial-arts star appears on a TV talk show and claims that another martial-arts star is a wimp. If you were the butt of this kind of criticism, how would you respond? BL: I’ll deal with it if it happens. But what does it all come to? Details: I don’t know. An impromptus competition in the parking lot of a very expensive restaurant. BL: I hope it does. Then they could just cut out all this dick-waving and make it Pay-Per-View. Wouldn’t you pay forty bucks to see Steven Seagal and Jean Claude Van Damme in your home on a Thursday? I would. I think a lot of people would. It would be like watching Mickey Rourke box with Robert Conrad. Details: What’s the most irksome thing you’ve ever read about yourself? BL: Somebody wrote that I had a very bad double for the gymnastics scenes in Showdown in Little Tokyo. That was really uncalled for. I did all that shit. Details: Do you ever write your own dialogue? BL: Of course. In a screenplay you always feel at liberty to change little things. Like in Showdown in Little Tokyo, there’s this scene where Dolph [Lundgren] and I talk to this girl, and when she walked I was supposed to turn to Dolph and say something like “ Wow”.Details: What did you change it to? BL: I believe I actually said, “ sweet…” Details: You recently signed a three-picture death with fox and a three-picture deal with Carolco. How did you celebrate when the deals were final? BL: I’ve been working to try and get these deals for a long time, so it wasn’t like “ Wow!” It was more like [wearily] “ Well, thank God.” Details: What’s the most dangerous thing you’ve ever done? BL: Lied to a woman Details: That’s dangerous BL: Are you kidding? Lie to a woman and she’ll put a butcher knife on you, kill your plants, eat your dog and drive your car into a tree. Details: Do you think that muscles matter? BL: Only if you’re trying to lift heavy objects. Details: Would you rather be skinny with soul or brawny and brave? BL: Definitely skinny with soul. Being brawny or brave only gets you so far. Soul can make up for anything. Details: What drives you crazy? BL: Women and deathDetails: Because? BL: Women, well, that’s self-explanatory. And death because you can’t take it back.Details: Do dogs like you? BL: No, dogs go out of their way to attack me. They hate me. It’s one of those karmic things, I guess. I must have been a dog torturer in a former life and now I’m paying for it.Details: What makes you cry? BL: Getting my heartbroken. Details: Has it happened a lot? BL: Only on-screen.Details: What’s the best advice your mother ever gave you? BL: When you’re in a car with somebody else and you turn on the radio, make sure that other people in the car like what you’re listening to. Details: Did your mother spoil you? BL: My mom is very wise and intelligent. If I have children and can do half as good a job as she did in keeping me in line, I’ll be very happy.Details: What was her secret for keeping you in line? BL: Saying “ Brandon, I’m so disappointed in you.” If she looked at me with that frowning gaze of a mother’s disapproval, forget about it.Details: Has your mother ever taken one of your girlfriends aside and explained how her little trick works? BL: I don’t think any woman needs that
little trick explained to her.en four years of w |
