According to IMDb trivia, the two shared a brief but memorable moment during the production when Lee accidentally struck Chan in the face with a prop weapon.
Bruce Lee’s Accident With Jackie Chan Became a Treasured Memory
At the time, Chan was still an uncredited performer and stuntman, appearing among the henchmen who fight Lee’s character in the film. The production also featured other future martial arts stars in uncredited roles, including Sammo Hung and Yuen Wah.
The accident happened while the fight choreography was being filmed. Lee swung a prop stick and unintentionally caught Chan in the face. Chan later acknowledged that he had failed to position himself exactly where the choreography required, meaning the mishap was not something the A-lister had intended to cause.
Lee’s reaction reportedly made the incident especially memorable. He immediately stopped, dropped the weapon and went over to check on Chan, apologizing repeatedly after realizing that he had hurt the young performer.
Chan later recalled that he deliberately played up his pain after the accident. Rather than rushing to reassure Lee that he was fine, he continued acting as though he was badly hurt because he wanted the martial arts legend to keep paying attention to him.
The encounter reportedly left such a strong impression on Chan that he remembered it as one of the most meaningful moments of his career. Lee also told him that he could work on his future films, although he died in July 1973, before that promise could become a reality. “Enter the Dragon” was released shortly afterward and became the martial artist’s final completed picture.
Chan would eventually become one of the world’s biggest action stars, while “Enter the Dragon” became a landmark of martial arts cinema. The film was made on an $850,000 budget and ultimately earned more than $400 million worldwide, while its influence extended far beyond cinema.