L. Sprague de Camp
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pseudonym: Lyman R. Lyon
Born November 27, 1907(1907-11-27)
New York City, New York
Died November 6, 2000 (aged 92)
Plano, Texas
Occupation Novelist, short story author, essayist, historian
Genres Science fiction, Fantasy, Alternate History, Historical fiction, History
Debut works "Isolinguals"
Influenced Christopher Stasheff, Harry Turtledove, Lin Carter, David Drake
Website
http://www.lspraguedecamp.com/
Lyon Sprague de Camp, (November 27, 1907 - November 6, 2000) was an American science fiction and fantasy author. In a writing career spanning fifty years he wrote over one hundred books, including both novels and notable works of nonfiction, such as biographies of other important fantasy authors.
Life
De Camp was born in New York City.
Trained as an aeronautical engineer, De Camp received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 1930 and Master of Science degree in Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology in 1933.
He married Catherine Crook in 1940, with whom he collaborated on numerous works of fiction and nonfiction beginning in the 1960s.
During World War II, de Camp worked at the Philadelphia Naval Yard with fellow authors Isaac Asimov and Robert A. Heinlein. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the Naval Reserve.
He was a member of the all-male literary banqueting club the Trap Door Spiders, which served as the basis of Isaac Asimov's fictional group of mystery solvers the Black Widowers. De Camp himself was the model for the Geoffrey Avalon character.
He was also a member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America (SAGA), a loose-knit group of Heroic Fantasy authors founded in the 1960s, some of whose works were anthologized in Lin Carter's Flashing Swords! anthologies.
The de Camps moved to Plano, Texas in 1989. De Camp died there on November 6, 2000, seven months after the death of his wife of sixty years, Catherine Crook de Camp. He died on what would have been her birthday, three weeks shy of his own 93rd birthday. His ashes were inurned with those of his wife in Arlington National Cemetery.
De Camp's personal library of about 1,200 books was acquired for auction by Half Price Books in 2005. The collection included books inscribed by fellow writers such as Isaac Asimov and Carl Sagan, as well as de Camp himself.
Works
De Camp was a materialist who wrote works examining society, history, technology and myth. He published numerous short stories, novels, non-fiction works and poems during his long career.
De Camp had the mind of an educator, and a common theme in many of his works is a corrective impulse regarding similar previous works by other authors. A highly rational and logical thinker, he was frequently disturbed by what he regarded as logical lapses and absurdities in others' writings. Thus, his response to Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court was to write a similar time travel novel in which the method of time travel was rationalized and the hero's technical expertise both set at a believable level and constrained by the technological limitations of the age. In like fashion he reimagined space opera and planetary romances in his "Viagens Interplanetarias" series, and the prehistoric precursor civilizations characteristic of much heroic fantasy in his "Pusadian series." When he was not debunking literary conventions he was often explaining them, as with the early "Harold Shea" stories co-written with Fletcher Pratt, in which the magical premises behind a number of bodies of myths and legends were accepted as a given but examined and elucidated in terms of their own systems of inherent logic. De Camp's explanatory tendency also carried over into his non-fictional writings.
Science Fiction
De Camp's science fiction is marked by a concern for linguistics and historical forces. His first published story was "The Isolinguals" in the September 1937 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. His most highly regarded works in the genre are his time travel and alternate history stories, including Lest Darkness Fall (1939), "The Wheels of If" (1940), "A Gun for Dinosaur" (1956), "Aristotle and the Gun" (1958) and The Glory That Was (1960) - in the last of which the "time travel" actually turns out to be a tour de force of historical recreation.
His most extended work was his "Viagens Interplanetarias" series, set in a future where Brazil is the dominant power, particularly a subseries of sword and planet novels set on the planet Krishna beginning with The Queen of Zamba. His most influential Viagens novel was the non-Krishna work Rogue Queen, a tale of a hive society undermined by interstellar contact, which was one of the earliest science fiction novels to deal with sexual themes.
De Camp wrote a number of less-known but significant works that explored such topics as racism, which he considered to be more accurately described as ethnocentrism. He pointed out that no scholar comparing the merits of various ethnicities has ever sought to prove that his own ethnicity was inferior to others, a point that is not actually true (see, for example, the idea of the Model Minority).
Fantasy
De Camp was best known for his light fantasy, particularly the "Harold Shea" series and "Gavagan's Bar" series, both written in collaboration with his longtime friend Fletcher Pratt. The pair also wrote a number of stand-alone novels similar in tone to the Harold Shea stories, of which the most highly regarded is Land of Unreason, and de Camp produced a few more on his own.
De Camp was also known for his sword and sorcery, a fantasy genre he was instrumental in reviving through his editorial work on and continuation of Robert E. Howard's "Conan" cycle. He himself wrote three sword and sorcery sequences of note. The early "Pusadian series," composed of the novel The Tritonian Ring and several short stories, is set in an antediluvian era similar to Howard's.
More substantial is the later "Novarian series," of which the core is the Reluctant King trilogy, beginning with The Goblin Tower, de Camp's most accomplished effort in the genre. The trilogy features the adventurer Jorian, ex-king of Xylar. Jorian's world is an alternate reality to which our own serves as an afterlife. Other novels in the sequence include The Fallible Fiend, a satire told from the point of view of a demon, and The Honorable Barbarian, a follow-up to the trilogy featuring Jorian's brother as the hero.
A late third series, composed of The Incorporated Knight and The Pixilated Peeress, is set in the medieval era of another alternate world sharing the geography of our own, but in which a Neapolitan empire filled the role of Rome and no universal religion like Christianity ever arose, leaving its nations split among competing pagan sects. The setting is borrowed in part from Mandeville's Travels.
Historical fiction
De Camp also wrote historical fiction set in the era of classical antiquity from the height of the Persian Empire to the waning of the Hellenistic period, which form a loosely-connected series based on their common setting and occasional cross references. They were also linked by a common focus on the advancement of scientific knowledge, de Camp's chosen protagonists being explorers, artisans, engineers, innovators and practical philosophers rather than famous names from antiquity; these are relegated to secondary roles. The best known of his historical novels is The Dragon of the Ishtar Gate.
Nonfiction
De Camp enjoyed debunking doubtful history and pseudoscientific claims of the supernatural, and to describe how ancient civilizations produced structures and architecture thought by some to be beyond the technologies of their time, such as the Pyramids of Ancient Egypt. Works in this area include Lost Continents, Citadels of Mystery and The Ancient Engineers.
