FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions         

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Was it true Brandon was signed to appear in Mortal Kombat?

This rumor and question still continues to persist. There is no factual evidence to support claims that he was contracted to appear in Mortal Kombat. I first read the rumor on a fan website around 1996, but I have found no evidence to support the rumor.  I would like to point out to people the obvious truth -  that just because a rumor is heard does not make it true (no matter how many times it gets spread around). The film was made in 1995, but again there has never been proof that Brandon was ever signed to appear in it. The casting for the film was not done until after his death, so it remains fiction that Brandon was to appear it in. There is also some doubt that Brandon ever read any script associated with it. Brandon had not committed to any movie afterThe Crow, although he was in talks and was  considering some mainstream film roles that were not so action orientated. Directly after The Crow he was to be married, then taking an extended break to spend time with Eliza and their plans to start a family. In the Summer of 1993, he was to begin acting in a play in L.A titled "In Doubt."

Could Brandon Lee have been Murdered?

There is no factual evidence to support that Brandon’s death was intentional or what is termed as foul play in any way, shape or form. While anything is possible, all crimes leave a trace and there has never been any evidence that his death was anything but an accident. There are some fans who have a tendency to shout murder without properly understanding the definition or even have read the detailed information and evidence on his death. It’s important to read factual accounts about the negligence that occurred, which by definition is "an unintentional act that causes the death or injury of another party. " Asian mafia stories, and far fling theories like them are ridiculous, and have no factual basis at all. Sometimes it is difficult for people to accept that those in the public are no more immortal than any of us. Accidents, illness and eventually death will follow us all one day. If you choose to believe that it was not an accident, you should have some factual basis for your opinion besides ‘his father died and so did he.’

What happened to Eliza Hutton and why don’t we hear about her?

Eliza was widowed and after many years working through her grief was able to piece together her life and move on from her grief. Eliza has closely guarded both her personal life, and her private memories of Brandon for good reason. The obvious reason why you don't hear about her is that she lives a normal life outside of the public, and has worked hard to maintain the privacy she has. Brandon and Eliza were a private couple, and did not have public lives, so it's illogical to assume that suddenly she would pour her heart out to strangers once he died. Given that Eliza has been the target of some unfair and malicious internet criticism because of jealousy or ignorance, it certainly has not been a huge shock that she never has chosen to speak publicly about her loss. There have been even some reports of stalking and harassment towards her. Keeping her grief to herself showed a lot of strength of character, as well as dignity. Brandon was very private about his personal life, and guarded his own memories of his father in much the same way.  Fans also have to understand that Brandon and Eliza had a very close and tight bond, and if any of us had lost our partner, best friend and soul mate in the same fashion, I doubt we would be jumping up and down and wanting to reveal all Brandon's deep and dark secrets. She went through a very difficult time, as did Brandon's closest friends and family - many whom never have spoken in great depth of it either, because of the same reasons. While it would be nice if she did share some of her memories of Brandon, that it is her decision.

Is it true that Brandon Owned a Hearse? 

Yes. Brandon brought a 1971 hearse that was made especially for the film Harold and Maud (although he was NOT the only one used in the film). Shortly after returned back to the U.S from Hong Kong in 1987, he brought the car from a private owner in Texas. He then sold the car in 1991.

Did Brandon have any kids?

No, Brandon did not have any children. He and Eliza were planning to start a family immediately after they married, but unfortunately fate intervened.

Did Brandon say any last words before he died. I heard he asked for his girlfriend?

The is no evidence or witness accounts for this. Brandon lost consciousness very quickly after he was shot and fell into a coma. And from reports of those who witnessed it, he didn't make much of a noise when he was shot. Although it was widely reported when he died that he yell for "cut", those who witnessed the shooting actually claim that he was shot and just fell down, moaned a little, and then his eyes opened for a time before going into shock. The impact of the shot, it is assumed, would have knocked the wind out of him, which then would of made it impossible for him to speak.

Where is he buried?

