Why Brandon Lee Should Get a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Mixed Asian Media - October 8, 2024

By Lauren Lola

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Toward the end of summer, the era of remakes no one asked for continued with The Crow. Based on James O’Barr’s 1989 comic book series of the same name, it follows a man who, after he and the love of his life are brutally murdered, is temporarily resurrected by a crow and seeks vengeance on their killers.

Its release got me thinking: Why have I never seen the 1994 version starring the late Brandon Lee? To put the question to bed, I rented the film via Apple TV+, and it took only one viewing for me to realize: 1. This is now one of my favorite films, and 2. Brandon most definitely deserves a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In my opinion, despite it being 30 years since its release, The Crow outdoes not only this latest reboot and all the less-than-par sequels that have followed it, but also the most recent Marvel films. The special effects are quite crafty for its time, both the soundtrack and score are something to behold, and it definitely has its share of memorable lines for the ages. Although the story is not the most complex one ever written, Brandon’s performance as the undead musician Eric Draven is. He’s able to balance both the sinister, maniacal side of him that’s thirsty for vengeance, and also the side of him that cares very deeply for those he left behind.

Brandon’s ability to capture different sides of a character so effectively is what makes his final film so piercing. His ability to capture different kinds of characters in general is also what makes his previous works like Showdown in Little Tokyo and Rapid Fire tolerable to watch. Seriously: They’re both ’90s films that fail to realize the ’80s are over, and they both more or less wreak with Orientalism (the former more so than the latter). But Brandon’s performances as a hard-headed cop in one and a cop-hating art student in the other are what those films got right. Not to mention his martial arts skills are next level. Had he not died at the far too young age of 28, I wouldn’t be surprised if his career now would be comparable to that of Keanu Reeves.

Well before I had ever even thought about giving The Crow a try, I had seen interviews with Brandon. Even when he was just being himself, he was someone fascinating to watch and listen to. He was very thoughtful, charismatic, and just an overall gentleman — even when most of the questions he’d be getting were about his late father, Bruce Lee. He was one of a kind; a rarity to find in men in Hollywood and otherwise nowadays.

He has a memorable career that’s more than deserving of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. But for all the quantifiable characteristics that made him one with his craft, there is the question of eligibility. Pulling from the nomination procedures for the 2025 Walk of Fame application, one is eligible for a star if they have:

• Professional achievement

• Longevity in the category — in this case, motion pictures — of five or more years 

• Contributions to the community

• The guarantee that the celebrity will attend the ceremony, and if the celebrity in question is deceased, then it has to have been at least two years since they passed before they are eligible.

OK, so let’s take it one by one:

Professional achievement? Seeing how he gave his all in every single one of his performances, I would assume that yes, he has professional achievement. This first one sounds a little vague, but I stand by my answer.

Five or more years working in motion pictures? According to IMDB and not counting his TV credits, Brandon’s first film role dates back to 1986 with Legacy of Rage, which is eight years before The Crow came out. So yes, he has accomplished longevity in the category.

Contributions to the community? Much like the first one, I also find this point of eligibility vague. What exactly does the deciding committee mean? Well, specifically in the case of The Crow, if contributions include not only being a face of the ’90s counterculture movement, but also the point person of a long trend of films centered on cool, attractive, leather-clad action stars in the years following — like Keanu in The Matrix and Wesley Snipes in Blade (seriously, think about it) — then yes, he has contributed to not just to the community, but pop culture as a whole.

If the celebrity in question is deceased, then it has to have been at least two years since they passed before they are eligible. Brandon died over 30 years ago on March 31, 1993. So yes, he is qualified.

Now one may argue that since he didn’t have that long of a career compared to other folks, maybe he shouldn’t be considered. Well, perhaps this is one of those cases where quality exceeds quantity. In his brief time on earth, Brandon made it clear that he was not just his father’s son. He was his own self. Despite the industry’s efforts at pigeonholing him into martial arts roles, he never let that limit him. When it came to The Crow — where he was finally able to really showcase his skills — we as an audience got a taste of all that he could do. To recognize him for his accomplishments would be of utmost significance, and would show that he did achieve all that he had set out to do as an actor.

There’s no better time to get the initiative going, especially as more and more Asian American actors like James Hong and Ming-Na Wen have been receiving their accolades in recent years. It’s also worth noting that Brandon would’ve turned 60 next year. When taking in the general gist of his achievements in his lifetime, hear me when I say: It’s long past time.

Lauren Lola is an author, freelance writer, playwright, and screenwriter from the San Francisco Bay Area. She is the author of the novels, An Absolute Mind and A Moment’s Worth, as well as the graphic novel, Dasig. She has written plays that have been produced both virtually and in-person for theatre groups on the West Coast of the United States, and has penned the short films, “Breath of Writing” and “Interview with an Aswang.” Aside from Mixed Asian Media, Lauren has also had writing featured on The Nerds of Color, CAAMedia, PBS, YOMYOMF, and other outlets and publications.

You can find Lauren on Instagram@akolaurenlola and on her website,www.lolabythebay.wordpress.com.