Throughout his acting career, Bruce Lee was known by the nickname “Little Dragon,” particularly to those in the Hong Kong area. Sometimes, it’s shortened to “the Dragon” by his fans, with the most notable example being the title of the 1993 biopic, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story.
Bruce Lee’s association with the word didn’t originate from his role in his most famous film, Enter the Dragon. Instead, it dates back to his earliest days in the movie business. A lesser-known fact about the martial arts legend is that he was appearing on the big screen as far back as the early 1940s when he was growing up in Hong Kong with his family. His father, a distinguished Chinese opera star named Lee Hoi-chuen, arranged for Lee to make an appearance in a movie titled Golden Gate Girl when he was just an infant. This was followed by roles of increasing importance for Lee, who maintained a presence in the entertainment industry throughout most of his childhood and teenage years. Among the films he starred in during this period were The Kid, An Orphan’s Tragedy, The Thunderstorm, and The Orphan.
It was during the release of 1950’s The Kid that Lee, at age 10, was first tied to the name “Little Dragon”. As the first film where he was the focus, it served as a major stepping stone in Bruce Lee's child actor career. Since it plunged him into the spotlight more so than his previous performances, it was decided that Bruce Lee needed a new screen name. Born as Lee Jun-fan, Lee was previously referred to as Little Hoi-chuen, after his father, but the nickname was replaced in The Kid’s opening credits with Li Long, which translates to Dragon Li. Shortly afterward, it evolved into Little Dragon Li because of his size. According to Bruce Lee: A Life by Matthew Polly, the young actor embraced his new screen name and insisted on using it, not just in the movies but also in his personal life.
As a result, everyone around him became calling Lee “Little Dragon”. As for why the term “Dragon” was chosen specifically, it’s possible that aside from its significance in Asian culture, the reason relates directly to his birth. Lee was born in not only the hour, but also the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese Zodiac.
Regardless, Bruce Lee was recognized by audiences in Hong Kong as the Little Dragon for years to come. When he moved away to start anew in the United States, he had seemingly left this phase in his life behind him. During the mid to late 1960s, his goal was to become a successful Hollywood star in the same vein as Steve McQueen, but when that didn’t work out, he returned to Hong Kong and signed a movie deal with Golden Harvest. Though his days as a child actor were far behind him at this point, not everyone had forgotten his reputation and old nickname, it would seem. Thanks in large part to both that and Chinese appreciation of his role in The Green Hornet, the Little Dragon was reinvented as a kung fu superstar.