Shannon Lee, the actor and daughter of Bruce Lee, has shared her thoughts on Quentin Tarantino’s depiction of her father in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.
In the 2019 film, the late martial artist and actor is depicted as cocky and aggressive towards stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), who proceeds to humiliate him in a fight.
READ MORE: ‘Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood’ film review – Tarantino’s most satisfying work in decades
At the time, Tarantino defended his depiction of Bruce, saying he was “kind of an arrogant guy” and he “heard him say things” like the lines used in the film.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Shannon claimed Tarantino’s depiction of her father comes from the director believing “negative” stories about him.
Shannon Lee. CREDIT: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
“I’ve never met [Tarantino],” Shannon said. “I don’t know what his issues are with my father. Clearly, he thinks my father is cool, because he has borrowed from him quite a bit. But at the same time, I think he has been told a lot of stories by people who have encountered my father and had a negative reaction. They found him to be overly confident or arrogant.
“I have to say, in my experience, the stories are mostly from white men. I think Quentin may have been told a lot of those stories and believes them. I think a lot of people looked at my father as uppity, you know?”
Shannon previously criticised Tarantino for being “disingenuous” by presenting Bruce’s portrayal as a blend between fact and fiction.
“[Tarantino] can portray Bruce Lee however he wanted to, and he did,” She told Variety. “But it’s a little disingenuous for him to say, ‘Well, this is how he was, but this is a fictional movie, so don’t worry too much about it.’”
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, pitched as a “fairy tale tribute” to the final moments of Hollywood’s golden age, follows fictional fading actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt) as they navigate shifts in the industry.
The film also features portrayals of other real-life figures aside from Bruce, including Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) and Steve McQueen (Damian Lewis).
Tarantino is planning to retire after his upcoming tenth film, The Movie Critic, which will reportedly star Paul Walter Hauser.
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