Updated: May 26, 2026

When ABC’s live action The Green Hornet ( 1966 to 67 ) TV show debuted, its producers expected its lead, Van Williams, to become a heartthrob, but Asian import Bruce Lee, playing sidekick Kato, stole the show with his dazzling martial arts abilities. Lee was one of the few nonwhite actors on television at the time, but before long people of varying ethnicities became more visible, with DC Comics in particular sounding calls for ethnic tolerance.