Summary
- Remembering Brandon Lee on the 31st anniversary of his tragic passing, a talented actor taken too soon.
- Family tribute posts on Instagram show the lasting impact of Brandon’s life and career in Hollywood.
- The Crow remains a cult classic, with critics praising Brandon Lee’s performance and lamenting his untimely death.
We’re remembering Brandon Lee on the 31st anniversary of his passing. Son of the legendary martial artist and actor Bruce Lee, Brandon is perhaps best known for his leading role in Alex Proyas’ The Crow. Sadly, the cult classic was released posthumously after Brandon was killed in a tragic accident on the set of the movie, forever marking March 31 as a dark day for the Lee family and all of his fans. Each year on the anniversary of his death, his family shares a tribute to him:
Shannon Lee, Bruce’s daughter and the sister to Brandon Lee, now runs the official social media accounts for her late father and brother. On the 27th anniversary of Brandon’s death, Shannon posted a photograph of Brandon to the official Brandon Bruce Lee account on Instagram, adding a touching message in honor of the actor. Shannon also references their mother, Linda Lee Cadwell, noting the pain they both continue to endure every time this day rolls around after nearly three decades.
1:52
The Crow Reboot Has Been Cursed From the Start
The Crow has a well-deserved reputation for being the most cursed franchise in history.
Brandon Lee Remembered 31 Years After Freak Accident
The Crow
- Release Date
- May 19, 1994
- Runtime
- 102
- Tagline
- Believe in angels.
Born in 1965, Brandon was just eight when his father passed away. Determined to make it on his own as an actor, Brandon made his screen debut acting alongside David Carradine in Kung Fu: The Movie before later starring in the Ronny Yu action movie Legacy of Rage. With his career in Hollywood quickly beginning to blossom, Brandon was also turning in memorable performances in movies like Showdown in Little Tokyo and Rapid Fire. In 1992, Brandon snagged what would become his most well-known role when he was cast as the lead Eric Draven in The Crow.
Sadly, tragedy struck on the set of The Crow when Brandon was killed by a freak accident at the age of 28. Although props were used for the production, a dummy round had gotten lodged into the chamber of a prop gun, which fired into Brandon while shooting an action sequence. As the movie was just days away from completing production, stand-ins were used with the Lee family’s blessing to complete Brandon’s scenes and The Crow was released in theaters the next year. A cult classic, the film was a box office success with many critics giving particular praise to Brandon’s dramatic performance.
We lost Brandon Lee far, far too soon, and there’s no telling just how many other wonderful performances we would have seen from the entertainer if he were still here with us. A bona fide legend just like his father, Brandon will forever be celebrated and missed. You can take a look at the post remembering Lee below, courtesy of the official account for Brandon Bruce Lee on Instagram.
Fans have been divisive over the upcoming remake of the film starring Bill Skarsgård and FKA Twigs. That film will be released June 7, 2024, and you can decide for yourself by watching the trailer below:
