Which actor was accidentally killed on set after being shot by a prop gun?

Brandon Bruce Lee (February 1, 1965 – March 31, 1993) was an American actor and martial artist. Lee is also known for being the only son of Bruce Lee and was accidentally killed during production of his breakthrough film "The Crow" (1994). Lee's father, who died in 1973, was iconic in the field of martial arts both as a practitioner and leading man in their films. Lee followed his father into both of the fields, trained martial arts with some of his father's students and studied acting at Emerson College and the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. In 1986, Lee made his screen debut opposite David Carradine in the television film "Kung Fu: The Movie", where he received second billing and starred in his first leading role in the "Hong Kong" action film "Legacy of Rage".

In 1992, he landed his most notable role as Eric Draven in Alex Proyas's "The Crow" (1994), based on the comic book of the same name, which would be his final film. On March 31, 1993, only a few days away from completing the film, Lee was accidentally killed after being shot on the set by a prop gun. "The Crow" was completed by re-writing the script, using early CGI technology and stunt doubles. It was generally well reviewed and considered to demonstrate Lee's dramatic abilities. It was a commercial success and is now considered a cult classic.

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23 Comments

Player

No one is accidentally killed by a prop gun. No need for it to have live bullets.

earlepg

It certainly wasn't Kirk Douglas. He died last year at the age of 103.

lls

Such a terrible accident! I remember feeling so sad, when I read about it. Brandon, like his father, Bruce, was so talented...he was just getting started...

Pat Salloum

The shooting was ruled an accident due to negligence; I didn't think live bullets could be so easily confused with fake ammo.

catmom

This is for yvonnelenders -- It was the iconic Bruce Lee that died of an aspirin allergy. For Val Tweedie -- Jon Erik Hexum dies from a gun shor playing Russian Roulette. Brandon & Brue Lee were EXCELLENT in Martial Arts especially is dad Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee was an icon & when I think of Martial Arts, the 1st one I think of is Bruce Ler. They were both very good looking too. Unfortunately Bruce Lee experienced racism. Bruce Lee should have played the part in Kung Fu, the movie & the series even tho I did also like Davud Carradine (he was good) but he wasn't Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee was so good & so fast that he had to slow his moves down. I loved Bruce & Brandon Lee's movies & I still do.

Marguerite LaHaye

A tragic end for both father and son.

Carl Belken

A "blank" round can be just as deadly at short range as a "real" bullet. The gunpowder is packed in the casing of the bullet by cotton wadding to hold it in. When fired that wadding can penetrate human flesh and bone up to several feet away. I love to target practice but the things I see people do with guns safety wise on TV and the movies grates on my nerves because people tend to mimic unsafe behaviors they watch their favorite actors do.

Elsy O. Stromberg

Player, No one should be, but he was.

Armadillo

Patty K, I can relate.

Clarence Quismundo

was it really accidental?

James Crawford

Player, the gun was loaded with blanks. They did contain powder to make them go bang but they was no projectile on the round. When the gun was pressed up against his skull the mire explosion of the powder pierced his skull and killed him.

kite005

Jim Kepler, That's right. I remember it well.

Patty K

The actor shooting the gun was very traumatized by this and wouldn't work for more than a year, if I remember correctly

Boyd Welsch

It’s always negligence unless the gun fires itself which has happened. An actor named Hexam was killed by a blank because of his ignorance , a live round isn’t necessary. Player,

Lisa Rodrigues

catmom, The official cause of Bruce Lee's death was recorded in the autopsy report as cerebral oedema, or brain swelling. This was supposedly due to his hypersensitivity to a painkiller called equigesic that he had taken that day. But further research suggests the kung fu idol may have died from an epileptic condition first recognised more than 20 years after his death.

billyboy915

Shelley Durocher, Found what?

Louise C.

I absolutely love that movie and I cried when I heard that Brandon had died.

Shelley Durocher

Shelley Durocher, Sorry, just copied an article from mentalfloss, had trouble posting the url. I do not claim claiming knowledge whatsoever on the topic. I just looked it up and found this

billyboy915

Player, There were no live rounds involved. Guns are sometimes loaded with blanks and dummy rounds. In filming, “dummy” rounds, which look like real bullets, are placed in the cylinder of guns for close-up shots so they appear to be loaded. An interview of the special-effects person raised the possibility that the gun was loaded with the dummy bullet for a close-up shot and when the gun was unloaded the slug had become dislodged from the dummy shell casing and the tip had remained in the cylinder or the barrel. When the blank round was then inserted, the pistol could have discharged like a loaded firearm.