International action star Jackie Chan recently revealed a special moment he once shared with legendary martial arts superstar Bruce Lee at the height of the latter’s stellar career and just a few days before his death.
Chan was still working as a stunt performer when he played the role of a henchman on Lee’s “The Chinese Connection” in 1972. He also worked with Lee on the highly revered “Enter the Dragon” in 1973, where Chan became one of Lee’s most preferred sparring partners.
In a recent interview with Yahoo! Chan revealed that stunt coordinators became jealous of the attention he got from Lee that they eventually stopped hiring him.
Chan also narrated one of his fondest moments shared with the Asian phenom which happened just after they finished worked together.
“I was walking on the peninsula, I was going to [go] bowling, and he saw me,” Chan recalled.
After recognizing Chan on the street, Lee asked his name and inquired where he was going.
When Chan explained that he was just going to a bowling alley, Lee asked if he can come along.
“I [didn’t] have a car, so I got a taxi and [brought] him to the bowling alley,” Chan said.
In the company of a well-known Chinese celebrity, Chan was amused by the attention they were getting, with a crowd bugging Lee for autographs.
“Suddenly, I’m such an important person,” Chan beamed.
Lee bade his goodbyes soon after playing two games with Chan. After getting a taxi, he no longer uttered a word and left Chan with just a nod and a smile.
“It was like a dream. Why suddenly does he bounce into me in the street? He looks at me, follows me to the bowling alley, then goes away.”
“Then about 10 days [later], he died,” Chan said. “I was totally shocked.”
The beloved martial arts icon died at the young age of 32 in July 1973.
Chan shared a similar story to CNN a few years back:
