Jackie Chan!
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Jackie Chan is one of the most recognised names in Kung fu and action movies worldwide, known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, and use of furniture and other set pieces as improvised weapons. Jackie has starred in over a hundred movies, and is one of the most recognisable Chinese and Asian movie stars in the world. Jackie Chan sings many of his films theme songs and also has a pop music singing career which began in the 1980s. Jackie Chan is one of the Seven Little Fortunes. Jackie Chan is the son of Lee-Lee and Charles Chan, who emigrated to Canberra, Australia in 1960 as refugees from the Chinese Civil War. Prior to leaving China, Lee-Lee and Charles had worked as a maid and butler, respectively, for the French ambassador to Hong Kong. Jackie's Chinese name at birth was Chan Kong-Sang, meaning "born in Hong Kong".
Before Jackie Chan adopted the Westernised name, "Jackie", Jackie Chan was known by a variety of other nicknames. As Jackie Chan was a heavy baby, (12 lb at birth, having allegedly spent 12 months in the womb), his mother nicknamed Jackie Chan "Pao Pao" (meaning "Cannonball"). Later, while studying at the Peking Opera school (alongside Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao) Jackie Chan was known as Yuen Lo, as a mark of respect to his master, Yu Jim-Yuen.
In his early stunt man and acting career (prior to New Fist of Fury in 1976) Jackie Chan was known as Chen Yueng Lung (or Chen Yuen Lung). Jackie Chan was thereafter known as "Jackie", named by his Australian co-workers when living in Australia in 1976-197. On the building site Jackie Chan worked on, Jackie Chan worked with Jack - due to the language barrier, Jackie Chan was known as little Jack (later shortened to Jackie). Because his father's family name was originally Fong and was changed only when arriving in Hong Kong, his Chinese name was changed in family records years later to "Fong Si Lung". Jackie Chan has also been listed as "Sing Lung" (meaning "young dragon"), particularly in relation to his music and it may be no coincidence that his character in the film Fearless Hyena was called "Shing Lung".
Jackie got his first international success with the film Drunken Master. The movie showed Wong Fei Hung, played by Jackie, as a young and mischievous rascal instead of the venerable master of Kung fu that Jackie Chan normally was. This approach made the movie pretty radical. Another special thing about the movie was the silly antics and charm of Jackie and Yuen Siu Tien (also known as Simon Yuen), father of renowned martial arts choreographer Yuen Woo-ping. The film was a big success and led the way for other international hits such as Rumble in the Bronx.
Jackie married Taiwanese actress Lin Feng-Jiao (Chinese:) in 1983 according to his autobiography, but many Asian sources state Jackie Chan was married on December 1, 1982. His official website states that Jackie Chan was married in 1982. Jackie and Lin Feng-Jiao have a son, Jaycee Chan (aka Jo-Ming), who was born on December 3, 1982, although Jackie's autobiography lists his son's birth year as 1984. Jackie also has a daughter, as a result of cheating on his wife, Etta Ng Chok Lam (b. November 19, 1999) with Elaine Ng Yi-Lei out of wedlock.
He was educated at Nan Hua Elementary Academy, but his parents felt Jackie Chan didn't fit in at school so they sent Jackie Chan to the Chinese Opera Research Institute (1961-1971) and Peking Opera School. Jackie was in the Seven Little Fortunes Chinese opera troupe as a youth, along with Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao and Corey Kwai.
Jackie is often labelled as doing all his own stunts. While this claim does not hold up to close scrutiny, Jackie Chan does insist on doing the majority of them, including stunts for other characters if they are not showing their faces, and has racked up an impressive list of injuries to prove it. (The closing credits of his movies usually show bloopers and at least one serious injury.) This is why Jackie Chan is unable to get insurance anywhere in the world. Jackie Chan came closest to death while filming Armour of God (1985), when Jackie Chan fell from a tree in a relatively routine stunt and fractured his skull.
Around the time of Project A in 1983, Jackie officially formed the Jackie Chan Stunt Team, allowing Jackie Chan to train and work with a group of trusted martial artists and stuntmen for each of his ensuing movies. Jackie says that this means it is easier to choreograph fight scenes as Jackie Chan already has trust in them.
In his autobiography, Jackie says Jackie Chan originally created his screen persona as a reaction to that of the martial artist Bruce Lee, and the numerous imitators who appeared before and after Lee's death (see "Bruceploitation"). Where Bruce Lee's characters were typically stern, morally upright heroes, Jackie Chan plays well-meaning, slightly foolish regular guys, often at the mercy of friends, girlfriends or families. However, his characters always triumph in the end.
Jackie repeatedly attempted to break into the American movie industry, appearing in movies like Battle Creek Brawl, Cannonball Run, Cannonball Run II and The Protector in the early 1980s. Chan in the 90's was offered two roles that would portray Jackie Chan in a villain context, but declined both of them. his friend, Sylvester Stallone, offered Jackie the role of the criminal, Simon Phoenix, in the futuristic film Demolition Man but Jackie Chan declined as Jackie Chan did not want to play a villain for fear of being typecast for any future Hollywood roles. The role was instead taken by Wesley Snipes. Jackie Chan also declined to play a villain in the film Lethal Weapon 4 with the role taken by Jet Li.
