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Jackie Chan

 
Jackie Chan

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Jackie Chan



 
 
Jackie Chan, SBS
Silver Bauhinia Star

The Silver Bauhinia Star is the second rank in Order of the Bauhinia Star in Hong Kong, created in 1997 to replace the British honours system after the transfer of sovereignty to People's Republic of China and the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region....
, MBE (born Chan Kong Sang, ???, on 7 April 1954) is an actor
Actor

An actor or actress is a person who acting in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio programming in that capacity....
, action choreographer
Stage combat

Stage combat is a specialized technique in theatre designed to create the illusion of physical combat without causing harm to the performers. It is employed in live stage plays as well as operatic and ballet productions....
, film director
Film director

A film director, or filmmaker, is a person who directs the making of a film. A film director visualizes the Screenplay, controlling a film's artistic and dramatic aspects, while guiding the technical crew and actors in the fulfillment of his or her vision....
, producer
Film producer

A film producer is someone who creates the conditions for making film. The producer initiates, co-ordinates, supervises and controls matters such as fund-raising, hiring key personnel and arranging for distributors....
, martial artist, screenwriter
Screenwriter

Screenwriters or scenarists are scriptwriters who write the screenplays from which films and television programs are made.Most screenwriters start their careers writing on speculation....
, entrepreneur
Entrepreneur

An entrepreneur is a person who has possession of an organization, or venture, and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome....
, singer and stunt performer
Stunt performer

A stunt performer is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be....
 from Hong Kong
Hong Kong

Hong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located in Southern China in East Asia, bordering the province of Guangdong to the north and facing the South China Sea to the east, west and south....
.

Chan is one of the best-known names worldwide in the areas of kung fu
Chinese martial arts

Kung fu and wushu are popular terms that have become synonymous with China martial arts. However, the Chinese language terms kung fu and wushu have very different meanings....
 and action film
Action film

Action movies are a film genre where action sequences, such as explosions, Choreographed fight in cinema, shootouts, stunts, car chases or explosions either take precedence over or, in finer examples of the genre, are used as a form of exposition and character development....
s. In his films, he is known for his acrobatic
Acrobatics

Acrobatics is one of the performing arts, and is also practiced as a sport. Acrobatics involves difficult feats of balance, agility and motor coordination....
 fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons
Improvised weapons

Improvised weapons are devices that were not designed to be used as weapons but can be put to that use. They are generally used for self-defence or where the person is otherwise unarmed....
 and innovative stunt
Stunt

A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat, or any act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes in TV, theatre, or film....
s. Jackie Chan has been acting since the 1970s and has appeared in over 100 film
Film

Film encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the film industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or special effects....
s. Chan has received stars on the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars
Avenue of Stars, Hong Kong

The Avenue of Stars , modelled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, is located along the Victoria Harbour waterfront in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. It honours celebrities of the Cinema of Hong Kong....
 and the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, that serves as an entertainment hall of fame....
.






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Jackie Chan, SBS
Silver Bauhinia Star

The Silver Bauhinia Star is the second rank in Order of the Bauhinia Star in Hong Kong, created in 1997 to replace the British honours system after the transfer of sovereignty to People's Republic of China and the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region....
, MBE (born Chan Kong Sang, ???, on 7 April 1954) is an actor
Actor

An actor or actress is a person who acting in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio programming in that capacity....
, action choreographer
Stage combat

Stage combat is a specialized technique in theatre designed to create the illusion of physical combat without causing harm to the performers. It is employed in live stage plays as well as operatic and ballet productions....
, film director
Film director

A film director, or filmmaker, is a person who directs the making of a film. A film director visualizes the Screenplay, controlling a film's artistic and dramatic aspects, while guiding the technical crew and actors in the fulfillment of his or her vision....
, producer
Film producer

A film producer is someone who creates the conditions for making film. The producer initiates, co-ordinates, supervises and controls matters such as fund-raising, hiring key personnel and arranging for distributors....
, martial artist, screenwriter
Screenwriter

Screenwriters or scenarists are scriptwriters who write the screenplays from which films and television programs are made.Most screenwriters start their careers writing on speculation....
, entrepreneur
Entrepreneur

An entrepreneur is a person who has possession of an organization, or venture, and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome....
, singer and stunt performer
Stunt performer

A stunt performer is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be....
 from Hong Kong
Hong Kong

Hong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located in Southern China in East Asia, bordering the province of Guangdong to the north and facing the South China Sea to the east, west and south....
.

Chan is one of the best-known names worldwide in the areas of kung fu
Chinese martial arts

Kung fu and wushu are popular terms that have become synonymous with China martial arts. However, the Chinese language terms kung fu and wushu have very different meanings....
 and action film
Action film

Action movies are a film genre where action sequences, such as explosions, Choreographed fight in cinema, shootouts, stunts, car chases or explosions either take precedence over or, in finer examples of the genre, are used as a form of exposition and character development....
s. In his films, he is known for his acrobatic
Acrobatics

Acrobatics is one of the performing arts, and is also practiced as a sport. Acrobatics involves difficult feats of balance, agility and motor coordination....
 fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons
Improvised weapons

Improvised weapons are devices that were not designed to be used as weapons but can be put to that use. They are generally used for self-defence or where the person is otherwise unarmed....
 and innovative stunt
Stunt

A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat, or any act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes in TV, theatre, or film....
s. Jackie Chan has been acting since the 1970s and has appeared in over 100 film
Film