Among his many other wide-ranging non-fiction works were The Great Monkey Trial (about the Scopes Trial), The Ragged Edge of Science, Energy and Power, The Heroic Age of American Invention, The Day of the Dinosaur (which argued, among other things, that evolution took hold after Darwin because of the Victorian interest spurred by recently popularized dinosaur remains, corresponding to legends of dragons), and The Evolution of Naval Weapons (a United States of America government textbook).
The author also wrote pioneering biographies of many key fantasy writers, most as short articles, but two as full-length studies of the prominent but personally flawed authors Robert E. Howard and H. P. Lovecraft. The latter was the first major independent biography of the now-famous horror writer. De Camp's warts and all approach to his subjects has been branded by some fans, particularly those of Lovecraft, as unflattering and unbalanced.
Awards
L. Sprague de Camp was the guest of honor at the 1966 World Science Fiction Convention and won the Nebula Award as a Grandmaster (1978) and the Hugo Award in 1997 for his autobiography, Time and Chance. In 1976, he received the World Science Fiction Society's Gandalf Grand Master award. In 1995, he won the first Sidewise Award for Alternate History Lifetime Achievement Award.
Bruce Lee
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chinese name 李小龍 (Traditional)
Chinese name 李小龙 (Simplified)
Birth name Lee Jun-Fan (李振藩)
Born November 27, 1940(1940-11-27)
San Francisco, California
Died July 20, 1973 (aged 32)
Hong Kong
Spouse(s) Linda Emery (1964-1973)
Children Brandon Lee (1965-1993)
Shannon Lee (b.1969)
Official site Bruce Lee Foundation
Bruce Lee (traditional Chinese: 李小龍; simplified Chinese: 李小龙; Pinyin: Lǐ Xiǎolóng; Cantonese Yale: Léih Síulùhng; November 27, 1940 - July 20, 1973) was an American-born martial artist, philosopher, instructor, and martial arts actor widely regarded as the most influential martial artist of the 20th century and a cultural icon.[1] He was the father of deceased actor Brandon Lee and of actress Shannon Lee.
Lee was born in San Francisco, California and raised in Hong Kong. His Hong Kong and Hollywood-produced films elevated the traditional Hong Kong martial arts film to a new level of popularity and acclaim, and sparked the first major surge of interest in Chinese martial arts in the West. The direction and tone of his films changed and influenced martial arts and martial arts films in Hong Kong and the rest of the world as well. Lee became an iconic figure particularly to the Chinese, as he portrayed Chinese national pride and Chinese nationalism in his movies.[2] Many see Lee as a model blueprint for acquiring a strong and efficient body and the highest possible level of physical fitness, as well as developing a mastery of martial arts and hand to hand combat skills.
Early life
Jun Fan Lee was born in the hour of the dragon, between 6-8 a.m., in the Year of the Dragon according to the Chinese zodiac calendar, November 27, 1940 at the Chinese Hospital in San Francisco's Chinatown in the United States.[3] His father, Lee Hoi-Chuen (李海泉), was Chinese, and his Catholic mother, Grace (何愛瑜), was of Chinese and German ancestry.[4][5][6][7][8][9] Lee and his parents returned to Hong Kong when he was three months old. He was a citizen of the United States by birth and did not hold any other citizenships.
Education and family
At age 12, Lee entered La Salle College. Then, he attended St. Francis Xavier's College. In 1959, at the age of 18, Lee got into a fight with, and badly beat, a feared Triad gang member's son.[10]His father became concerned about young Bruce's safety, and as a result, he and his wife decided to send Bruce to the United States to live with an old friend of his father's. Lee left with $100 in his pocket and the titles of 1958 Boxing Champion and the Crown Colony Cha Cha Champion of Hong Kong.[3] After living in San Francisco, he moved to Seattle to work for Ruby Chow, another friend of his father's. In 1959, Lee completed his high school education in Seattle and received his diploma from Edison Technical School. He enrolled at the University of Washington as a drama major and took some philosophy classes.[11] It was at the University of Washington that he met his future wife Linda Emery, whom he would marry in 1964.
He had two children with Linda, Brandon Lee (1965-1993) and Shannon Lee (1969-). Brandon, who would also become an actor like his father, died in an accident during the filming of The Crow in 1993. Shannon Lee also became an actress and appeared in some low-budget films since the mid 1990s, but has since quit acting.
Names
Lee's Cantonese given name was Jun Fan (振藩; Mandarin Pinyin: Zhènfán).[12] At his birth, he additionally was given the English name of "Bruce" by a Dr. Mary Glover. Though Mrs. Lee had not initially planned on an English name for the child, she deemed it appropriate and would concur with Dr. Glover's addition.[13] However, his American name was never used within his family until he enrolled in La Salle College (a Hong Kong high school) at the age of 12,[12] and again at another high school (St. Francis Xavier's College in Kowloon), where Lee would come to represent the boxing team in inter-school events.
Lee initially had the birth name Li Yuen Kam[2](李炫金); Mandarin Pinyin: Lǐ Xuànjīn) given to him by his mother, as at the time, Lee's father was away on a Chinese opera tour. This name would later be abandoned because of a conflict with the name of Bruce's grandfather, causing him to be renamed Jun Fan upon his father's return. Also of note is that Bruce Lee was given a feminine name, Sai Fung (細鳳, literally "small phoenix"), which was used throughout his early childhood in keeping with a Chinese custom, traditionally thought to hide a child from evil spirits.
Lee's screen names were respectively Lee Siu Lung (in Cantonese), and Li Xiao Long (in Mandarin) (李小龍; Cantonese pengyam: Ley5 Siu² Long4; Mandarin Pinyin: Lǐ Xiǎolóng) which literally translate to "Lee the Little Dragon" in English. These names were first used by director 袁步雲 of the 1950 Cantonese movie 細路祥, in which Lee would perform. It is possible that the name "Lee Little Dragon" was based on his childhood name of "small dragon", as, in Chinese tradition, the dragon and phoenix come in pairs to represent the male and female genders respectively. The more likely explanation is that he came to be called "Little Dragon" because, according to the Chinese zodiac, he was born in the Year of the Dragon.
Acting career
Lee's father Hoi-Chuen was a famous Cantonese Opera star. Thus, through his father, Bruce was introduced into films at a very young age and appeared in several short black-and-white films as a child. Lee had his first role as a baby who was carried onto the stage. By the time he was 18, he had appeared in twenty films.[3]
While in the United States from 1958-1964, Lee abandoned thoughts of a film career in favor of pursuing martial arts. However, after Lee's high-profile martial arts demonstration at the 1964 Long Beach Karate Tournament, he was seen by some of the nation's most proficient martial artists--as well as the hairdresser of Batman producer William Dozier.[14] Dozier soon invited Lee for an audition, where Lee so impressed the producers with his lightning-fast moves that he earned the role of Kato alongside Van Williams in the TV series The Green Hornet. The show lasted just one season, from 1966 to 1967. Lee would also play Kato in three episodes of the series Batman, produced by the same company as The Green Hornet. This was followed by guest appearances in a host of television series, including Ironside (1967) and Here Come the Brides (1969).
In 1969, Lee made his first major film appearance in Marlowe which was based on one of Raymond Chandler's novels. In the film, Lee's henchman character is hired to intimidate private detective Philip Marlowe (played by James Garner) by smashing up his office with leaping kicks and flashing punches, only to later accidentally jump off a tall building while trying to kick Marlowe off. In 1971, Lee appeared in four episodes of the television series Longstreet as the martial arts instructor of the title character Mike Longstreet (played by James Franciscus). Bruce would later pitch a television series of his own tentatively titled The Warrior. Allegedly, Lee's concept was retooled and renamed Kung Fu, but if so, Warner Bros. gave Lee no credit. The role of the Shaolin monk in the Wild West, known to have been coveted by Bruce, was awarded to non-martial artist David Carradine, purportedly because of the studio's belief that a Chinese leading man would not be embraced by the American public.
Not happy with his supporting roles in the U.S., Lee returned to Hong Kong and was offered a film contract by legendary director Raymond Chow and his production company Golden Harvest. Lee played his first leading role in The Big Boss (1971) which proved an enormous box office success across Asia and catapulted him to stardom. He soon followed up his success with two more huge box office successes: Fist of Fury (1972) and Way of the Dragon (1972). For Way of the Dragon, he took complete control of the film's production as the writer, director, star, and choreographer of the fight scenes. In 1964, at a demonstration in Long Beach, California, Lee had met karate champion Chuck Norris. In Way of the Dragon Lee introduced Norris to moviegoers as his opponent in the final death fight at the Colosseum in Rome, today considered one of Lee's most legendary fight scenes.
In 1973, Lee starred as the lead role in Enter the Dragon (1973), his first film to be produced jointly by Golden Harvest and Warner Bros. This film would skyrocket Lee to fame in the U.S. and Europe. However, only a few months after the film's completion and three weeks before its release, the supremely fit Lee mysteriously died. Enter the Dragon would go on to become one of the year's highest grossing films and cemented Lee as a martial arts legend. It was made for US$850,000 in 1973 (equivalent to $3.74 million adjusted for inflation as if 2005).[15] To date, Enter the Dragon has grossed over $200 million worldwide.[16] The movie sparked a brief fad in the martial-arts epitomized in songs like "Kung Fu Fighting" and TV shows like Kung Fu.
Robert Clouse, the director of Enter the Dragon, attempted to finish Lee's incomplete film Game of Death which Lee was to also write and direct. Lee had shot over forty minutes of footage for Game of Death before shooting was stopped to allow him to work on Enter the Dragon. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a student of Bruce Lee, also appeared in the film, which culminates in Lee's character, Billy Lo (clad in the now-famous yellow track suit) taking on the 7'2" basketball player in a climactic fight scene. In a controversial move, Robert Clouse finished the film using a Bruce Lee look-alike and archive footage of Lee from his other films and released it in 1978 with a new storyline and cast. However, the cobbled-together film contained only 15 minutes of actual footage of Lee while the rest had a Lee lookalike, Tai Chung Kim, and Yuen Biao as stunt doubles. The unused footage Lee had filmed was recovered 22 years later and included in the Bruce Lee documentary Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey.
Challengers on the set
Bruce Lee's celebrity and martial arts prowess often put him on a collision course with a number of street thugs, stunt men and martial arts extras, all hoping to make a name for themselves. Lee typically defused such challenges without fighting, but felt forced to respond to several persistent individuals.
Bob Wall, USPK karate champion and co-star in Enter the Dragon, recalled a particularly serious encounter that transpired after a film extra kept taunting Lee. The extra yelled that Lee was "a movie star, not a martial artist," that he "wasn't much of a fighter." Lee answered his taunts by asking him to jump down from the wall he was sitting on. Bob Wall described Lee's opponent as "a gang-banger type of guy from Hong Kong," a "damned good martial artist," and observed that he was fast, strong, and bigger than Bruce. [17]
Wall recalled the confrontation in detail:
"This kid was good. He was strong and fast, and he was really trying to punch Bruce's brains in. But Bruce just methodically took him apart."[18]
"Bruce kept moving so well, this kid couldn't touch him...Then all of a sudden, Bruce got him and rammed his ass into the wall and swept him, he proceeded to drop his knee into his opponent's chest, locked his arm out straight, and nailed him in the face repeatedly."[19]
After his victory, Lee gave his opponent lessons on how to improve his fighting skills. His opponent, now impressed, would later say to Lee, "You really are a master of the martial arts."[18]
Hong Kong legacy
There are a number of legacies surrounding Bruce Lee that still exist in Hong Kong culture today. One is that his early 70s interview on the TVB show Enjoy Yourself Tonight cleared the busy streets of Hong Kong as everyone was watching the interview at home.
Another topic is that his moment of birth is often used as a modern cultural proof of the existence of the Four Pillars of Destiny concept, having been born in the year of the dragon and hour of the dragon along with other astrological alignment.
Martial arts training and development
Bruce Lee's first introduction to martial arts was through his father, Lee Hoi Cheun. He learned the fundamentals of Wu style Tai Chi Chuan from his father.[20] Lee's sifu, Wing Chun master Yip Man, was also a colleague and friend of Hong Kong's Wu style Tai Chi Chuan teacher Wu Ta-ch'i.