Brandon is buried besides his father at Lake View Cemetery located in the Capital Hill area of Seattle, Washington.

Did Brandon go to college?

He attended one year at Emerson College in Boston.

What Color were Brandon's eyes?

Brandon's eyes were gray/grey.

Is Brandon's death footage in The Crow?

No, the actual film was destroyed without being developed. The video playback footage was confiscated by Wilmington Police, and later destroyed along with the actual film when it was deemed that it had no information that could shed light on the bullet. This site has some very good information about his death, and the false rumors about the footage: http://www.snopes.com/movies/actors/brandonlee.asp

Why were no criminal charges filed against those responsible for his death?

For criminal negligent charges to have been filed it first had to match the legal definitions of criminal negligence, which it was found not to be the case in North Carolina. Not checking a gun, and even making your own dummy bullets is not actually a felony in North Carolina.There were charges filed in regards to the breeching of safety regulations and occupation heath & safety on the set, but such charges are not felonies. Again, theDistrict Attorney found that what happened did not fit the LEGAL definition of criminal negligence, and that is why no charges were brought in a criminal court. After that, the Lee family issued a law suit through the civil courts against ALL those that contributed to the negligence that led to Brandon's death (which there were many people named), and they then settled out of court, which often happens in civil matters, so the amount is not publicly filed.

What guitar did Brandon use in The Crow?

Brandon had a few guitars that were used on set. One of them was an Ibanez, which you will see in the flashback scenes of Eric playing his guitar. There was another one that was used in the film, in the scene that Eric smashed his guitar, and this guitar was a Fender Strat. The smashed guitar is on display at The Hard Rock Cafe in Universal City, California.  There also was the guitar that Brandon brought and used to learn guitar on. This guitar was not known to have been filmed in the movie, but was given to Brandon's teacher J.K. Loftin after Brandon's death by Eliza Hutton. Loftin has since sold the guitar to a private collector. A fan made this informative site about the guitars used in the film, so check it out: http://montyjay.com/crow.html

Was Eliza's wedding dress used as Shelly Webster's wedding dress in the film?

This is an old rumor and one that has absolutely no truth to it. Eliza Hutton's wedding dress was quite different, and besides the fact that Hutton and Sofia Shinas were of different heights and body types, no woman would seriously allow another woman to wear her dress before the big day. Therefore, It is not Eliza's wedding dress shown in the film. Eliza's wedding dress was safely in L.A while the filming was taking place.

How much weight did Brandon lose for his role in The Crow?

It is reported it was 20 pounds.

Is it true Brandon refused to wear a bullet proof the night he was killed?

The creditable information available suggests that this is not true, but it sure has been a popular rumor over the years. There are several reasons why people have been confused about this one, here are some of them:

1. The original script called for Brandon's character to be stabbed, then shot, fall to the ground and then shot again, before being tossed out the window. As was often the case on the set last minute changes were made by screenwriter David Schow and director Alex Proyas.

2. Sofia Shinas, who played Shelly in the film recalled her character initially been nominated to be shot that night, and then it changed twice. She had been instructed to put on the bullet proof vest and then when she was told that Brandon was going to be shot, was instructed to hand it to Brandon. Shinas allegedly claimed after the accident to Jeff Most (who was not on set when the accident occurred, and in fact had been banned from the set weeks before) that she overheard (so was not privy to the conversation) Brandon refusing to wear the vest, and later claiming that he said in response that 'when it's your time to go, it's your time to go.' However, there is a specific reason why Lee wasn’t required to wear one. It should be noted that Shinas's version of events has been disputed to a degree by others, that have argued against it on the basis that it doesn’t sound factually probable. Also, Shinas’s statement has changed several times over the years where she refutes her own claims. Possibly there was some misunderstanding in the confusion of that night, or some people just remember things differently. Certainly no two people will ever have the same interpretation of events, or perspective, so some aspects of any statement can have a level of truth to it, or they may not. However, those that knew Brandon very well and had worked with him a lot longer than two weeks, have vehemently denied any claim that Brandon was reckless with his safety, and this seems supported by Brandon's own statements about on-set safety. While many of those who were close say that Brandon did sometimes have a very dry sense of humor, such statements that he intentionally denied wearing a vest for the sake of vanity or another reason, seem very unlikely and would of been completely out of character.

3. The claim from Most (who had been told a version of events of the night by Shinas) has been rebutted by several crew members (including Costume Supervisor Darryl Levine, Lance Anderson and Jeff Imada) who were present at the time Brandon was supposed to have said that he didn't want to wear the vest, stating that they never heard him say that. Imada what's more stated that Brandon was someone that would not have gambled with his life for a stunt. He knew the procedures for action scenes, and trusted in the direction from the stunt team. He previously had wore bullet proof vest for scenes that required it, so it seems factually inconsistent with the work and safety ethic of Brandon Lee to suddenly refuse to wear a piece of safety equipment if it was needed. Lastly, Jeff Imada is/was a very experienced stunt coordinator on action films, who would never have placed Brandon in a position where his personal safety was at danger. Therefore, the bullet proof vest rumors seems to have no factual basis to it.

4. Jeff Imada was the stunt coordinator on the film, and part of his responsibility was to ensure that the action scenes run smooth. Imada (a Hollywood veteran and a very high regarded and respect stunt coordinator) did comment that bullet proof vests wereONLY required when guns are directly fired at a person, in order to activate the squibs that are planted on an actor during a shooting scene. Brandon previously had shot a scene in the boardroom, where he was shot up to 100 times. In that case, Brandon was directly wearing squibs on his body. Squibs are small explosive charges, which generally are used with a bag of fake blood to simulate a gun wound. However, on the night of the shooting, Brandon was not fitted with squibs to his body, instead they were placed in the grocery bag that his character is carrying. Therefore, Brandon was not required to wear a bullet proof vest. Imada and Darryl Levine also recall that the gun fired at Brandon was not only directed to be fired away from Brandon, but it was from 15 feet away, which is a safe distance. Imada also states that the gun was never suppose to be aimed directly at Brandon, and he was overheard by several crew members giving Michael Massee specific instructions on where to fire the gun (off the wall, away from where Brandon was standing) and in what direction. However, for whatever reason, whether it be forgetfulness, or misunderstanding, Massee accidently fired directly at Brandon.

Why was Brandon buried in Seattle instead of Los Angeles? Didn't he live in L.A?

Yes, Brandon had lived in Los Angeles for the large majority of his life. However, the decision where to bury him was made by his mother, Linda and it was natural decision given the sad circumstance of his death, as well as how dearly Brandon loved his father. Seattle was where Brandon's parents had met and where Bruce had expressed to his wife where he felt much peace. Brandon did visit the town at various times to visit his father's grave, and Linda had family in the area for a number of years. The plot where Brandon is buried, Linda had originally reserved for herself.

Did Brandon believe that his father's death was by natural causes?

Yes, and he indicated that on public record. There were claims after he died that Brandon was going to re-open the investigation into his father's death, but there is no evidence for this whatsoever, and the source of it seems to have had a malicious agenda for starting such a rumor.  Brandon suggested while alive that anyone who doubted the fact for them to read either one of his mother's two books on his father, where he said "lays the facts out for anyone who is interested".  Brandon did not have any active plans to re-open any investigation into his father's death, for the simply reason that he accepted that his father's death was by natural causes. Many have made kinds of suggestions about “investigations” because they find the concept of two healthy men in the same family dying young from accidents too difficult to accept. Unfortunately, accidents are just a part of human nature and life.

Was Brandon killed by a live bullet?

No, it is a popular misconception, though. The ballistic information into his death can get quite complicated and confusing if you don't understand anything about film armor/ballistics. The live bullet theory does have a grounding in some factual support (but the full facts rarely get told correctly), that being that initially live bullets were used to make the dummy round bullets ONLY (those are for close up scenes with the gun, turning the cylinder of the gun so when they edit the film the gun looks like it is pointed at the target, when in fact it isn't). However, it was only actually the tip of a live bullet lodged together (ignited by a small charge left over from a previously fired off primer from the rounds) with a normal blank bullet that were the cause of his death.  The prop team made a very ignorant decision to make dummy bullets using live round and using hot-glue to wad the bullets back together after removing the live round’s gunpowder. They then neglected to clean the gun after discharging it. Two weeks later, the gun was called to be used, at the last moment, for the scene with Brandon (which initially was not scripted), they then re-loaded the gun with blanks. Cleaning the gun was essential and part of the safety regulations that are supposed to be maintained by all film sets. The inexperience nature of the prop team (who had been placed in charge of fire arms, an area that none of them had experience with) in this area was what contributed to the ballistics behind what killed Brandon, coupled with Michael Massee misunderstanding direction to not shot directly at Brandon (which is also against safety regulations).  Many people get dummy and blank rounds confused with each other, BUT it was actually a blank bullet that hit Brandon (with the live bullet's tip), not an actual full live round or a dummy bullet.

What happened to those who were responsible for his death?

The District Attorney of North Carolina-Wilmington office determined (after the official investigation it proved that it was a negligent accident, although a preventable) no criminal charges were going to be sought against any individuals. No criminal charges were filed because it did not meet the requirements of the legal definition of negligence homicide. A civil claim was then settled, paid to Brandon's mother over the death of her son by CrowVision, INC. Two of the parties who were part of the prop team, responsible for gun mishap, ceased working on film sets as a result of this accident.

Did Brandon have thoughts that something was going to happen on the set. I heard that he knew he was going to be shot.

There is no evidence or even credible statements that Brandon knew or sensed anything was going to happen, and close friends of the actor (as well as co-workers) have all said that Brandon never indicated anything to them. What’s more, he never would have gone into that scene without insisting on wearing a vest or ithat the gun be checked, if he sensed or feared that he was going to be shot. Brandon was not careless or reckless with his own safety and trusted in the team around him that they knew what they were doing. Neither he, nor some others among the crew, actually knew that there was no armorer still on set. Brandon was elated the night of the shoot because it was going to be the last of the action sequence. He was counting down the days till he was out Wilmington, and in Mexico marrying his beloved, Eliza.  Brandon may have joked about death, but friends and co-workers say it was only done playfully. As far as his inner thoughts, I don't think anyone can attest to knowing full details, but Brandon himself. Beware of anyone claiming they knew his “inner thoughts” or "memory" most likely they need their medication prescription re-filled. However, from what he revealed to the people closest to him, he did not indicate to them that he had feelings that he would be killed on the set nor at that stage in his life. It is very easy to claim things after an accident or a death, and it certainly can fit into somes agenda to do so, but there is no creditable evidence to support those theories.

Did Brandon believe in God?

I guess it depends on what people define as "God". In traditional terms, No, Brandon did not have any particular religious beliefs. Some close friends of Brandon’s claim that during their time with him that Brandon attested to them to being an atheist (someone who does not believe in the God created system to explain the universe – his father Bruce also was said to have been an atheist). Brandon during some interviews for The Crow made statements that he did not believe in the Christian concepts of heaven or hell. Furthermore, during a interview with Prevue Magazine during the filming of Showdown in Little Tokyo, he professed to have a "strict agnostic".  Agnostics are by definition people who await for evidence of God's existence before making up their mind. It should be said that atheists do actually have beliefs and values, they simply look for facts to explain the universe existence and not look to the supernatural. However, it should be mentioned that Brandon was quite spiritual (spirituality is vague word used to describe one's relationship with their self - also known as soul), and studied quite extensively the concepts of the unknown universe in several cultures (making him more an agnostic or a humanist rather than an atheist), including the Native American (which believe in the earth and universe as a spirit), but he stopped short of ever considering himself part of such belief systems. Brandon like many young people of his generation, explored and researched several belief systems, as well that of the philosophical aspects of the universe, that attempt to explain the purpose of humanity on earth.

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