Film encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the film industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or special effects....
s. Chan has received stars on the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars
Avenue of Stars, Hong Kong

The Avenue of Stars , modelled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, is located along the Victoria Harbour waterfront in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. It honours celebrities of the Cinema of Hong Kong....
 and the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, that serves as an entertainment hall of fame....
. As a cultural icon
Cultural icon

A cultural icon can be an , a symbol, a logo, picture, name, face, person, or building or other image that is readily recognized, and generally represents an object or concept with great cultural significance to a wide cultural group....
, Chan has been referenced in various pop songs, cartoon
Cartoon

The word cartoon has various meanings, based on several very different forms of visual art and illustration. The term has evolved over time.The original meaning was in fine art, and there cartoon meant a preparatory drawing for a piece of art such as a painting or tapestry....
s and video games. Besides acting, Chan is a Cantopop
Cantopop

Cantopop is a colloquial portmanteau for "Cantonese popular music". It is sometimes referred to as HK-pop, short for "Hong Kong popular music"....
 and Mandopop
Mandopop

Mandopop is a colloquial abbreviation for "Mandarin Chinese popular music". It is also referred to as Mandapop. It is categorized as a genre of China popular music within C-pop....
 star, having released a number of albums and sung many of the theme songs
Theme music

The phrase theme music usually refers to that of a radio programming, television program, or movie. It is a Musical composition that is often written specifically for that show, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits....
 for the films in which he has starred. In 2008, Chan sang at the 2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony
2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony

The 2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony was held at the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest. It was directed by Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou and began at 8:00 pm China standard time on August 24, 2008....
.

Early life

Chan was born in 1954 in Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak

Victoria Peak is a mountain in Hong Kong. It is also known as Mount Austin, and locally as The Peak. The mountain is located in the western half of Hong Kong Island....
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong

Hong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located in Southern China in East Asia, bordering the province of Guangdong to the north and facing the South China Sea to the east, west and south....
 (then a British Overseas Territory), as Chan Kong Sang (meaning "born in [Hong] Kong") to Charles and Lee-Lee Chan, refugees from the Chinese Civil War
Chinese Civil War

The Chinese Civil War or , which lasted from April 1927 to May 1950, was a civil war in China between the Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party ....
. He was nicknamed Pao Pao (literally meaning "Cannonball") because he was always rolling around as an infant. He also had a brother name Soo-Sung Chan and a sister Tai Chan. Since his parents worked for the French Consul
Consul (representative)

The title Consul is used for the official representatives of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the people of the country to whom he or she is accredited and the country of which he or she is a...
 to Hong Kong, Chan spent his formative years within the grounds of the consul's residence in the Victoria Peak district.

Chan attended the Nah-Hwa Primary School on Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island

Hong Kong Island is an Islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong in the southern part of Hong Kong. It has a population of 1,268,112 and its population density is 15,915/km?, as of 2006....
, where he failed his first year, after which his parents withdrew him from the school. In 1960, his father emigrated to Canberra
Canberra

Canberra is the List of Australian capital cities of Australia. With a population of over 340,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth largest Australian city overall....
, Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
, to work as head cook for the American embassy, and Chan was sent to the China Drama Academy, a Peking Opera School
Peking Opera School

The Peking Opera Schools were boarding schools located throughout Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. The most well known of these schools are those that were based in Hong Kong during the 1950s and 60s, as many of the attending students subsequently embarked on successful careers in the Cinema of Hong Kong....
 run by Master Yu Jim Yuen
Yu Jim Yuen

Yu Jim Yuen was the master of the China Drama Academy, one of the main Peking Opera Schools in Hong Kong from which Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Yuen Qiu, Yuen Wah, and Corey Yuen received their training....
.

Chan trained rigorously for the next decade, excelling in martial arts and acrobatics. He eventually joined the Seven Little Fortunes
Seven Little Fortunes

The Seven Little Fortunes , sometimes known as The Lucky Seven, were a group of top martial arts students of the China Drama Academy Peking Opera School in Hong Kong in the 1960s....
, a performance group made up of the school's best students, gaining the stage name
Stage name

A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, comedians, musician, and professional wrestling....
 Yuen Lo in homage to his master. Chan became close friends with fellow group members Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung

Sammo Hung is a Chinese people actor, Film producer and film director from Hong Kong, known for his work in many Chinese martial arts Martial arts film and Hong Kong action cinema....
 and Yuen Biao
Yuen Biao

Yuen Biao is an actor from Nanjing, China. He specialises in martial arts and has worked on over 80 films as actor, stuntman and stage combat. Along with Peking Opera School "brothers" at the China Drama Academy, Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan, he was one of the Seven Little Fortunes....
, the three of them later to be known as the Three Brothers or Three Dragons.

