Screen Rant

Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood includes a Bruce Lee cameo, but what does it mean? 1 / 8

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, the film takes place in 1969 Los Angeles. 2 / 8

Lee’s cameo pinpoints the skills that made him famous, and also his entrance into the Hollywood movie industry. 3 / 8

In terms of storytelling, it’s used primarily to develop the character arc for Brad Pitt's Cliff Booth. 4 / 8

Lee made his Hollywood debut as Kato in The Green Hornet, and appears on set in Tarantino's film. 5 / 8

During 1966-1967, Lee was not yet a Hollywood icon, but rather trying to establish a career. 6 / 8

Lee’s cameo establishes narrative authenticity and helps build the Cliff Booth myth. Booth holds his own, and holds onto that memory. 7 / 8

The Lee cameo allows Tarantino to play with the audience by mixing facts with fiction. Lee trained the late Sharon Tate in real life. 8 / 8