Posted in: HBO, TV | Tagged: Andrew Koji, bruce lee, Bruce Lee Foundation, Lisa Ling, max, shannon lee, warrior, Warrior Podcast

Warrior Podcast Episode Marks 50th Anniversary of Bruce Lee's Death

Max's Warrior podcast's bonus episode commemorated the 50th anniversary of Bruce Lee's death, including archived audio of the actor.

It was probably one of the biggest shocking moments in Hollywood history when actor and martial arts legend Bruce Lee passed suddenly at the age of 32 on July 20th, 1973, before the release of his international crossover Warner Bros hit, Enter the Dragon. It's a legacy that's unmeasured, helping to give birth to the modern martial arts action drama across cinema and television. Among the actor's effects was a concept of a series that became Warrior, which Lee talked about in past interviews that Hollywood passed upon. The rumor circulated that ABC stole his idea after his pitch to the network and turned it into the TV series Kung Fu starring white actor David Carradine playing the Asian lead. In 2019, Jonathan Tropper, in conjunction with Lee's daughter Shannon Lee, who heads his Bruce Lee Foundation, conceived the historical 19th-century martial arts drama for Cinemax before it became a streamer exclusive in Max (formerly HBO Max). Warrior is currently in its third season, and the series' official podcast, hosted by Lisa Ling and cast member Hoon Lee released a special bonus episode to mark Bruce Lee's 50th anniversary of his passing.

Joining the hosts were Bruce Lee superfans W. Kamau Bell, Phil Yu, and Jeff Yang, biographer Jeff Chang, and Shannon Lee, who's also an executive producer on Warrior. Fans will be in for a treat as they'll also be treated to exclusive archival audio from the actor himself courtesy of the Bruce Lee Foundation. Warrior centers on 19th-century San Francisco during the Tong Wars, primarily on the battles between two warring factions, the Hop Wei and the Long Zii.

On top of dealing with the internal struggle from within to survive, the Asian gangs also have to contend with the existing powers of the San Francisco Police Department and the influence of the Irish mob. While the series is largely an ensemble affair, the show's main protagonist is Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji), a Chinese immigrant and martial arts prodigy, who joins the Hop Wei while at odds with her sister Mai Ling (Dianne Doan) and her control of the Long Zii. The series streams Thursdays on Max. You can check out the episode below.

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