At the age of 8, he appeared with some of his fellow "Little Fortunes", in the film Big and Little Wong Tin Bar
Big and Little Wong Tin Bar

Big and Little Wong Tin Bar is a Hong Kong films of 1962 movie filmed in Hong Kong. The film is notable for being a young Jackie Chan's first film appearance ....
 (1962), with Li Li Hua playing his mother. Chan appeared with Li again the following year, in The Love Eterne
The Love Eterne

The Love Eterne is a Hong Kong films of 1963 Cinema of Hong Kong musical film of the Huangmei opera genre directed by Li Han Hsiang. It is compared to as the Romeo and Juliet of the Far East....
 (1963) and had a small role in King Hu
King Hu

King Hu was a Hong Kong and Taiwan-based China film director whose Wuxia films brought cinema of China to new technical and artistic heights....
's 1966 film, Come Drink with Me
Come Drink with Me

Come Drink with Me is a Hong Kong films of 1966 martial arts film-Hong Kong action cinema directed by King Hu. Set during the Ming Dynasty, it stars Cheng Pei-pei and Yueh Hua as warriors, and features fight choreography by Han Yingjie....
. In 1971, after an appearance as an extra in another King Hu film, A Touch of Zen
A Touch of Zen

A Touch of Zen is a 1971 in film wuxia film directed by King Hu, and made in Taiwan. The movie won significant critical acclaim and became the first Chinese language action film ever to win a prize at the Cannes Film Festival, winning the Technical Grand Prize award....
, Chan began his adult career in the film industry, initially signing to Chu Mu's Great Earth Film Company. At the age of 17, he worked as a stuntman in the Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee

Bruce Jun Fan Lee was a Chinese people martial artist, philosopher, instructor, martial arts actor and the founder of the Jeet Kune Do combat form....
 films Fist of Fury
Fist of Fury

Fist of Fury is a Hong Kong film directed by Lo Wei in Hong Kong films of 1972. It starred the martial artist Bruce Lee in his second major film after The Big Boss....
 and Enter the Dragon
Enter the Dragon

Enter the Dragon aka. The Deadly Three, originally titled Blood and Steel is a Hong Kong films of 1973 United States martial arts film directed by Robert Clouse; starring martial artists Bruce Lee and Jim Kelly , as well as actor John Saxon ....
 under the stage name Chen Yuen Long. He received his first starring role later that year, in Little Tiger of Canton
Little Tiger of Canton

Little Tiger of Canton , aka The Cub Tiger From Kwang Tung is a Hong Kong films of 1973 Hong Kong comedy drama film directed by Chu Mu and starring Jackie Chan....
, which had a limited release in Hong Kong in 1973.. Due to the commercial failures in his early ventures into films and trouble finding stunt work, in 1975 Chan stared in a softcore porngraphic comedy film named All in the Family
All in the Family (film)

All in the Family is a Hong Kong films of 1975 Hong Kong adult comedy film, directed by Mu Zhu and produced under Golden Harvest productions....
, which later became the only adult film Chan made and a film where there is not a single fight or stunt sequence involved.

Chan joined his parents in Canberra in 1976, where he briefly attended Dickson College
Dickson College

Dickson College is a two-year secondary college located in the Canberra suburb of Dickson, Australian Capital Territory. It was created in 1976 when Dickson High School closed....
 and worked as a construction worker. A fellow builder named Jack took Chan under his wing, earning Chan the nickname of "Little Jack" which was later shortened to "Jackie" and the name Jackie Chan stuck with him ever since. In addition, Chan changed his Chinese name
Chinese name

Personal names in Culture of China follow a number of conventions different from those of personal names in Western cultures. Most noticeably, a Chinese name is written with the family name first and the given name next, therefore "John Smith" as a Chinese name would be "Smith John"....
 to Fong Si Lung, since his father's original surname was Fong.

Film career

Drunkenmaster Dvdcover

Early exploits: 1976–1980

In 1976, Jackie Chan received a telegram from Willie Chan, a film producer in the Hong Kong film industry who had been impressed with Jackie's stuntwork. Willie Chan offered him an acting role in a film directed by Lo Wei
Lo Wei

Lo Wei was a famous Hong Kong film director and film actor best known for launching the martial arts film careers of both Bruce Lee, in The Big Boss and Fist of Fury, and Jackie Chan, in New Fist of Fury....
. Lo had seen Chan's performance in the John Woo
John Woo

John Woo Yu-Sen is a critically acclaimed international China film director and film producer. Recognized for his stylized films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion, Mr....
 film Hand of Death
Hand of Death

Hand Of Death...
 (1976) and planned to model him after Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee

Bruce Jun Fan Lee was a Chinese people martial artist, philosopher, instructor, martial arts actor and the founder of the Jeet Kune Do combat form....
 with the film New Fist of Fury
New Fist of Fury

New Fist of Fury is a Hong Kong films of 1976 Hong Kong action cinema, directed by Lo Wei and starring Jackie Chan. It is the first of several films that Lo directed Chan in, and the first using Chan's stage name Sing Lung - meaning "Becoming a Dragon" - by which he's still known today in Asia....
. His stage name was changed to Cheng Long (Chinese: ??, literally "become the dragon") to emphasise his similarity to Bruce Lee, whose stage name was Lei Siu Lung (Chinese: ???, meaning "Little Dragon"). The film was unsuccessful because Chan was not accustomed to Lee's martial arts style. Despite the film's failure, Lo Wei continued producing films with similar themes, resulting in little improvement at the box office.

Chan's first major breakthrough was the 1978 film Snake in the Eagle's Shadow
Snake in the Eagle's Shadow

'Snake in the Eagle's Shadow' is a Hong Kong films of 1978 Cinema of Hong Kong martial arts Hong Kong action cinema. It was the directorial debut of Yuen Woo-ping, who has since gained international stardom as the action choreographer for films such as Iron Monkey , Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, The Matrix series and Kill Bi...
, shot while he was loaned to Seasonal Film Corporation under a two-picture deal. Under director Yuen Woo Ping, Chan was allowed complete freedom over his stunt work. The film established the comedic kung fu genre, and proved to be a breath of fresh air for the Hong Kong audience. Chan then starred in Drunken Master
Drunken Master

Drunken Master is a Hong Kong films of 1978 Cinema of Hong Kong Martial arts film-Hong Kong action cinema-comedy film directed by Yuen Woo-ping, and starring Jackie Chan, billed as "Jacky Chan", Yuen Siu Tien , and Hwang Jang-Lee....
, which finally propelled him to mainstream success.

