Maybe it’s because I’ve become so used to seeing images of Bruce Lee from his movies—ripped, sweating and flashing his martial arts skills at some no good bad guy—that I find these photographs of Mr. Lee with his wife Linda and children Brandon and Shannon utterly charming.

Having grown-up with a wall covered in Bruce Lee posters and having spent far too much time trying out nifty martial arts moves on anyone fool enough to let me, these pictures show Mr. Lee as just an ordinary dad—doing what every doting parent does: playing with his kids, posing for that holiday portrait, showing off the newborn, and celebrating birthdays.

Of course, he would never dance like anyone else’s old man, as the mighty master of Jeet Kune Do was also an exquisitely graceful dancer who—in between waiting tables during his youth—gave dance classes. Which makes me think someone out there’s got a damn fine story to tell the grandkids about how Bruce Lee once taught them to dance the Cha-Cha-Cha.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The dancer Bruce Lee.
 
Via Vintage Everyday and Bashy.