Jackie Chan Biography: Jackie Chan, also known as Chan Kong-sang, is an internationally renowned martial arts icon. He has had successful careers as an actor, director, producer, action choreographer, stuntman, etc. He is well-known in both Asia and the West for his impeccable comic timing and combat technique. Even after fracturing and injuring nearly every part of his body, it is believed that Jackie Chan performed all of his feats on his own.
He has appeared in over a hundred Hong Kong and Hollywood films, of which over ten were his own directorial efforts. Chan has appeared in numerous well-known films, such as ‘Rush Hour’, ‘Rush Hour2’, ‘Shanghai Knights,’ ‘Shanghai Noon,’ ‘The Tuxedo,’ ‘The Karate Kid,’ etc., and has received praise for each one. He began his career as a juvenile actor in Hong Kong films, and his talent and perseverance quickly made him a household name in Hollywood. Chan announced his semi-retirement from action films in 2012 at the Cannes Film Festival, citing the need to take care of his body.
Jackie Chan Biography
Name: | Jackie Chan |
Salary: | $40 Million + |
Monthly Income: | $4 Million + |
Date of Birth: | April 7, 1954 |
Gender: | Male |
Height: | 1.74 M (5′ 9″) |
Weight: | 75 kg or 165 lbs |
Profession: | Actor |
Youth and Early Life
Jackie Chan was born to Charles and Lee-Lee Chan in British Hong Kong on April 7, 1954. His parents were Chinese Civil War exiles who worked for the French ambassador in Hong Kong.
In 1960, Jackie Chan’s father was assigned to the American Embassy in Canberra, Australia. Chan attended the Chinese Opera Research Institute in Hong Kong around this time to study music, dance, and traditional martial arts. There, he joined a group known as the Seven Little Fortunes.
In 1962, at the age of eight, Jackie Chan appeared in the film ‘Big and Little Wong Tin Bar’ with his fellow members of the performance group. This led to his appearance in a film titled ‘The Love Eterne’ the following year. After that, he continued to make minor appearances in films such as ‘Come Drink with Me’ (1966) and ‘A Touch of Zen’ (1971).
He had a fleeting tenure as a stuntman in the films ‘Fist of Fury’ and ‘Enter the Dragon’ starring Bruce Lee.
Jackie Chan’s first significant role was in ‘Little Tiger of Canton’ in 1973, when he was 19 years old, followed by ‘All in the Family’ in 1975. This film featured Chan’s first naked sexual encounter. He shifted from action films to comedies because his action films have been unsuccessful.
In 1976, he moved to Australia with his family and began working as a construction worker there. In Australia, he was given the appellation ‘Jackie’ after a fellow construction worker named Jack took him under his wing.
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Jackie Chan Career
In 1976, Jackie Chan was offered a stuntman position in a film by Willie Chan, a Hong Kong-based film producer. The title of the film was New Fist of Fury, and Chan played the principal role. Chan was unable to demonstrate Bruce Lee’s martial arts technique, despite the fact that the entire film was intended to be based on his style.
After the passing of martial arts prodigy Bruce Lee, it fell to Chan to continue his legacy. But Chan decided to develop his own filmmaking approach. In 1978, he was proclaimed Asia’s most renowned martial arts superstar. He directed his first film, The Young Master, in 1980. This film was considered the first innovative combination of farcical comedy and martial arts, and it was a huge success. In 1982, he directed and starred in the film ‘Dragon Lord’.
Jackie Chan founded the Jackie Chan Stuntmen Association in 1985 after numerous stuntmen were injured during the production of “Police Story” and no one was willing to work with him again. This association was created with stuntmen’s safety and benefits in mind. In 1987, he starred in and directed “Armour of God,” which became his greatest domestic box office success. It reportedly grossed approximately 35 million Hong Kong dollars. Following this, he produced “Miracles – Mr Canton and Lady Rose,” which was also a commercial success. Due to the success of these two films, Chan established the production company ‘Golden Way’.
In 2011, ‘The Karate Kid’ was remade starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith, the son of Will Smith. The film was a huge success at the box office, grossing more than 358 million dollars. It was the most talked-about film of the year, featuring a blend of Chinese and American martial arts. 2011 marked the release of his 100th film, ‘1911’.
Major Works
Chan’s first two directorial efforts, ‘The Young Master’ and ‘Dragon Lord’, were released in 1980 and 1982. Both films performed exceptionally well at the Hong Kong box office and introduced new innovations in comedy and martial arts exploits for the first time.
In 1987, “Armour of God” was an enormous box office triumph, grossing over 35 million Hong Kong dollars.
In 1998, ‘Rush Hour’ starring him and Chris Tucker was a tremendous success at the Hollywood box office, and it helped him establish himself more firmly in the west.
Awards & Achievements
- Best Actor at the Golden Horse Film Festival in 1993 for his performance in the film Police Story 3: Super Cop.
- Best Actor at the 2005 Golden Rooster Awards for the motion picture ‘New Police Story’
- In 2011, he received the Buttkicker award at Nickelodeon’s Kid’s Choice Awards for ‘The Karate Kid,’ in which he co-starred with Jaden Smith, the son of Will Smith.
Jackie Chan Personal Life
In 1982, Chan wed Lin Feng-jiao, also known as Joan Lin, a Taiwanese actress. In the same year, they had a son who is a singer and actor named Jaycee Chan.
Chan subscribes to the Buddhist faith. He is fluent in numerous languages, including Cantonese, Mandarin, English, German, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, and Thai, among others.