In the 1960s, Bruce Lee intended on becoming Paul Newman’s martial arts instructor. Newman, who starred in Butch Cassady and the Sundance Kid and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, was without question one of the most popular leading men of the 1950s and the 1960s. During this period, Newman headlined a long list of box office hits and is regarded today as a Hollywood legend.
Many of the celebrities that Newman was associated with in Hollywood at this time were linked with Lee. Before becoming a big star in his own right, Lee taught his own style of kung fu – Jeet Kune Do – to several major players in the entertainment industry. Over the years, Lee trained Roman Polanski, Lee Marvin, Steve McQueen, James Garner, James Coburn, and more. Due to his struggles with finding roles in movies and TV shows, teaching kung fu to celebrities was an important source of income for him. It also brought him much-needed attention to others in the acting business.
According to Bruce Lee: A Life by Matthew Polly, one movie star that Lee wanted to train (but never did) was Newman. While planning to make a movie called The Silent Flute, Lee tried to convince McQueen to take the lead role. Much to his frustration, McQueen refused Lee’s offer and explained that he wasn’t going to make a movie with Lee just to advance his friend’s career. Polly wrote in his book that Lee’s frustration with McQueen’s decision caused him to turn his attention toward Newman. Even back then, it was well-known that McQueen viewed Newman as his main Hollywood rival, even if the latter didn’t feel the same way.
Lee, who had no known personal history with Newman, targeted the star as a potential student. Lee’s hope was that if he could add Newman to his list of students, he could broach the subject of The Silent Flute during one of their training sessions. Since Lee couldn’t land Steve McQueen, his intention was to get Newman to take the role instead. To make this happen, Lee sought the help of Jay Sebring, who worked as a hairstylist to many celebrities, including Newman. For a reason that’s never been revealed, Newman ultimately didn’t become Lee’s student. It’s not clear if that’s because he declined the opportunity, or if he simply wasn’t told about it.
Based on what’s said in Bruce Lee: A Life, Lee’s interests in Newman were motivated primarily by the history that the actor shared with McQueen and his reputation. Lee wanted a win over McQueen, who he had hoped to surpass. Supposedly, he liked the idea of casting McQueen’s biggest rival in a role that McQueen himself had passed up. But, it was not to be. Bruce Lee presumably never got the chance to make a pitch to Newman and ended up picking James Coburn to take the part instead. Coburn accepted the role, but plans for The Silent Flute eventually fell apart anyway.