Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee is the granddaddy of high-kicking, fist-fighting movie martial artists. He got his start in America as Kato, the sidekick in the jokey 1960's TV series The Green Hornet. Later he went to Hong Kong and more or less founded the institution of kung fu movies. Wiry and charismatic, Lee reached a pinnacle in 1973 with Enter The Dragon. His untimely death before the film's release helped make him an enduring cult figure. Other films include Way of the Dragon (1972), The Big Boss (1971) and Marlowe (1969, with James Garner).

Extra credit: The coroner ruled that Lee died of a brain edema (accumulation of fluid and swelling) caused by an abnormal reaction to painkillers he had been prescribed for back pain... His son, Brandon Lee, was killed by a bullet accidentally fired from a prop gun while making the movie The Crow in 1993.