Upon Chan's return to Lo Wei's studio, Lo tried to replicate the comedic approach of Drunken Master, producing Half a Loaf of Kung Fu
Half a Loaf of Kung Fu

Half a Loaf of Kung Fu or Dian zhi gong fu gan chian chan is a Hong Kong films of 1978 Hong Kong Hong Kong action cinema-comedy film starring Jackie Chan, who was also action choreographer and co-writer....
 and Spiritual Kung Fu. He also gave Chan the opportunity to co-direct The Fearless Hyena with Kenneth Tsang
Kenneth Tsang

Kenneth Tsang Kong is a Hong Kong actor. Tsang's career has spanned 50 years and included a variety of acting roles.Tsang was born in Hong Kong with family roots in Zhongshan, Guangdong....
. When Willie Chan left the company, he advised Jackie to decide for himself whether or not to stay with Lo Wei. During the shooting of Fearless Hyena Part II, Chan broke his contract and joined Golden Harvest
Golden Harvest

Golden Harvest is a film production, distribution, and exhibition company based in Hong Kong. It played a major role in becoming the first Chinese film company to successfully enter the western market with staying power....
, prompting Lo to blackmail Chan with triads, blaming Willie for his star's departure. The dispute was resolved with the help of fellow actor and director Jimmy Wang Yu
Jimmy Wang Yu

Jimmy Wang Yu is a Han Chinese actor, film director, Film producer, and scriptwriter. He shot to fame with the Shaw Brothers Studio's martial arts film, The One-Armed Swordsman, in 1967....
, allowing Chan to stay with Golden Harvest.

Success of the action comedy genre: 1980–1987

Willie Chan
Willie Chan

Willie Chan Chi-Keung, born May 22, 1941 in Malaysia, is a Hong Kong film producer. He is best known for helping to establish the career of Jackie Chan, serving as the actor's manager and later as the actor?s producing partner in both Asia and North America....
 had become Jackie's personal manager and firm friend, and has remained so for over 30 years. He was instrumental in launching Chan's international career, beginning with his first forays into the American film industry in the 1980s. His first Hollywood film was Battle Creek Brawl in 1980. Chan then played a minor role in the 1981 film The Cannonball Run
The Cannonball Run (film)

The Cannonball Run is a Camp y, slapstick Film released in 1981 that starred Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore, Dom DeLuise and Farrah Fawcett. Hal Needham was the director and had an uncredited role as an emergency medical technician....
, which grossed US$
United States dollar

The United States dollar is the unit of currency of the United States and was defined by the Coinage Act of 1792 to be between 371 and 416 grains of silver ....
100 million worldwide. Despite being largely ignored by audiences in favour of established American actors like Burt Reynolds
Burt Reynolds

Burton Leon "Burt" Reynolds Jr. is an United States actor. Some of his memorable roles include Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Paul Crewe in The Longest Yard , Bo 'Bandit' Darville in Smokey and the Bandit, J.J....
, Chan was impressed by the outtakes shown at the closing credits
Closing credits

Closing credits or end credits are added at the end of a motion picture or television program to list the Cast member and Film crew involved in the production....
, inspiring him to include the same device in his future films. After the commercial failure of The Protector
The Protector (1985 film)

The Protector is a Hong Kong films of 1985 Hong Kong / US Hong Kong action cinema, Film director by James Glickenhaus and starring Jackie Chan....
 in 1985, Chan temporarily abandoned his attempts to break into the US market, returning his focus to Hong Kong films
Cinema of Hong Kong

The Movie theater of Hong Kong is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese language film, alongside the cinema of China, and the cinema of Taiwan....
.

Back in Hong Kong, Chan's films began to reach a larger audience in East Asia
East Asia

East Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either Geography or cultural terms. Geography and geopolitically, it covers about 12,000,000 km?, or about 28 percent of the Asian continent, about 15 percent bigger than the area of Europe, though some categorize Tibet, Xinjiang, and Mongolia as Central Asia....
, with early successes in the lucrative Japanese market including The Young Master
The Young Master

The Young Master is a Hong Kong films of 1980 Hong Kong martial arts film-Hong Kong action cinema starring Jackie Chan as Dragon.The film is notable for being the first that Jackie Chan worked on for Golden Harvest, and despite being his second film as director , this is often incorrectly credited as his directorial debut....
 (1980) and Dragon Lord
Dragon Lord

Dragon Lord is a Hong Kong films of 1982 Cinema of Hong Kong martial arts film directed by and starring Jackie Chan. It was originally supposed to be a sequel to The Young Master and even had the name Young Master in Love until it was changed to Dragon Lord....
 (1982). Chan produced a number of action comedy films with his opera school friends Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao. The three co-starred together for the first time in 1983 in Project A
Project A

Project A is a Hong Kong films of 1983 Cinema of Hong Kong starring Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao.Set in the 1900s in Colonial Hong Kong, Project A blends comedy moments and spectacular stunts, including set-pieces reminiscent of Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd....
, which won the Best Action Design Award at the third annual Hong Kong Film Awards
Hong Kong Film Awards

The Hong Kong Film Awards , founded in 1982, are the most prestigious List of film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in mainland China and Taiwan....
. Over the following two years, the "Three Brothers" appeared in Wheels on Meals
Wheels on Meals

Wheels on Meals is a Hong Kong films of 1984 Hong Kong action cinema directed by Sammo Hung, starring Hung, Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao. In some releases, the film was released under alternative titles including Spartan X, Weapon X, Spanish Connection and Million Dollar Heiress....
 and the original Lucky Stars
Lucky Stars

Lucky Stars was a Cinema of Hong Kong Hong Kong action cinema comedy film film series in the Hong Kong films of the 1980s and Hong Kong films of the 1990s, blending Chinese martial arts with bawdy comedy....
 trilogy. In 1985, Chan made the first Police Story
Police Story (film)

Police Story is a Hong Kong films of 1985 Cinema of Hong Kong Hong Kong action cinema-comedy film directed by and starring Jackie Chan and written by Edward Tang....
 film, a US-influenced action comedy in which Chan performed his own stunts. It was named the "Best Movie" at the 1986 Hong Kong Film Awards. In 1987, Chan played "Asian Hawk", an Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones

Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr. is a fictional character adventurer, soldier, professor of archaeology, and the main protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise....
-esque character, in the film Armour of God
Armour of God

Armour of God is a Hong Kong films of 1986 Hong Kong martial arts film-Hong Kong action cinema co-directed by, and starring Jackie Chan. The film features Chan's regular kung-fu, comedy and stunts, with an Indiana Jones-style theme....
. The film was Chan's biggest domestic box office success to date, grossing over HK $35 million.

Acclaimed sequels and Hollywood breakthrough: 1988–1998

In 1988 Chan starred alongside Hung and Yuen for the last time to date, in the film Dragons Forever
Dragons Forever

Dragons Forever is a Hong Kong films of 1988 Hong Kong Hong Kong action cinema. It features Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao. The three actors, known colloquially as the Three Brothers, had attended the famous Peking Opera School together, and became members of the Seven Little Fortunes....
. Hung co-directed with Corey Yuen
Corey Yuen

Corey Yuen Kwai is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker and film producer. He is one of the Seven Little Fortunes....
, and the villain in the film was played by Yuen Wah
Yuen Wah

Yuen Wah is a Hong Kong based Chinese people Hong Kong action cinema actor, stage combat and stunt double who has appeared in over 160 films since his first, Fist of Fury and over 20 television series....
, both of whom were fellow graduates of the China Drama Academy.

In the late 1980s and early 90s, Chan starred in a number of successful sequels beginning with Police Story 2
Police Story 2

Police Story 2 is a Hong Kong films of 1988 Cinema of Hong Kong Hong Kong action cinema-comedy film directed by and starring Jackie Chan. It is a sequel to the hit Hong Kong films of 1985 film, Police Story , continuing the storyline of Chan's character, "Kevin" Chan Ka-Kui....
, which won the award for Best Action Choreography at the 1989 Hong Kong Film Awards
Hong Kong Film Awards

The Hong Kong Film Awards , founded in 1982, are the most prestigious List of film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in mainland China and Taiwan....
. This was followed by Armour of God II: Operation Condor
Armour of God II: Operation Condor

Armour of God II: Operation Condor is a Hong Kong films of 1991 Hong Kong martial arts film-Hong Kong action cinema, directed by and starring Jackie Chan....
, and Police Story 3
Police Story 3

Police Story 3: Supercop , also known as Supercop in North America, is a Hong Kong films of 1992 Cinema of Hong Kong Hong Kong action cinema-comedy film starring Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh....
, for which Chan won the Best Actor Award at the 1993 Golden Horse Film Festival
Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards

The Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan since 1962. The awards ceremony is usually held in November/December in Taipei, though the venue has been shifted around the island in recent times....
. In 1994, Chan reprised his role as Wong Fei Hung
Wong Fei Hung

Wong Fei Hung was a martial artist, a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, and revolutionary who became a Han Chinese folk hero and the subject of numerous television series and films....
 in Drunken Master II
Drunken Master II

Drunken Master II is a Hong Kong films of 1994 Cinema of Hong Kong kung fu film directed by Lau Kar-Leung and starring Jackie Chan as Han Chinese folk hero Wong Fei Hung....
, which was listed in Time Magazine's All-Time 100 Movies. Another sequel, Police Story 4: First Strike
Police Story 4: First Strike

Police Story 4: First Strike , released in English language markets as Jackie Chan's First Strike, is a Hong Kong films of 1996 Hong Kong action cinema-adventure film made in the typical humorous style of Jackie Chan....
, brought more awards and domestic box office success for Chan, but did not fare as well in foreign markets. Jackie Chan rekindled his Hollywood
Cinema of the United States

United States cinema has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, Classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period ....
 ambitions in the 1990s, but refused early offers to play villains in Hollywood films to avoid being typecast
Typecasting (acting)

Typecasting is the process by which a film, TV, or stage actor is strongly identified with a specific fictional character, one or more particular role , or characters with the same Trait theory or ethnic grouping....
 in future roles. For example, Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an 48th Academy Awards-nominated American actor, film director, film producer and screenwriter....
 offered him the role of Simon Phoenix, a criminal in the futuristic film Demolition Man
Demolition Man (film)

Demolition Man is a 1993 in film Cinema of the United States dystopian action film directed by Marco Brambilla, and starring Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, Sandra Bullock, Nigel Hawthorne and Denis Leary....
. Chan declined and the role was taken by Wesley Snipes
Wesley Snipes

Wesley Trent Snipes is an United States actor, film producer and martial artist. He has starred in action-adventures, thrillers, and dramatic feature films but is best known for his role as Blade in the Blade ....
.

Chan finally succeeded in establishing a foothold in the North America
North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
n market in 1995 with a worldwide release of Rumble in the Bronx
Rumble in the Bronx

Rumble in the Bronx is a Hong Kong films of 1995 Hong Kong martial arts film-Hong Kong action cinema starring Jackie Chan and Anita Mui.Released in the US in 1996, Rumble in the Bronx had a successful theater run, and brought Chan into the United States mainstream....
, attaining a cult following
Cult following

A cult following is a group of fan devoted to a specific area of pop culture. These dedicated followings are usually relatively small, and often pertain to items that don't have broad mainstream appeal....
 in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 that was rare for Hong Kong movie stars. The success of Rumble in the Bronx led to a 1996 release of Police Story 3
Police Story 3

Police Story 3: Supercop , also known as Supercop in North America, is a Hong Kong films of 1992 Cinema of Hong Kong Hong Kong action cinema-comedy film starring Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh....
 in the United States under the title Supercop, which grossed a total of US $16,270,600. Jackie then co-starred with Chris Tucker
Chris Tucker

Christopher "Chris" Tucker is an United States actor and comedian most widely known for his roles as Smokey in Friday and James Carter in the Rush Hour trilogy....
 in the 1998 buddy cop action comedy Rush Hour
Rush Hour (film)

Rush Hour is a 1998 in film martial arts film/buddy cop film/comedy film film and Rush Hour #Rush Hour in Rush Hour , directed by Brett Ratner and starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker....
, grossing US$130 million in the United States alone.

Dramatisation: 1998–present

In 1998, Chan released his final film for Golden Harvest, Who Am I?
Who Am I?

Who Am I? is a Hong Kong films of 1998 Hong Kong martial arts film-Hong Kong action cinema, released by Golden Harvest. It was directed by and starred Jackie Chan, who also performed the song that plays over the end credits....
 After leaving Golden Harvest in 1999, he produced Gorgeous, a romantic comedy that focused on personal relationships. Chan then helped create a PlayStation
PlayStation

The PlayStation is a 32-bit history of video game consoles video game console released by Sony Computer Entertainment in December .The PlayStation was the first of the ubiquitous PlayStation ....
 game in 2000 called Jackie Chan Stuntmaster
Jackie Chan Stuntmaster

Jackie Chan Stuntmaster is a Playstation 1 game based on the actor and martial artist Jackie ChanMade by Radical Entertainment, the game sees the player in the shoes of Jackie Chan who must fight his way past numerous villains in different locations across the city of New York...
, to which he lent his voice and performed the motion capture.

Despite further success with Shanghai Noon
Shanghai Noon

Shanghai Noon is a action film-adventure film-comedy film-western film starring Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson. Directed by Tom Dey, it was written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar....
 in 2000, Rush Hour 2
Rush Hour 2

Rush Hour 2 is a 2001 in film Martial arts film/buddy cop film film. This is the Rush Hour #Rush Hour 2 in the Rush Hour . A sequel to the 1998 film Rush Hour , the film stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker who respectively reprise their roles as Inspector Lee and Los Angeles police detective James Carter....
 in 2001 and Shanghai Knights
Shanghai Knights

Shanghai Knights is a 2003 in film action film-comedy film. It is the sequel to Shanghai Noon. It was directed by David Dobkin and written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar....
 in 2003, Chan became frustrated with Hollywood over the limited range of roles and lack of control over the film-making process. In response to Golden Harvest's withdrawal from the film industry in 2003, Chan started his own film production company, JCE Movies Limited
JCE Movies Limited

JCE Movies Limited is a Film distributor and production company based in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. It was founded in 2004 and is a division of Emperor Motion Picture Group, which is part of the Emperor Multimedia Group ....
 (Jackie Chan Emperor Movies Limited) in association with Emperor Multimedia Group (EMG). His films have since featured an increasing number of dramatic scenes while continuing to succeed at the box office; examples include New Police Story
New Police Story

New Police Story is a Hong Kong films of 2004 Cinema of Hong Kong crime film-Hong Kong action cinema starring Jackie Chan and directed by Benny Chan Muk-Sing....
 (2004), The Myth (2005) and Rob-B-Hood
Rob-B-Hood

Rob-B-Hood , also known in the United States as Robin-B-Hood, is a Hong Kong films of 2006 Cinema of Hong Kong Hong Kong action cinema-comedy film written, produced, and directed by Benny Chan Muk-Sing, and starring Jackie Chan, Louis Koo and Michael Hui....
 (2006).

Chan's next release was Rush Hour 3
Rush Hour 3

Rush Hour 3 is a 2007 in film martial arts film/Action film-Comedy film film, and the Rush Hour #Rush Hour 3 in the Rush Hour , starring Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, that began with the 1998 in film Rush Hour and continued with the first sequel Rush Hour 2 in 2001 in film....
 in August 2007. It grossed US$255 million. However, it performed poorly in Hong Kong, grossing only HK$3.5 million during its opening weekend. The filming of The Forbidden Kingdom, Chan's first onscreen collaboration with fellow Chinese
China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
 actor Jet Li
Jet Li

Li Lianjie , better known by his stage name Jet Li, is a China Chinese martial arts, actor, Wushu champion, and international film film star....
, was completed on 24 August 2007 and the film was released in April 2008. Chan voiced the character Master Monkey in the DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation

DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. is an independent United States animation studio which primarily produce a series of critically and commercially successful computer animation, including Shrek , Shark Tale, Madagascar , Over the Hedge , Bee Movie and Kung Fu Panda....
 film, Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda

Kung Fu Panda is a 2008 in film Cinema of the United States animated cartoon comedy blockbuster. It was directed by John Stevenson and Mark Osborne and produced by Melissa Cobb....
, released in June 2008, appearing with stars Jack Black
Jack Black

Jack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo...
, Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman

Dustin Lee Hoffman is a two-time Academy Award-, six-time Golden Globe-, three-time BAFTA- and Emmy Award-winning United States actor....
 and Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie is an American film actor and a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador for the UNHCR. She has been cited as one of the world's most beautiful women and her off-screen life is widely reported....
. In addition, he has signed up to assist Anthony Szeto in an advisory capacity for the writer-director's upcoming film Wushu, which is currently in pre-production. The film will star Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung

Sammo Hung is a Chinese people actor, Film producer and film director from Hong Kong, known for his work in many Chinese martial arts Martial arts film and Hong Kong action cinema....
 and Wang Wenjie as father and son. In November 2007, Chan began filming Shinjuku Incident
Shinjuku Incident

Shinjuku Incident is an upcoming Hong Kong films of 2009 Cinema of Hong Kong starring Jackie Chan and directed by Derek Yee. Filming began in November of 2007, and is now complete....
 with director Derek Yee
Derek Yee

Derek Tung-Sing Yee , born in 1957 is a Hong Kong film director and former Shaw Brothers actor, who has achieved fame and respect in Hong Kong and international film festival circuits for treading carefully commercial viability concerns with artistic integrity....
, which sees Chan take on the role of a Chinese
China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
 immigrant in Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
. Filming is now complete and it is currently in post-production. The film is due for release in Hong Kong cinemas on 25 September 2008. According to his blog
Blog

A blog is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video....
, Chan wishes to direct a film after completing Shinjuku Incident, something he has not done for a number of years. The film is expected to be the third in the Armour of God series, and has a working title of Armour of God III: Chinese Zodiac. Chan originally stated that he would start filming on 1 April 2008, but that date had passed. Because the Screen Actors Guild did not go on strike, Chan started shooting his next movie The Spy Next Door at the end of October in New Mexico
New Mexico

New Mexico is a U. S. State located in the Southwestern United States of the United States. Inhabited by Native Americans in the United States populations for many centuries, it has also has been part of the Spanish Empire viceroyalty of New Spain, part of Mexico, and a U.S....
, leaving the status of Armour of God III: Chinese Zodiac up in the air. In The Spy Next Door
The Spy Next Door

The Spy Next Door is an upcoming 2009 movie starring Jackie Chan, Billy Ray Cyrus and George Lopez. It will be his next American film after Rush Hour 3 and The Forbidden Kingdom....
, Chan plays an undercover agent whose cover is blown when he looks after the children of his neighbor. Chan is scheduled to make an appearance in Indo-Japanese Project Nair San
Nair San (film)

Nairsan is an 2009 in film Indo-Japanese historical movie on the legendary Indian freedom fighter A. M. Nair, popularly known as Nairsan in Japan....
 with Indian actor Mohanlal
Mohanlal

Mohanlal Vishwanathan Nair , commonly known as Mohanlal or Lal, is an Indian film actor and film producer , who works mainly in Malayalam Film Industry....
. With regards to the role Chan will play, reports are contradictory, some stating he will co-star and others saying he will only make a cameo appearance.

Stunts

Jackie Chan performs most of his own stunts, which are choreographed by the Jackie Chan Stunt Team
Jackie Chan Stunt Team

The Jackie Chan Stunt Team , also known as Jackie Chan's Stuntmen Association is a group of stunt double and martial arts who work alongside Jackie Chan....
. He has stated in interviews that the primary inspiration of his more comedic stunts were the films such as The General
The General

The General may refer to:Film:* The General , a Buster Keaton film about the train chase* The General , a John Boorman drama about Dublin criminal mastermind Martin Cahill...
, starring Buster Keaton
Buster Keaton

Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton was an Academy Award-winning United States comic actor and filmmaker. Best known for his silent films, his trademark was physical comedy with a stoicism, deadpan expression on his face, earning him the nickname "The Great Stone Face" ....
, who was also known to perform his own stunts without doubles. Since the team's establishment in 1983, Chan has used it in all his subsequent films to make choreographing easier, given his understanding of each member's abilities. Chan and his team undertake many of the stunts performed by other characters in his films, shooting the scenes such that their faces are obscured.

The dangerous nature of his stunts makes it difficult for Chan to get insurance, especially in the United States, where his stunt work is contractually limited. Chan holds the Guinness World Record
Guinness World Records

Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing an internationally recognized...
 for "Most Stunts By A Living Actor", which emphasises "no insurance company will underwrite Chan's productions, in which he performs all his own stunts". In addition, he holds an unrecognised record for the most number of takes for a single shot in a film, having shot over 2900 retakes for a complex scene involving a badminton game in Dragon Lord
Dragon Lord

Dragon Lord is a Hong Kong films of 1982 Cinema of Hong Kong martial arts film directed by and starring Jackie Chan. It was originally supposed to be a sequel to The Young Master and even had the name Young Master in Love until it was changed to Dragon Lord....
.

