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These are some questions we frequently get asked. More questions
will be added. If you have a a question to ask, please
email us.
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 after The Crow, although he was in talks and considering some
mainstream film roles that were not so action orientated. Directly
after The Crow, he was to be married and then take an
extended break to spend time with Eliza and their plans to start a
family. In the Summer of 1993, he was to began acting in a play in
L.A titled "In Doubt."
Could
Brandon Lee have been Murdered?
I
have been emailed this question so many times I think I have lost
count. While there is always a possibility to anything, 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.
There are
some fans who have a tendency to shout murder without properly
understanding the definition or even have read the detailed
information 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 not 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.’ News flash: Brandon’s father Bruce died
of natural causes – well as natural as it can be when you have a blood
vessel in your brain awaiting to explode. It’s illogical and
irrational to connect a natural death, explained by science, and
biology with a death that was completely un-natural but was still an
accident. In my opinion,
while Brandon’s death wasn’t intentional and was not murder, there
was a miscarriage of justice in his death, even though there was a
investigation into the death that termed that there was no charges
that could be filed according to the laws of the state. If you are
having significant problems with dealing with Brandon’s death,
please consult a registered psychologist or counsellor in your area.
What
happened to Eliza Hutton and why don’t we hear about her?
This is probably
the most frequently asked question I get emailed. Eliza has closely
guarded both her personal life, and her private memories
of Brandon. The obvious reason why you don't hear about her is that
she lives a normal life, does not live a public life, and has worked
hard to maintain the privacy she has. I have not been surprised that she never has publicly
commented on Brandon’s death, but truthfully that is the way Brandon
probably would have preferred it. 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. Given that
many so called "fans" seem still this day to be jealous (so much so that
they trash her no matter what) of her because of who she was to
Brandon, therefore I can't say that I blame her. I think
keeping her grief to herself showed a lot of strength of character,
as well as dignity. She
was/is by all accounts a very reserved, and private person. She was
not comfortable in being in the limelight at all, even before
Brandon's death, however, she did unconditionally support Brandon in his career
and ambitions. Brandon too 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.
As far as
what has she been up to: Briefly Eliza returned to
casting work and did the extras casting for the 1999 independent film
Dill
Scallion. Since then her name has appeared in link with several L.A
children’s charities like Hollygrove, which is a "child-centered,
family-focused community organization serving abused and neglected
children and those at risk of abuse." She has been reported to be
working in the field social welfare research, but as yet I
cannot confirm the validity of that claim.
In the last
few years, Eliza has found happiness again, and is now married (as of
2003 it is claimed) and
still lives in the L.A area. A large part of her heart, no doubt
will always be reserved for Brandon, and for the kind of true love
they shared. However, Brandon would have wanted Eliza to
move on with her life, and move past her grief, which she has done,
as well as Brandon's immediate family.
For more
information on the pair, go here.
Is it
true that Brandon Owned a Hearse?
Yes. Brandon
brought a 1971 hearse that was made especially for the film Harold
and Maude. Shortly after returned back to the U.S from Hong Kong in
1987. He brought the car from a private owner in Texas. He 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 evidence seems
to support a big fat NO to this question. 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 had his eyes opened for a time before going into
shock. The impact of the shot it is assumed to 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 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. Not checking a
gun, and even making your own dummy bullets is not actually against
the law in North Carolina, so any accidental death caused by
negligence has to fit the legal definition of criminal negligence,
otherwise it goes to a civil court. Had the set been a union set,
the death never would of happened.
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.
The D.A 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. By settling out of court, no
guilty
parties have to admit to any wrong doing by law, and all parties are
not able to discuss it publicly, either.
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. 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.
Did Eliza Hutton wear
her wedding dress to Brandon's funeral?
No, Eliza wore her wedding dress to
Brandon's memorial service, which was held a day after his funeral,
in L.A.
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 rumour 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,
and then 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.' It should be noted that Shinas's version of events has been disputed to a degree by others. 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 opposed any claim that Brandon was reckless with his safety, and this seems supported by Brandon's own statements about on-set safety. Therefore, It seems
unlikely (and factually inaccurate) that in a small costume trailer
that one person can say something, and not be overheard by all but
one person. 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. Therefore, it is not factually supportive by evidence or creditable witness accounts.
3. Furthermore, 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, and who would never have placed Brandon in a position where his personal safety was at danger. Imada and Lee were best friends. 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) said
that bullet proof vests were only 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, and which is a safe distance, which actors are not
required to wear vests from such distances. Imada also states that the gun was never suppose to 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 ignored Imada's instructions and fired
directly at Brandon.
Did Brandon ever
say 'The Key to immortality is living a life worth remembering' or
'Immortality is to live your life doing good things, and living your
mark behind' ?
No. It is rather
ironic that sayings Brandon is connected with he never said or knew
about in his lifetime. When Brandon died, the film based on his
father's life Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story was due to be released.
The film's director , Rob Cohen decided to include a dedication to
Brandon at the end of the film and asked his mother, Linda if she
had one in mind. After no suggestions were given, Cohen asked her
what she thought of the St Augustine quote "The Key to Immortality
is Living a Life Worthing Remembering", and she thought it was
perfect. Brandon never said it or does any evidence to suggest he
had heard of the quote while alive. Linda Lee Cadwell used the quote
and had it engraved on a bench that was placed at the graves of
Bruce and Brandon Lee in 1995. There is also no evidence that
Brandon had said or heard of the second quote, although many fans
have placed it on their banners and pages - he never said it. It
seems to be a variation of the St Augustine quote, but once again
Brandon did not say it - therefore you cannot accurately quote him
for saying something he never did.
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