Cheng Chao-an
| Cheng Chao-an | |
|---|---|
| File:Bfactory.jpg Bruce Lee as Cheng Chao-an in The Big Boss. | |
| First appearance | The Big Boss |
| Last appearance | The Big Boss, Part II |
| Portrayed by | Bruce Lee |
| In-universe information | |
| Nickname | Big Brother Cheng, Cousin Cheng |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Man Lee Ice Factory employee |
| Relatives | Cheng Chao-chun |
Cheng Chao-an is a fictional character from the film The Big Boss. He is a young man who travels from China (it is never mentioned if it is mainland China or Hong Kong, but the latter may be more likely) to the remote town of Pak Chong in Thailand to work at the Man Lee Ice Factory, run by manager Ching Hao, and owned by Hsiao Mi. He is an amazingly skilled martial artist, and some sources, such as a Hong Kong photobook, imply that he may have been taught by his father. This character has been played by Bruce Lee in The Big Boss and in one rare instance by Bruce Le in the next-to-non-existant unofficial sequel, The Big Boss, Part II. Also, other actors, such asJason Scott Lee and Bruce Li have played Bruce Lee acting as Cheng.
History
In The Big Boss, Cheng Chao-an is portrayed as someone quiet, yet strong. Kind and chivalrous, yet a bit naive. His character has been described as believing anything you tell him, but when he finds out he's been tricked, he sets things straight. He is shown as being a phenomenal martial artist, but it is evident that his skills effect his mental and emotional state, as he doesn't truly realize the ramifications of his actions until the damage has already been done. Because of this (and the implications in various sources that his unmentioned father was killed because of a bare handed duel), his mother forces him to swear on a round jade pendant to never fight again. The evidence of his skills effecting his mental state and delayed realization are evident in all of his fights. The first especially as his pendant is torn from his neck, and breaks on the ground, in which Cheng screams violently and attacks his foes, with the broken jade virtually signalling the broken promise. He defeats his enemies and basically "saves the day" for the ice factory, but he soon realizes what he has done, seeing the jade pendant on the ground in two pieces.
On a social scale, Cheng is shy, at an almost painful level, being very quiet and basically doesn't speak until being spoken to.
Cheng's age is unknown as well, but he is estimated to be somewhere in his early 20s, despite being played by a then 30-year old Bruce Lee.
Family
It is mentioned that Cheng has a mother, as she is the one who makes him take a vow of non-violence, however, she is never seen. We meet Cheng's "Third Uncle", as well as his various cousins. Aside from this, Cheng also has a brother, Cheng Chao-chun, who is first introduced in the unofficial sequel The Big Boss, Part II and played by Shaw Brothers veteran, Lo Lieh. However, due to the fact that it is an independent film and incredibly difficult to find, this character is virtually non-canon.
Trivia
Cheng has a bandage on his right index finger throughout most of the film. This was not part of the character, but was from an actual injury Lee sustained while allegedly cleaning "weak drinking glasses" in a Thai hotel. However, some speculate that he actually was flexing his forearm muscles by clenching on one of said glasses. Either way, the injury was caused by a broken glass.