Lee trained in Wing Chun Gung Fu from age 13-18 under Hong Kong Wing Chun Sifu Yip Man. Lee was introduced to Yip Man in early 1954 by William Cheung, then a live-in student of Yip Man. Like most Chinese martial arts schools at that time, Sifu Yip Man's classes were often taught by the highest ranking students. One of the highest ranking students under Yip Man at the time was Wong Shun-Leung. Wong is thought to have had the largest influence on Bruce's training. Yip Man trained Lee privately after some students refused to train with Lee due to his ancestry.[21]
Bruce was also trained in Western boxing and won the 1958 Boxing Championship match against 3-time champion Gary Elms by knockout in the 3rd round. Before arriving to the finals against Elms, Lee had knocked out 3 straight boxers in the first round.[22] In addition, Bruce learned western fencing techniques from his brother Peter Lee, who was a champion fencer at the time.[23] This multi-faceted exposure to different fighting arts would later play an influence in the creation of the eclectic martial art Jeet Kune Do.
Jun Fan Gung Fu
Lee began teaching martial arts after his arrival in the United States in 1959. Originally trained in Wing Chun Gung Fu, Lee called what he taught Jun Fan Gung Fu. Jun Fan Gung Fu (literally Bruce's Gung Fu), is basically a slightly modified approach to Wing Chun Gung Fu[24]. Lee taught friends he met in Seattle, starting with Judo practitioner Jesse Glover as his first student and who later became his first assistant instructor. Before moving to California, Lee opened his first martial arts school, named the Lee Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute, in Seattle.
Lee also improvised his own kicking method, involving the directness of Wing Chun and the power of Northern Shaolin kung fu. Lee's kicks were delivered very quickly to the target, without "chambering" the leg.
Jeet Kune Do
The Jeet Kune Do Emblem. The Chinese characters around the Taijitu symbol indicate: "Using no way as way" & "Having no limitation as limitation" The arrows represent the endless interaction between yang and yin.[25]Main article: Jeet Kune Do
Jeet Kune Do originated in 1965. A match with Wong Jack Man influenced Lee's philosophy on fighting. Lee believed that the fight had lasted too long and that he had failed to live up to his potential using Wing Chun techniques. He took the view that traditional martial arts techniques were too rigid and formalistic to be practical in scenarios of chaotic street fighting. Lee decided to develop a system with an emphasis on "practicality, flexibility, speed, and efficiency". He started to use different methods of training such as weight training for strength, running for endurance, stretching for flexibility, and many others which he constantly adapted.
Lee emphasized what he called "the style of no style". This consisted of getting rid of a formalized approach which Lee claimed was indicative of traditional styles. Because Lee felt the system he now called Jun Fan Gung Fu was too restrictive, it was transformed to what he would come to describe as Jeet Kune Do or the Way of the Intercepting Fist. It is a term he would later regret because Jeet Kune Do implied specific parameters that styles connotate whereas the idea of his martial art was to exist outside of parameters and limitations.[26]
Bruce Lee certified 3 instructors. Taky Kimura, James Yimm Lee (deceased and no relation to Bruce Lee) and Dan Inosanto are the only instructors certified by Bruce Lee. Dan Inosanto holds the 3rd rank (Instructor) Directly from Bruce Lee in Jeet Kune Do, Jun Fan Gung Fu, and Bruce Lee's Tao of Chinese Gung Fu. Taky Kimura holds a 5th rank in Jun Fan Gung Fu. James Yimm Lee held a 3rd rank in Jun Fan Gung Fu. Ted Wong was never directly certified by Bruce Lee, however Dan Inosanto presented Ted with an honorary Intructorship after Bruce had died. Dan Inosanto is the only living instructor certified by Bruce Lee to teach Jeet Kune Do, as he is the only remaining instructor to be given the 3rd rank diploma. (James Yimm Lee and Taky Kimura hold ranks in Jun Fan Gung Fu, Not Jeet Kune Do; Taky received his 5th rank in Jun Fan Gung Fu after the term Jeet Kune Do existed). Also Bruce gave Dan all three diplomas on the same day, suggesting perhaps that Bruce wanted Dan to be his protege.
James Yimm Lee, a close friend of Bruce Lee, died without certifying additional students. Taky Kimura, to date, has certified one person in Jun Fan Gung Fu: his son and heir Andy Kimura. Dan Inosanto continues to teach and certify select students. Prior to his death, Lee told his then only two living instructors Inosanto and Kimura (James Yimm Lee had died in 1972) to dismantle his schools. Both Taky Kimura and Dan Inosanto were allowed to teach small classes thereafter, under the guideline "keep the numbers low, but the quality high". Bruce also instructed several World Karate Champions including Chuck Norris, Joe Lewis, and Mike Stone. Between all 3 of them, during their training with Bruce they won every Karate Championship in the United States.[27]
As a result of a lawsuit between the estate of Bruce Lee and the Inosanto Academy, the name "Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do" was legally trademarked, and the rights were given solely to the Lee estate. The name is made up of two parts: 'Jun Fan' (Bruce's given Chinese name) and 'Jeet Kune Do' (the Way of the Intercepting Fist).
Jujitsu
At 22 Bruce also met Professor Wally Jay. From Jay, Bruce would receive informal instruction in Jujitsu. The two would have long conversations about theories surrounding the martial arts and grew to be longtime friends[28].
1964 Long Beach International Karate Championships
Bruce Lee's "One inch punch"At the invitation of Ed Parker, Lee appeared in the 1964 Long Beach International Karate Championships[29] and performed repetitions of two-finger pushups (using the thumb and the index finger) with feet at approximately a shoulder-width apart. In the same Long Beach event he also performed the "One inch punch".[30] The description of which is as follows: Lee stood upright, his right foot forward with knees bent slightly, in front of a standing, stationary partner. Lee's right arm was partly extended and his right fist approximately an inch away from the partner's chest. Without retracting his right arm, Lee then forcibly delivered the punch to his partner while largely maintaining his posture, sending the partner backwards and falling into a chair said to be placed behind the partner to prevent injury, though the force of gravity caused his partner to soon after fall onto the floor.
His volunteer was Bob Baker of Stockton, California. "I told Bruce not to do this type of demonstration again", he recalled. "When he punched me that last time, I had to stay home from work because the pain in my chest was unbearable."[31]
1967 Long Beach International Karate Championships
Bruce Lee also appeared at the 1967 Long Beach International Karate Championships[32] and performed various demonstrations, including the famous "unstoppable punch" with USKA world karate champion Vic Moore. Bruce would announce to Vic Moore that he was going to throw a straight punch to his face, and all he had to do was block it. He would take several steps back and ask if Moore was ready, when Moore nodded in affirmation, Lee would glide towards him until he was within striking range. He would then throw a straight punch directly at Moore's face and stop before impact. In eight attempts, Moore blocked zero punches. [33]
Official Fights
Bruce Lee was not a professional competitor, but he did set his sights upon the goal of being one of the fittest and strongest fighters of the world, and he went through life earnestly attempting to achieve this. Lee researched many arts in his life and used what he found was useful and rejected what he did not. He also made subtle changes where he could if what he found did not fit his specific requirements. He tended to favour techniques where he could best take advantage of his own attributes, be it his phenomenal speed, strength, elusiveness or power. Bruce Lee did say he could have beaten anybody in the world in a real fight. Whether he would have will never be known for sure, but the people who encountered Bruce Lee had absolute faith in Bruce Lee's ability to do what he said he could do.