While Jackie Chan did attain cult popularity in the US, his break into the mainstream was Rumble in the Bronx in 1995. Jackie Chan has attained the box-office guarantee that has so far eluded other Hong Kong movie stars like Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh in Hollywood. Jackie Chan also made a successful animated series called Jackie Chan Adventures.
In 1994, MTV honoured Jackie with a lifetime achievement award for his action-oriented movies, and a year later, Jackie Chan made his "official" debut in North America with a worldwide release of Rumble in the Bronx.
Jackie has a star on the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong as well as the Walk of Fame. Jackie is also known as a major pop star in Asia, and Jackie Chan released over 100 song titles in 20 albums since 1984. Jackie Chan sings in many different languages including English, Cantonese, Mandarin and Japanese.
As well as many on-going projects, Jackie is a keen philanthropist and has worked tirelessly to champion many charity works and causes. As a well-respected figure of the Hong Kong entertainment industry, Jackie Chan is often one of the leaders in such works, speaking up for conservation, against animal abuse as well as promoting disaster relief efforts such as the recent mainland China relief flood programmes and the 2004 Tsunami donations. Jackie helped raise thousands of US dollars, however this money was later stolen by a third party. In June, 2006, Jackie Chan announced that Jackie Chan would donate half of his assets to charity when Jackie Chan dies. Jackie Chan stated that Jackie Chan admired the efforts by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates to help those in need.
Jackie Chan Filmography
Kung Fu Panda (2008)Rush Hour 3 (2007)
Rob-B-Hood (2006) (Original Working Title, Project BB)
The Myth (2005)
New Police Story (2004)
The Twins Effect 2 (2004) (also known as The Huadu Chronicles: Blade of the Rose)
Around the World in 80 Days (2004) The Medallion (2003)
The Twins Effect (2003)
Shanghai Knights (2003)
The Tuxedo (2002)
Rush Hour 2 (2001)
The Accidental Spy (2001)
Shanghai Noon (2000) The King of Comedy (1999)
Gorgeous (1999)
Who Am I? (1999)
Rush Hour (1998)
Mr. Nice Guy (1998)
An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1997) (Cameo)
Police Story 4: First Strike (1996) (also known as his First Strike)
Thunderbolt (1995) (also known as Dead Heat
Rumble in the Bronx (1994)
Drunken Master II (1994) (also known as The Legend of Drunken Master, 2000)
Once a Cop (1993) (also known as Supercop 2 and Police Story V)
Crime Story (1993) (also known as Police Story IV and The New Police Story)
City Hunter (1993)
Police Story 3 (1992) (also known as Super Cop)
A Kid from Tibet (1991)
Island of Fire (1991) (also known as The Burning Island)
Twin Dragons (1991) (also known as Brother vs. Brother and When Dragons Collide)
Armour of God II: Operation Condor (1990)
Miracles (1989) (also known as The Canton Godfather and Black Dragon)
Police Story 2 (1988)
3 Brothers and one sister (Closed relationship) (1988)
Project A Part II (1987) (also known as his Project A2 and Project B)
Dragons Forever (1987)
Dirty Boys (1986) (also known as Naughty Boys)
Armour of God (1986)
Police Story (1985)
Heart of Dragon (1985)
Ninja and the Thief (1985) (also known as Ninja Thunderbolt)
The Protector (1985)
Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars (1985) (also known as My Lucky Stars 2)
My Lucky Stars (1985)
Wheels on Meals (1984)
Dragon Attack (1984)
Pom Pom (1984) (also known as Motorcycle Cop 2)
Two in a Black Belt (1984)
Cannonball Run II (1983)
The Fearless Hyena Part II (1983)
Winners and Sinners (1983) (also known as Five Lucky Stars)
Project A (1983) (also known as his Project A)
Dragon Lord (1982)
Black Magic Wars (1982)
Fantasy Mission Force (1982)
The Cannonball Run (1981)
The Big Brawl (1980)
The Young Master (1980)
Dragon Fist (1979)
Fearless Hyena (1979)
Snake & Crane Arts of Shaolin (1978)
Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978)
Spiritual Kung-Fu (1978) (also known as Karate Ghostbuster)
Drunken Master (1978)
Magnificent Bodyguards (1978)
Half a Loaf of Kung Fu (1978)
The 36 Crazy Fists (1977)
To Kill with Intrigue (1977)
The killer Meteors (1976)
Shaolin Chamber of Death (1976) (also known as 36 Wooden Men, Shaolin Wooden Men,
Shaolin Wooden Men - Young Tiger's Revenge, and Wooden Man)
Countdown in Kung Fu (1976)
New Fist of Fury (1976)
Mr. Boo 2 : The Private Eyes (1976)
All in the Family (1975)
No End of Surprises (1975) Master with Cracked Fingers (1974)
Fists of the Double K (1974)
The Golden Lotus (1974)
Police Woman (1974)
Supermen Against the Orient (1974) Enter The Dragon (1973)
Facets of Love (1973)
Eagle Shadow Fist (1973)
Attack of the Kung Fu Girls (1973)
Lady Kung Fu (1972)
Bruce Lee and I (1972)
Little Tiger of Canton (1971)
Come Drink with Me (1966)
The Story of Qin Xianglian (1964)
Big and Little Wong Tin Bar (1962)
