Phoebe Lee: "I was close to my brother. He was a legend because he reached his goal."

The transcript below is from the video “Remembering Bruce Lee – Phoebe Lee Interview” by Onionsan.

Phoebe Lee (Bruce Lee’s elder sister):

No, when he was a boy, he was very nasty and always running around and never stay still. Then they make joke and making people laughing when you hear some time. When he was young, I mean when Bruce was nine, ten, he went to steal the garden mango yeah. We went to go to climb a tree to figure the mango, and that’s a really happy time. Our house have a balcony and the rainy day, and we put that ice cubit.

Phoebe Lee (Bruce Lee’s elder sister):

When the people come by and we drop all the ice cubits to throw on the people on the head and they’re embarrassed and look at that, and you hide. Then my father knows and say, “Don’t do that. You hurt the people on the head.” It was so not easy but kind of funny. Yeah, like to go out, going for you know and then my father doesn’t like him to go for. Every time he come home, “Did my mother knows?” No, no. They say my character is something like Bruce, yeah hot temper. A hot temper but I think he had a good heart. Yeah, Bruce had a good heart, yeah.

Phoebe Lee (Bruce Lee’s elder sister):

Childhood Nicknames

Phoebe Lee (Bruce Lee’s elder sister):

“He was born in San Francisco. Lee Jun-fan, Jun was a development and Leo Fong is some fancy, someone in San Francisco. They remember his life is a development in San Francisco. The other name after he go back to China and the father give him nickname of Jun Fan. It’s a school name, yeah. Jun Fan mean, it’s always you know Jun is someone of authority of gold money.

We have a nickname, all of the children, we have a nickname especially when young. For like before Chinese raised superstitions to the mall Phoenix. Phoenix is anyway is a male, is not female. A female is a Wong, Feunghuang (Fung-Wong). Fung is a male. Wong is a female. There’s a little female because I Wong, yeah.”

Bruce and the Movies

Phoebe Lee (Bruce Lee’s elder sister):

“When he was an infant after you know and my father got him in the movie. The movie, the name was Golden Gate Girl and after that, reason because the war coming, my father he had to go back to Hong Kong. We go all, my father’s child in Hong Kong and after the second war finished, Bruce had starred in a movie. Oh, I know my brother is, he liked to take movie. Most of the time take movie at night and then he liked people on time. When he was sleepy eyes, you still wake him up, “Hey Bruce, the time to take a movie now.” He got was so spiritual and then he go to take a movie in stereo.”

Bruce’s Troubled Teens

Phoebe Lee (Bruce Lee’s elder sister):

“He got into trouble all the time. I was at school and I know that Bruce haven’t come home. I knew he had appointments and not have the time to fight outside. I remember one time he come back, he said he hit the hell of the man that the jaw come out, oh yeah. Then four policemen come to look at my mom. Another time, he go with my cousin Jiya and some young boy. They all like to go to the kung fu studio to ask other kung fu young people to challenge in fighting.

After he learned kung fu, he realized he was not enough for himself to go out to fight. He had to have a technique you know and more patience. Yeah but he study very hard and every day he [spill volumes?] [5:12] with himself, and he plugged his heart.”

Bruce’s Departure for America

Phoebe Lee (Bruce Lee’s elder sister):

“You know, he make a lot of trouble in Hong Kong and then my parents sent him here to study and then let him to know what the human life is and stand by his own self. Oh, I remember that night he talked at a person in line. He was so hurt you know and the atmosphere was so gloomy. Rosa heard me cry and my mother cry a lot. He heard my father follow him. He said my father said, “My son, I really regret to send you back over there. I know you’re really a good boy and how you love parents and women. Take care of us.”

Bruce said to my father, “How we are son, I’m your son. We never have enemy heart, you know and I still love you forever.” When he was an adult, he make a little money to send Papa all the time. So every time I remember this, I really feel hurt. I still hurt you know even though he passed away 30 years. I still feel hurt. He’s a really good boy. One thing I love my brother, he got a really, really good heart you don’t know.

Phoebe Lee (Bruce Lee’s elder sister):

“He liked to call long distance calls. At the time, it cost a lot of money and maybe a few months to call one time to report what he was going on and he study and he also worked for Ruby Chow Restaurant as a busboy. He make a little money and he said, “Mom, I will buy you a handbag,” and he really do it yeah. He call my mom and telling he had a small studio Kung Fu and also he talking about he was going to make Green Hornet.

We were so happy and you can get into Hollywood. At the time the Chinese very hard to get into Hollywood to be a movie star, my mother was so happy, yeah. He came there possibly three times, yeah. He came there 1963 and the first day he came across there, we all go out into a restaurant to eat. Yeah and Bruce said, “Oh, this is so comfortable. I haven’t ate so good food since I went to the United States and come back now.”

Phoebe Lee (Bruce Lee’s elder sister):

“In 1959 and in now I was four years, five years and he never had that forgotten. He changed really like a mature little man, handsome boy and a lot more stable, no joking too much and sits still. You know, no talking, joking this and a smiley face all the time that Bruce. Yeah and he showed us. He said, “Phoebe, I show you something,” and, “What?” “Look at me, one thumb to hold up his own body.

I asked another Sifu how they and it seems that his hold up is not his thumb. It’s his inside the Chi and half his whole body. He also showed me for a Coca-Cola bottle and he’s the only one turnaround on side kick and cut the head. The bottle is still there, and it never fall of the bottle. This is also the Chi and it’s the string is the reason he is. Bruce Lee get into everybody’s heart especially in the old country and his spirit.”

Phoebe Lee (Bruce Lee’s elder sister):

“He’s also his Kung Fu is the real kung fu. There was no another Kung Fu coming today. I think maybe someday have another one, I don’t know but he is still existing. People think he is a man and I think he’s not a common man. He’s a legend because he reach his goal. My brothers, I think my brothers, nobody understand him except me. I really understand him because to me, I was close to him.

My family needs are really thankful to all the fans because they still support him. I guess that they are still remind him, the Kung Fu is still number one. His spirit is still in existence, in their heart. That’s why they are still so fond of him until today.”