James Demile a former student of Bruce and a former heavyweight boxing champ of the US Airforce has commented that, "I wouldn't have put a dime on anyone to beat Bruce Lee in a real confrontation. Bruce Lee was the best fighter I ever saw, even to this very day, and not just pound for pound - but against anyone in a real fight." [34]
Dan Inosanto said, "there's no doubt in my mind that if Bruce Lee had gone into pro boxing, he could easily have ranked in the top three in the lightweight division or junior-welterweight division." Birchland, Bob (November), ""The Truth of Boxing: A Critical Look at Bruce Lee's Hand Skills"", Black Belt Magazine: pg. 93, <http://www.blackbeltmag.com>
Lee had boxed in the 1958 Boxing Championships held between twelve Hong Kong schools, a tournament in which he beat the three-time champion from another school (an English boy). (Thomas, Bruce. Bruce Lee: Fighting Spirit. 1994, Frog, Ltd. page 27)
Physical fitness and nutrition
Physical fitness
Bruce Lee felt that many martial artists of his day did not spend enough time on physical conditioning. Bruce included all elements of total fitness--muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance, and flexibility. He tried traditional bodybuilding techniques to build bulky muscles or mass. However, Lee was careful to admonish that mental and spiritual preparation was fundamental to the success of physical training in martial arts skills. In his book The Tao of Jeet Kune Do, he wrote "Training is one of the most neglected phases of athletics. Too much time is given to the development of skill and too little to the development of the individual for participation." "JKD, ultimately is not a matter of petty techniques but of highly developed spirituality and physique".[35]
The weight training program that Lee used during a stay in Hong Kong in 1965 at only 24 years old placed heavy emphasis on his arms. At that time he could perform bicep curls at a weight of 70 to 80lbs for three sets of eight repetitions, along with other forms of exercises, such as squats, push-ups, reverse curls, concentration curls, French presses, and both wrist curls and reverse wrist curls. [36] The repetitions he performed were 6 to 12 reps (at the time). While this method of training targeted his fast and slow twitch muscles, it later resulted in weight gain or muscle mass, placing Bruce a little over 160 lbs. Bruce Lee was documented as having well over 2,500 books in his own personal library, and eventually concluded that "A stronger muscle, is a bigger muscle", a conclusion he later disputed. However, Bruce forever experimented with his training routines to maximize his physical abilities. He employed many different routines and exercises including skipping, which effectively served his training and bodybuilding purposes.[37]
Lee believed that the abdominal muscles were one of the most important muscle groups for a martial artist, since virtually every movement requires some degree of abdominal work. Perhaps more importantly, the "abs" are like a shell, protecting the ribs and vital organs.
He trained from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., including stomach, flexibility, and running, and from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. he would weight train and cycle. A typical exercise for Lee would be to run a distance of two to six miles in 15 to 45 minutes, in which he would vary speed in 3-5 minute intervals. Lee would ride the equivalent of 10 miles in 45 minutes on a stationary bike.[38]
Lee would sometimes exercise with the jumping rope in 800 jumps after cycling. Lee would also do exercises to toughen the skin on his fists, including thrusting his hands into buckets of harsh rocks and gravel. He would do over 500 repetitions of this on a given day. [39]
Nutrition
According to Linda Lee, soon after he moved to the United States, Bruce Lee started to take nutrition seriously and developed an interest in health foods, high-protein drinks and vitamin and mineral supplements. Bruce later realized that in order to achieve a high-performance body, one could not fuel it with a diet of junk food. With the wrong fuel, the body's performance would become sluggish or sloppy. Lee also avoided baked goods, as he believed they contained empty calories. He was not interested in consuming calories which did nothing for his body. Lee's diet included protein drinks; he always tried to consume one or two daily, but discontinued drinking them later on in his life.
Linda recalls Bruce's waist fluctuated between 26 and 28 inches. "He also drank his own juice concoctions made from vegetables and fruits, apples, celery, carrots and so on, prepared in an electric blender".[citation needed] He consumed large amounts of green vegetables, fruits, and fresh milk everyday. Bruce always preferred to eat Chinese or other Asian food because he loved the variety that it had. Bruce also became a heavy advocate of dietary supplements. Some of the well known supplements he consumed included:
Vitamin C
Lecithin granules
Bee pollen
Vitamin E
Rose hips (liquid form)
Wheat germ oil
Natural protein tablets (chocolate flavour)
Acerola - C
B-Folia
Physique
Lee's devotion to fitness gave him a body that was admired even by many of the top names in bodybuilding community. Joe Weider, the founder of Mr. Olympia, described Bruce's physique as "the most defined body I've ever seen!" Many top body building competitors have indicated Bruce as a major influence on their bodybuilding careers including Flex Wheeler, Shawn Ray, Rachel McLish, Lou Ferrigno, Lee Haney, Lenda Murray and 6 time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates.[40] Arnold Schwarznegger was also influenced by Bruce, and said of his body,
"Bruce Lee had a very--I mean a very defined physique. He had very little body fat. I mean, he probably had one of the lowest body fat counts of any athlete. And I think that's why he looked so believable."[41]
A doctor who knew Lee once claimed that he was "Muscled as a squirrel, and spirited as a horse" and fitter than anyone he had ever seen.[42]
Lee was known to have collected over 140 books in his lifetime on bodybuilding, weight training, physiology and kinesiology. In order to better train specific muscle groups, he also created several original designs of his own training equipment and had his friend George Lee build them to his specifications.[43]
Physical feats
Lee's phenomenal fitness meant he was capable of performing many exceptional physical feats.[44][45][46][47] The following list are the physical feats that are documented and supported by reliable sources.
