Unveiling the Extraordinary: Bruce Lee's Iconic TV Show Cameos

Summary

Bruce Lee had a limited onscreen presence in kung fu movies, but his acting career extended to TV shows, where he made appearances in five different shows.

One of his memorable TV cameos took place in the legendary Batman series, where he made a special appearance as Kato in a crossover episode alongside The Green Hornet.

In addition to Batman, Lee demonstrated his martial arts prowess and acting abilities in an array of roles on shows such as Ironside, Blondie, and Here Come The Brides.

Bruce Lee not only starred in kung fu movies but also made appearances in five TV shows. Although his onscreen presence is primarily limited to four kung fu movies due to his short career as an adult actor, it is important to note that his work extends beyond these films.

Throughout his life, Lee had a significant acting career. During his youth, he worked as a child actor in Hong Kong movies. After moving to the United States in his twenties, Lee attempted to establish himself in the film and TV industry. Eventually, he landed the role of Kato in The Green Hornet, which aired for one season on ABC. Aside from his supporting role in the James Garner neo-noir film, Marlowe, Lee mainly worked in the TV industry during this period. Included among his TV appearances is the renowned 1966 Batman series, among others.

5 Batman

Premiering in 1966, The Green Hornet was created as a spin-off of Batman, capitalizing on the immense success of the Caped Crusader's show. Although The Green Hornet didn't achieve the same level of popularity as Batman, the network decided to do a crossover between the two shows. In order to boost The Green Hornet's ratings, ABC had actors Bruce Lee and Van Williams film cameos for a season 2 episode, where they briefly appeared during a wall-climbing scene with Batman and Robin, but didn't have any lines.

Shortly after, the network decided to organize a proper crossover in the form of a two-part story. Both Van Williams and Bruce Lee had guest roles in two additional episodes of Batman season 2. These episodes, titled "Piece of the Action" and "Batman's Satisfaction," brought the four heroes together for a fight against their common enemy, Colonel Glumm. As The Green Hornet's storyline involved the hero pretending to be a criminal, Batman and Robin naturally perceived Green Hornet and Kato as villains initially, leading to two superhero battles in the series. Batman was paired with Green Hornet while their sidekicks battled it out.

4 Ironside

: The production of "Piece of the Action" had an interesting backstory. When Bruce Lee, who played Kato, read the script, he wasn't pleased with the idea of Kato fighting Robin. After all, Batman and Robin were the main characters, so it made sense for the writers to want them to come out on top. However, Lee thought it was absurd for Kato to lose to Robin, so he refused to film the scene as it was written. Ultimately, the outcome was changed to a tie, but Lee decided to make it more entertaining. According to Van Williams, Lee pretended to be angry about fighting Robin, which made Burt Ward, who played Robin, unnecessarily worried about how seriously Lee would approach their fight scene.

Bruce Lee made a guest appearance on Ironside, a popular NBC detective series starring Raymond Burr. This happened in the same year that The Green Hornet, where Lee played Kato, aired its only season. Ironside ran for eight seasons and featured numerous notable guest stars, including Bruce Lee. In season 1's episode "Tagged For Murder," Lee portrayed Leon Soo, an instructor at a karate dojo who becomes the subject of a murder investigation. Lee's scene in the episode showcased his martial arts skills through a thrilling fight sequence.

3 Blondie

Following the cancellation of The Green Hornet, Lee made a guest appearance on Blondie, a television series based on the popular comic strip of the same name. Similar to the source material, Blondie depicted the comedic misadventures and domestic life of the married couple, Blondie and Dagwood. Broadcasted on CBS for one season, the black-and-white show served as the second live-action adaptation of the comic strip. Just like its predecessor, Blondie failed to gain traction and was discontinued after its initial season. In the series finale, titled "Pick On A Bully Your Own Size," Blondie and Dagwood's children faced bullying issues at school, leading them to resolve the problem by enrolling their kids in a karate dojo operated by Bruce Lee's character.

2 Here Come The Brides

After gaining recognition as a future martial arts legend, Lee secured the role of Lin Sung in the CBS comedy Here Come The Brides. This unique addition to his filmography took place in the American Wild West. Fascinated by the Western genre, Lee had hoped to explore it further through his own projects. Unfortunately, those endeavors never materialized. Although offered other Western roles, Lee opted for the part of Lin Sung in Here Come The Brides. He was apprehensive about perpetuating stereotypes and demeaning portrayals of Chinese characters in Westerns. However, he found solace in the fact that Here Come The Brides avoided such problematic depictions, making it an exceptional opportunity.

1 Longstreet

In the episode "Marriage Chinese Style" of the show Here Come The Brides, Lee portrayed a vulnerable immigrant who was unwillingly pushed into an arranged marriage. The plot unfolded when his fiancé unexpectedly developed feelings for one of the main characters. This undesirable situation placed Lee's character, Lin Sung, in a difficult position, as his sense of honor compelled him to confront the person his fiancé had fallen for, despite his own lack of interest in marrying her. However, Lin's character development diverged from his usual martial arts expertise, leaving him at a disadvantage in the end.

In addition to The Green Hornet, one TV show stands out for its frequent appearances by Bruce Lee: Longstreet. This procedural series, aired in 1971, revolves around a detective, Mike Longstreet, who becomes blind. Bruce Lee portrays a skilled martial artist in the pilot episode, aiding Longstreet in adapting to his new lifestyle. Through the utilization of martial arts, along with elements of Lee's real-life kung fu philosophy, Longstreet finds guidance and moves forward.

Given the positive reception of the pilot and Lee's role, ABC decided to promote Lee to recurring status and invited him back for three additional episodes. If the show had been renewed, ABC might have attempted to secure Lee's return for the second season of Longstreet. However, considering Lee's burgeoning movie career in 1972, it is unlikely that he would have been interested or had any need for further guest appearances on television.