The Bruce Lee-led martial arts classic Enter the Dragon includes appearances by numerous future martial arts stars. Released in 1973, Enter the Dragon debuted not long after the untimely and unexpected passing of Bruce Lee. Enter the Dragon not only finally made Bruce Lee an international star, it also skyrocketed interest in martial arts in the West, with the film continuing to be revered as one of the best martial arts films of all time.
Bruce Lee’s appearance in Enter the Dragon also put him alongside dozens of martial artists who were recruited for the movie’s fight scenes. After the release of Enter the Dragon, a number of them would go on to become big stars in later years themselves. Here are the 10 major martial artists in Enter the Dragon would who go on to become big stars after the film’s release.
Jackie Chan
Future mega-star Jackie Chan makes a blink-and-you’ll miss-it appearance in Enter the Dragon‘s cave fight, getting his neck broken by Lee and later taking an accidental bo staff hit in the face for real. Jackie Chan, of course, is known the world over for his combination of death-defying stunts and laugh-out-loud comedy.
Jackie Chan rose to stardom in 1978 with the back-to-back hits of Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow and Drunken Master, and would go on to become a huge star throughout Asia. Jackie Chan later broke into Hollywood movies, with his Western filmography including the Rush Hour trilogy, Shanghai Noon, Shanghai Knights, The Forbidden Kingdom, and many others.
Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung grew up training in the Peking Opera Academy alongside Jackie Chan, and appears in Enter the Dragon‘s opening fight scene as Bruce Lee’s opponent. Hung would go onto to star in such Hong Kong martial arts classics as Warriors Two, Enter the Fat Dragon, Knockabout, Magnificent Butcher, and the Project A and Lucky Stars movies. Hung also anchored the ’90s American TV series Martial Law. In the 21st century, Hung is also known for his numerous collaborations with Donnie Yen, including Sha Po Lang (a.k.a. Kill Zone), along with Hung’s roles in the Ip Man martial arts movies, both in front of and behind the camera.
Angela Mao
Angela Mao appears in Enter the Dragon as Lee’s sister Su Lin, displaying her Hapkido skills in one of the movie’s early fight scenes. Hailing from Taiwan, Mao headlined numerous martial arts films in the ’70s, including Deadly China Doll, Hapkido, Lady Whirlwind, When Taekwondo Strikes, and The Tournament.
Mao retired from the film business in the early ’90s, but her roles in various martial arts films nevertheless give her a strong on-screen legacy, with her Enter the Dragon role being very memorable despite its brevity.
Bob Wall
In Enter the Dragon, Han’s right-hand man O’Harra is played by Bob Wall, with Lee going to the tournament to avenge the death of his sister that O’Harra was responsible for. Wall had previously appeared in Lee’s directorial debut The Way of the Dragon. Wall also appeared in the post-humously assembled version of Bruce Lee’s unfinished movie Game of Death, and had roles in a number of other martial arts films like Enter the Ninja and Sidekicks, along with minor appearances in Xtreme Fighter and Blood and Bone. Wall passed away on January 22, 2022, but he will forever be remembered for his unforgettable portrayal of the scarred villain O’Harra.
Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly made his film debut with Enter the Dragon as Williams, an old friend of John Saxon’s Roper who travels to compete in Han’s tournament. Kelly would later appear in numerous movies throughout the ’70s and early ’80s, including Black Belt Jones, Three the Hard Way, Take a Hard Ride, Black Samurai, and One Down, Two to Go. Kelly passed away on June 29, 2013, at the age of 67, and among the cast of Enter the Dragon, Kelly’s Williams stands as one of the movie’s most quotable characters.
Bolo Yeung
Playing Han’s eponymous heavy Bolo in Enter the Dragon, Bolo Yeung is well-known as for his domineering villains roles in many martial arts films, with Millionaire’s Express, Breathing Fire, and Tiger Claws being just a few. Yeung even went up against Bruce Lee’s son Brandon Lee in the 1986 Hong Kong movie Legacy of Rage, while he is also well-known for his collaborations with Jean-Claude Van Damme.
First appearing as the sinister Chong Li opposite Van Damme’s Frank Dux in Bloodsport, Yeung fought Van Damme again in 1991’s Double Impact. When it comes to martial arts stars with muscles on top of muscles, Bolo Yeung instantly springs to mind.
Yuen Biao
On Enter the Dragon, Bruce Lee’s stuntman was another Peking Opera veteran, namely Yuen Biao. A childhood friend of Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung, the three would go onto to frequently work together in many Hong Kong movies throughout the ’70s and ’80s, including the aforementioned Project A and Lucky Stars series, Wheels and Meals, and Dragons Forever. Yuen Biao also appeared alongside Jet Li in 1991’s Once Upon A Time in China, and has led many other action movies, including The Prodigal Son, Knockabout, and Righting Wrongs.
Yuen Wah
Appearing as one of the competitors in Han’s tournament in Enter the Dragon, Yuen Wah has appeared in over 100 movies over the course of his career. Some of his early roles included stunt work in the Bruce Lee movies Fist of Fury and The Way of the Dragon, along with working on Game of Death after Bruce Lee’s passing. Other movies Yuen Wah has appeared in include Dragons Forever, Police Story 3: Supercop, Kung Fu Hustle, Master Z: Ip Man Legacy, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Phillip Ko
Phillip Ko appears in Enter the Dragon in a minor role as one of Han’s guards. Ko would later be seen in many other martial arts films before his passing in 2017. Some of his other credits include The Invincible Armour, Heart of the Dragon alongside Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung, The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter, and Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars.
Mars
Born Cheung Wing-fat and later adopting the stage name of Mars, he has a minor stunt role in Enter the Dragon, and previously also did stunt work on Bruce Lee’s movie Fist of Fury. Many know Mars well for his work with Jackie Chan, which includes such movies as Dragon Lord, The Protector, the Police Story and Armour of God franchises, Miracles, and Dragons Forever, among many others. Aside from Enter the Dragon, the many other martial arts films to feature Mars include Come Drink with Me, Broken Oath, The Iron Fisted Monk, and Game of Death II.