Lee's striking speed from three feet with his hands down by his side reached "five hundredths" of a second.[48]
Lee could spring a 235lb (107kg) opponent 15 feet (4.6 metres) away with a 1 inch punch.[47]
Lee's combat movements were at times too fast to be captured on film at 24fps, so many scenes were shot in 32fps to put Lee in slow motion. Normally martial arts films are sped up.[49][50][51]
In a speed demonstration, Lee could snatch a dime off a person's open palm before they could close it, and leave a penny behind.[52]
Lee could perform push ups using only his thumbs[40][47]
Lee would hold an elevated v-sit position for 30 minutes or longer.[46]
Lee could throw grains of rice up into the air and then "catch them in mid-flight" using chopsticks.[40]
Lee performed one-hand push-ups using only the thumb and index finger[47][53][40][47]
Lee performed 50 reps of one-arm chin-ups.[54]
From a standing position, Lee could hold a 125lb (57kg) barbell straight out. [46][40]
Lee could break wooden boards 6inches (15cm) thick.[55]
Lee performed a side kick while training with James Coburn and broke a 150-lb (68kg) punching bag[46][56]
Lee could cause a 300-lb (136kg) bag to fly towards and thump the ceiling with a sidekick.[47]
In a move that has been dubbed "Dragon Flag", Lee could perform leg lifts with only his shoulder blades resting on the edge of a bench and suspend his legs and torso perfectly horizontal midair. [57]
Lee could "thrust" his fingers through unopened steel cans of Coca-Cola, at a time before cans were made of the softer aluminum metal.[58]
Lee can use one finger to leave "dramatic" indentations on pine wood.[58]
Philosophy
Although Bruce Lee is best known as a martial artist and actor, Lee majored in philosophy at the University of Washington. Lee himself was well-read and had an extensive library. His own books on martial arts and fighting philosophy are known for their philosophical assertions both inside and outside of martial arts circles. His philosophy often mirrored his fighting beliefs, though he was quick to claim that his martial arts were solely a metaphor for such teachings. His influences include Taoism, Jiddu Krishnamurti, and Buddhism.
The following quotations reflect his fighting philosophy.
"To tell the truth....I could beat anyone in the world." [citation needed]
"If I tell you I'm good, you would probably think I'm boasting. If I tell you I'm no good, you know I'm lying." [citation needed]
"Fighting is not something sought after, yet it is something that seeks you."[citation needed]
"Be formless... shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle; it becomes the bottle. You put it into a teapot; it becomes the teapot. Water can flow, and it can crash. Be like water, my friend..."[59]
"Use only that which works, and take it from any place you can find it."[60]
"The more relaxed the muscles are, the more energy can flow through the body. Using muscular tensions to try to 'do' the punch or attempting to use brute force to knock someone over will only work to opposite effect."[citation needed]
"Mere technical knowledge is only the beginning of Gung Fu. To master it, one must enter into the spirit of it."[citation needed]
"There are lots of guys around the world that are lazy. They have big fat guts. They talk about chi power and things they can do, but don't believe it."[citation needed]
"I'm not a master. I'm a student-master, meaning that I have the knowledge of a master and the expertise of a master, but I'm still learning. So I'm a student-master. I don't believe in the word 'master.' I consider the master as such when they close the casket."[citation needed]
"Do not deny the classical approach, simply as a reaction, or you will have created another pattern and trapped yourself there."[61]
"Jeet Kune Do: it's just a name; don't fuss over it. There's no such thing as a style if you understand the roots of combat."[citation needed]
"Unfortunately, now in boxing people are only allowed to punch. In Judo, people are only allowed to throw. I do not despise these kinds of martial arts. What I mean is, we now find rigid forms which create differences among clans, and the world of martial art is shattered as a result."[citation needed]
"I think the high state of martial art, in application, must have no absolute form. And, to tackle pattern A with pattern B may not be absolutely correct."[citation needed]
"True observation begins when one is devoid of set patterns."[citation needed]
"The other weakness is, when clans are formed, the people of a clan will hold their kind of martial art as the only truth and do not dare to reform or improve it. Thus they are confined in their own tiny little world. Their students become machines which imitate martial art forms."[citation needed]
"Some people are tall; some are short. Some are stout; some are slim. There are various different kinds of people. If all of them learn the same martial art form, then who does it fit?"[citation needed]
"Ultimately, martial art means honestly expressing yourself. It is easy for me to put on a show and be cocky so I can show you some really fancy movement. But to express oneself honestly, not lying to oneself, and to express myself honestly enough; that, my friend, is very hard to do."[citation needed]
Bruce Lee and popular culture
There are a large number of references to Bruce Lee in film, anime, manga, video games and other popular culture.
The anime character Rock Lee in Naruto is modeled after him, and was given his birthday.
Awards and honors
With his ancestral roots coming from Gwan'on in Seundak, Guangdong province of China (廣東順德均安, Guangdong Shunde Jun'An), a street in the village is named after him where his ancestral home is situated. The home is open for public access.
Bruce Lee was named TIME Magazine 's 100 Most Important People of the Century as one of the greatest heroes & icons, as an example of personal improvement through in part physical fitness, and among the most influential martial artists of the twentieth century.[1]
The 1993 film Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story claims to be a slightly fictionalized biographical film about Bruce Lee. However, few scenes are based on reality.
On March 31, 2007 Bruce Lee was named as one of History's 100 Most Influential people, according to a Japanese national survey that was televised on NTV.[62]
In 2001, LMF, a Cantonese hip-hop group in Hong Kong, released a popular song called "1127" as a tribute to Bruce Lee.
