Here’s a cast and character guide to 1973 martial arts classic Enter the Dragon. Enter the Dragon was produced by Bruce Lee, featuring the iconic actor in one of his few completed movie roles before his untimely death at the age of 32. The film revolved around an undercover operative infiltrating an underground martial arts contest to bring a wealthy gangster to justice.
The success of Enter the Dragon speaks for itself; it was one of the highest-grossing movies of 1973, riding the wave of martial arts movies which were popular at the time. Adjusted for inflation, the film grossed the equivalent of $518 million in today’s dollars. It’s hard to imagine a martial arts movie making that kind of money in 2020. Bruce Lee cemented his iconic status with the film, resulting in controversial appearances in modern movies to this day - played by other actors, of course.
Enter the Dragon was quite a revolutionary production for its era, featuring Asian, African-American and Caucasian protagonists in an effort to appeal to the widest possible audience. Here’s a cast and character guide for Enter the Dragon.
Bruce Lee - Lee
In Enter the Dragon, Bruce Lee (Fist Of Fury) plays arguably his most famous character; a man named Lee (go figure), who is recruited by British intelligence to take down crime lord Han. Lee goes undercover at an underground fighting tournament in order to gather intelligence and take down Han. He also discovers the appearance of his sister’s killer in Han’s employ.
John Saxon - Roper
John Saxon (A Nightmare on Elm Street) plays Roper in Enter the Dragon. Ostensibly the second protagonist, Roper is a martial artist competing in the tournament on Han’s private island to clear his gambling debts. Han approaches him to join his drug ring, but he refuses, joining Lee’s character in bringing down the entire criminal enterprise. Saxon notably insisted on his character surviving the events of the movie in order to gain his appearance.
Jim Kelly - Williams
Jim Kelly plays Williams in Enter the Dragon. Kelly is one of, if not the preeminent African-American martial artists in cinematic history. His appearance as Vietnam war veteran Williams led to a successful career in blaxploitation cinema in the years that followed. Williams is a competitor in the tournament, who dies viciously at the (literal) hand of Han after being suspected of being an intruder to the compound. The death was given to Williams’ character after Saxon insisted on Roper surviving.
Ahna Capri - Tania
Tania is crimelord Han’s secretary in Enter the Dragon and is played by Ahna Capri, most known for appearing in classic TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Tania’s character is heavily desired by Roper, but sadly she is killed in the final confrontation.
Shih Kien - Han
Shih Kien plays Han in Enter the Dragon. Han is the main villain, owning and operating a drug-smuggling ring from the comfort of his private island. He puts together a martial arts tournament for his own amusement, to watch the world’s premier martial artists fight to the death. Ultimately, he’s killed in spectacular fashion by Bruce Lee’s character.
Bob Wall - O’Hara
American actor Robert Wall plays Han’s bodyguard, O’Hara, in Enter the Dragon. O’Hara is responsible for Lee’s sister’s death and is killed early on by Lee himself. In one urban legend surrounding the film, Wall is said to have disliked Bruce Lee and refused to choreograph their fights together. Wall has refuted this, saying that the rumor is untrue and he and Lee were good friends.
Jackie Chan - Han’s Henchman
Martial arts legend Jackie Chan (Rush Hour) appeared in a very minor role in Enter the Dragon early in his career, appearing as one of Han’s henchmen - only for Lee to dramatically snap his neck during a fight scene.
Next: Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’s Bruce Lee Cameo (& Backlash) Explained