In 2003, "Things Asian" wrote an article on the thirtieth anniversary of his death.[63]
In 2004, UFC president Dana White credited Bruce Lee as the "father of mixed martial arts".[64]
In September 2004, a BBC story stated that the Herzegovinian city of Mostar was to honor Lee with a statue on the Spanish Square, as a symbol of solidarity. After many years of war and religious splits, Lee's figure is to commend his work: to successfully bridge culture gaps in the world. The statue, placed in the city park, was unveiled on November 26, 2005 (One day before the unveiling of the statue in Hong Kong, below).[65]
In 2005, Lee was remembered in Hong Kong with a bronze statue to mark his sixty-fifth birthday. The bronze statue, unveiled on November 27, 2005, honored Lee as Chinese film's bright star of the century.[66]
A Bruce Lee theme park with memorial statue and hall has been scheduled to be built in Shunde, China. It is expected to be complete in 2009.[67]
As of 2007, he is still considered by many martial artists and fans as the greatest martial artist of all time.[68]
On April 10, 2007 China's national broadcaster announced it has started filming a 40-part series on martial arts icon Bruce Lee. Xinhua News Agency said China Central Television started shooting "The Legend of Bruce Lee" over the weekend in Shunde in Guangdong province in southern China. Shunde is the ancestral home of Lee, who was born in San Francisco. It said the 50 million yuan (US$6.4 million; 4.8 million) production will also be filmed in Hong Kong and the United States, where Lee studied and launched his acting career. Chen Guokun, who plays Lee, said he has mixed feelings about playing the role of the icon, Xinhua reported. "I'm nervous and also excited, but I will do my best," Chen, who's also known as Chan Kwok-kwan, was quoted as saying. Chen, best known for appearing in the action comedy "Kung Fu Hustle," says Lee has been his role model since he was a child and that he has practiced kung fu for many years. The TV series, which is due to be aired in 2008, the year Beijing hosts the Olympic Games, appears to aimed at highlighting Chinese culture in the run up to the event.[69]
Illness and Death
Bruce Lee was doing dubbing work in Hong Kong on May 10, 1973, for Enter the Dragon at Golden Harvest studios. He collapsed in the bathroom and was rushed to Hong Kong Baptist Hospital. Doctors there that day who treated him said he almost died of cerebral edema.
Death by "misadventure"
Dr. Langford who treated Lee for his first collapse stated after his death that, "There's not a question in my mind that cannabis should have been named as the presumptive cause of death."[70] He also believed that, "Equagesic was not at all involved in Bruce's first collapse."[71] Professor R.D. Teare, who had overseen over 100,000 autopsies, was the top expert assigned to the Lee case. Dr. Teare declared that the presence of cannabis was mere coincidence, and added that it would be "irresponsible and irrational" to say that it might have triggered Lee's death. His conclusion was that the death was caused by an acute cerebral edema due to a reaction to compounds present in the prescription pain killing drug Equagesic. [72] Dr. Peter Wu's preliminary opinion was that the cause of death could have been a reaction to cannabis and Equagesic. Dr. Wu would later back off from this position however:
"Professor Teare was a forensic scientist recommended by Scotland Yard; he was brought in as an expert on cannabis and we can't contradict his testimony. The dosage of cannabis is neither precise nor predictable, but I've never known of anyone dying simply from taking it."[73]
The exact details of Lee's death are controversial. Bruce Lee's iconic status and unusual death at a young age led many people to develop many theories about his death. Such theories about his death included murder involving the Triad society[74] and a supposed curse on Lee and his family. The theory of the curse carried over to Lee's son Brandon Lee, also an actor, who died 20 years after his father in a bizarre accident while filming The Crow at the young age of 28. Like his father's last film, released after his death to gain cult status, Brandon's last film The Crow was also released after his death, completed with the use of computer-generated imagery and a stunt double in the few remaining but critical scenes that Brandon had left unfilmed at his death.
Upon the death of her husband, Linda returned to her home town of Seattle and had Bruce buried at lot 276 of Lakeview Cemetery. His son Brandon was buried beside him. Pallbearers at his funeral on July 31, 1973 included Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Chuck Norris, George Lazenby, Dan Inosanto, Taky Kimura, Peter Chin, and his brother, Robert Lee.
Kowloon City
On August 22, 2007, Fruit Chan announced that he will make a film on Bruce Lee's early years, specifically, the Chinese-language movie, Kowloon City, will be produced by John Woo's producer Terence Chang. The film will be set in 1950s Hong Kong. Chang's credits include "Made in Hong Kong," "Hollywood Hong Kong" and "Durian Durian." Also, Stanley Kwan stated that he was talking with Lee's family to make a movie about the late action movie icon. Further, in April, Chinese state media announced that its national broadcaster started filming a 40-part TV series on Bruce Lee to promote Chinese culture for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.[75]
Eddie Rabbitt
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Birth name Edward Thomas Rabbitt
Born November 27, 1941(1941-11-27)
Origin East Orange, New Jersey
Died May 7, 1998 (aged 56)
Genre(s) Country music/Pop music
Occupation(s) singer/songwriter
Years active 1974-1998
Label(s) Elektra Records, RCA Records, Capitol Records, Warner Bros. Records, 20th Century Records, Columbia Records
Associated
acts Kenny Rogers, Crystal Gayle, Lynn Anderson, Ronnie Milsap
Eddie Rabbitt (born November 27, 1941 - May 7, 1998) was a country music singer. He enjoyed much pop success in his career, helping develop the crossover-influenced sound in country music during the 1970s and 80s. During his career, he scored 26 number-ones..[[citation needed]]
Rise to success
Rabbitt was born Edward Thomas Rabbitt in Brooklyn, New York, but he was raised in East Orange, New Jersey.[1] In the 1960s, Eddie recorded for 20th Century Records and Columbia Records. In 1968, he moved out to Nashville, where he got his first start as a songwriter. In the beginning, Roy Drusky and George Morgan cut songs he wrote. His biggest success as a songwriter came in 1970, when Elvis Presley recorded his song "Kentucky Rain". The song became one of Presley's biggest hits and marked Rabbit as one of Nashville's leading young songwriters.
The height of his career
Rabbitt signed with Elektra Records in 1974. His first single, "You Get To Me" made the Top 40 that year, and two songs in 1975, "Forgive And Forget" and "I Should Have Married You" nearly made the Top 10, but in 1976, Rabbitt got his first #1 Country hit with the song "Drinkin' My Baby (Off My Mind)". He achieved more recognition with the songs "You Don't Love Me Anymore" and "Every Which Way But Loose" (the title track from the Clint Eastwood movie of the same name).
However, his biggest hits have to be "I Love a Rainy Night" and "Drivin' My Life Away", both hits for him in 1981. These hits are also probably his best-known and signature tunes. In the 1980s, Rabbitt enjoyed further success in music. In 1982, he teamed up with another Country/Pop crossover star, Crystal Gayle, to record the duet "You and I". The duet eventually became a big crossover smash for both of them that same year.
His other #1s include "The Best Year of My Life," "The Wanderer" (a cover of the classic Dion hit), "I Wanna Dance With You," "On Second Thought," and "Both to Each Other (Friends and Lovers)" (a duet with Juice Newton). However, in the late 1980s, his success was starting to fade. His singles didn't crack the Pop Top 40 during this time.
In 1977, he was named Top New Male Vocalist by the Academy of Country Music Awards.
In 1981, he also won an American Music Award for Best Pop Male Vocalist in 1981.
Decline and death
As the 1980s came to an end, Rabbitt moved more and more away from crossover-styled music. His career declined as contemporary artists such as Garth Brooks and Clint Black rose on the country music charts. However he did continue to record and tour. In the 1990s, he recorded very little, in part because of the illness and subsequent death of his young son. After his son died, Rabbitt became active in raising money for organizations that aid sick children.
During his career, Rabbitt scored 26 #1 hits on the country charts and eight Top 40 pop hits. On May 7, 1998, Rabbitt died of lung cancer at the age of 56, and is interred in the Calvary Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee.
Hey, Raggedy. You're a Monday night footballer? Wow! who would have thought it, folks. Well, I must admit a score of 3-0 is unusual. Hooray for your team, PA., and may they forever reign in the rain with help from kitty litter.
Thanks again, puppy, for the great collage. I notice that Bruce Lee is a stand out today, and what a surprise to find out that he had a brother named Robert. Hmmm, we may have a common ancestry.
Music and lyrics by Robert Lee
(The Ballad of Bruce Lee)
At the dawning of the morning, on the hour of the dragon,
High atop the hills of San Francisco, life's greatest legend was born.
CHORUS
Into this world came a little dragon, Bruce Lee,
His hands and feet fast, powerful and mighty,
It was easy for him to win the world's acclaim,
For he was strong and his will untamed.
In his search for reality, he found the tools of JKD,
Many hours he would spend a day, trying to find some better ways.
CHORUS
Into this world came a little dragon, Bruce Lee,
His hands and feet fast, powerful and mighty,
It was easy for him to win the world's acclaim,
For he was strong and his will untamed.
Few people know what was left to me, his poems, arts and his philosophy,
But like a flash of lightning now he's gone, but I know his memory will live on.
CHORUS
Into this world came a little dragon, Bruce Lee,
His hands and feet fast, powerful and mighty,
It was easy for him to win the world's acclaim,
For he was strong and his will untamed.
Hope Lange
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Birth name Hope Elise Ross Lange
Born November 28, 1933(1933-11-28)
Redding, Connecticut
Died December 19, 2003 (aged 70)
Santa Monica, California
Hope Elise Ross Lange (November 28, 1933 - December 19, 2003) was an American stage, film, and television actress.
Biography
Early life
Lange was born into a theatrical family in Redding Ridge, Connecticut. Her father, John George Lange, was a musician and the music arranger for Florenz Ziegfeld and conductor for Henry Cohen. Her mother, Minnette (née Buddecke), was an actress before becoming a restaurant owner.[1] Following her father's passing, she worked as a waitress in her mother's Greenwich Village restaurant. She sometimes walked the dog of former First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, who had a nearby apartment. When her photo appeared in the newspaper, she received an offer to work as a New York City advertising model.
Career
In 1943, Lange made her Broadway debut in The Patriots. She began working in television in the 1950s, and came to prominence in her first film role, in Bus Stop with Marilyn Monroe and Don Murray, whom she married on April 14, 1956. As a result of favorable reviews, she landed a major role in the then-risqué 1957 film, Peyton Place. Her strong performance earned her a nomination for a Golden Globe Award and another for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She starred from 1968 to 1970 in the popular TV series, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir for which she earned two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award nomination. This success was followed by three seasons on The New Dick Van Dyke Show. In 1977, she returned to the Broadway stage where her acting career had originally begun. She also played the wife of Charles Bronson in the original Death Wish.
Personal life
Divorced from Don Murray in 1961, she left acting after her October 19, 1963 marriage to producer-director Alan J. Pakula, whom she divorced in 1971. In 1986, she married theatrical producer Charles Hollerith, with whom she remained the rest of her life. She died on December 19, 2003, at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California, as a result of an ischemic colitis infection at the age of 70.
Lange had two children with Don Murray: actor Christopher Murray and photographer Patricia Murray.
In 1972, she also dated Frank Sinatra. She also had a long-term relationship with actor Glenn Ford, but they never married.
Ed Harris
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Birth name Edward Allen Harris
Born November 28, 1950 (1950-11-28) (age 57)
Tenafly, New Jersey
Spouse(s) Amy Madigan (1983-)
[show]Awards
Golden Globe Awards
Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture
1999 The Truman Show
Screen Actors Guild Awards
Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture
1995 Apollo 13
Edward Allen Harris (born November 28, 1950) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor, known for his performances in The Right Stuff, The Abyss, Apollo 13, Pollock, and The Truman Show, among many others.
Biography
Early & personal life
Harris was born in Tenafly, New Jersey, the son of Margaret, a travel agent, and Robert L. Harris, who sang with the Fred Waring chorus and worked at the bookstore of the Art Institute of Chicago.[1] He has an older brother, Robert, and a younger brother, Spencer. Harris was raised in a middle class Presbyterian family.[2] He graduated from Tenafly High School in 1969, where he played on the football team, serving as the team's captain in his senior year.[3][4] He was a star athlete in high school and competed in athletics at Columbia University in 1969. Two years later his family moved to Oklahoma and he followed after having discovered his interest in acting in various theater plays. He enrolled at the University of Oklahoma to study drama. After several successful roles in the local theater, he moved to Los Angeles, California, and enrolled at the California Institute of the Arts.
Harris has been married to actress Amy Madigan since 1983. They have a daughter named Lily.
Career
Harris's first important film role was in Borderline with Charles Bronson. In Knightriders he played a motorcycle stunt rider in a role modeled after that of King Arthur. In 1983, he became a star, playing NASA astronaut John Glenn in The Right Stuff; in 1995 he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of NASA mission director Gene Kranz, in the film Apollo 13. Further Oscar nominations arrived in 1999, 2001 and 2003, for The Truman Show, Pollock and The Hours, respectively. More recently, he appeared as a vengeful mobster in David Cronenberg's A History of Violence. He also had a role alongside Casey Affleck and Morgan Freeman in Gone, Baby, Gone, directed by actor Ben Affleck.
Harris has shown interest in directing. He made his debut in 2000 with Pollock, as well as directing various plays. Harris has also starred in television adaptations of Riders of the Purple Sage (1996) and Empire Falls (2005).
Harris also has an active stage acting career. Most notably, he starred in the production of Neil LaBute's one-man play Wrecks at the Public Theater in New York City.Wrecks premiered at the Everyman Theater in Cork, Ireland and then in the US at the Public Theater in New York. Harris has been nominated for several major awards for this role.