Chan has been injured numerous times attempting stunts; many of them have been shown as outtakes or as blooper
Blooper

A blooper is a short sequence of a film or video production which is a deleted scene, contains a mistake made by a member of the cast or crew. These bloopers, or outtakes as they are also called, are often the subject of television shows or are occasionally revealed during the Closing credits sequence at the end of comedy films....
s during the closing credits of his films. He came closest to death filming Armour of God
Armour of God

Armour of God is a Hong Kong films of 1986 Hong Kong martial arts film-Hong Kong action cinema co-directed by, and starring Jackie Chan. The film features Chan's regular kung-fu, comedy and stunts, with an Indiana Jones-style theme....
, when he fell from a tree and fractured his skull. Over the years, Chan has dislocated his pelvis and broken his fingers, toes, nose, both cheekbones, hips, sternum, neck, ankle and ribs on numerous occasions.

Filmography and screen persona

Jackie Chan created his screen persona as a response to Bruce Lee, and the numerous imitators
Bruceploitation

Bruceploitation is a cultural phenomenon mostly seen in the 1970s after the untimely death of martial artist and martial arts actor Bruce Lee in 1973....
 who appeared before and after Lee's death. In contrast to Lee's characters, who were typically stern, morally upright heroes, Chan plays well-meaning, slightly foolish regular guys (often at the mercy of their friends, girlfriends or families) who always triumph in the end despite the odds. Despite the success of the Rush Hour series, Chan has stated that he is not a fan of it since he neither appreciates the action scenes in the movie, nor understands American humour. In the same interview Chan said that while he is not enamored with the films he makes in the U.S., and has repeatedly shown a lack of enthusiasm for some of his biggest Hollywood projects fearing that Chinese viewers may not understand them, he uses the high salaries from these pictures to fund Chinese projects that he is more interested in.

In recent years, the aging Chan grew tired of being typecast as an action hero, prompting him to act with more emotion in his latest films. In New Police Story, he portrayed a character suffering from alcoholism and mourning his murdered colleagues. To further shed the image of Mr. Nice Guy, Chan played an anti-hero for the first time in Rob-B-Hood starring as Thongs, a burglar with gambling problems.

Television work

In 2000, Chan hosted a fictionalised version of himself in the animated series Jackie Chan Adventures
Jackie Chan Adventures

Jackie Chan Adventures is an United States List of animated television series chronicling the adventures of a fictionalized version of action film star Jackie Chan....
, which ran until 2005.

In July 2008, the BTV reality television
Reality television

Reality television is a genre of television programming which presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors....
 series entitled The Disciple (lit. "Disciple of the Dragon") concluded. The series was produced by, and featured Jackie Chan. The aim of the program was to find a new star, skilled in acting and martial arts, to become Chan's "successor" and student in filmmaking. Contestants were trained by Jackie Chan Stunt Team members Alan Wu and He Jun and competed in various fields, including explosion scenes, high-altitude wire-suspension, gunplay, car stunts, diving, obstacles courses etc. The regular judges on the program were He Ping
He Ping

He Ping is a People's Republic of China film director, whose filmography consists of a hybrid genre of Western -wuxia movies. He is an ethnic Manchu whose ancestors were members of the Blue Banners....
, Wu Yue and Cheng Pei Pei. Guest judges include Stanley Tong
Stanley Tong

Stanley Tong is a film director from Hong Kong.According to IMDb , he customarily attempts stunts himself before asking actors to risk themselves....
, Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung

Sammo Hung is a Chinese people actor, Film producer and film director from Hong Kong, known for his work in many Chinese martial arts Martial arts film and Hong Kong action cinema....
 and Yuen Biao
Yuen Biao

Yuen Biao is an actor from Nanjing, China. He specialises in martial arts and has worked on over 80 films as actor, stuntman and stage combat. Along with Peking Opera School "brothers" at the China Drama Academy, Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan, he was one of the Seven Little Fortunes....
. The "Finals" began on 5 April 2008, with 16 contestants remaining, and concluded on 26 June 2008. Amongst those in attendance were Tsui Hark
Tsui Hark

Tsui Hark, born Tsui Man-Kong on 15 February 1950, is a Hong Kong New Wave film director in Hong Kong and a highly influential film producer....
, John Woo
John Woo

John Woo Yu-Sen is a critically acclaimed international China film director and film producer. Recognized for his stylized films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion, Mr....
, Ng See Yuen and Yu Rong Guang.

The winner of the series was Jacky Tu (Tu Sheng Cheng). Along with runners up Yang Zheng and Jerry Liau, Tu is now set to star in three modern Chinese action films, one of which was scripted by Chan, and all three will be co-produced by Chan and his company JCE Movies Limited
JCE Movies Limited

JCE Movies Limited is a Film distributor and production company based in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. It was founded in 2004 and is a division of Emperor Motion Picture Group, which is part of the Emperor Multimedia Group ....
. The films will be entitled Speedpost 206, Won't Tell You and Tropical Toranado and will be directed by Xie Dong, Jiang Tao and Cai Rong Hui. All 16 finalists will be given the opportunity to work on the films, or to join the Jackie Chan Stunt Team
Jackie Chan Stunt Team

The Jackie Chan Stunt Team , also known as Jackie Chan's Stuntmen Association is a group of stunt double and martial arts who work alongside Jackie Chan....
. Production on the first film is due to begin in September 2008. In addition, the finalists will be given roles in a forthcoming BTV action series.

Music career

Jackie Chan had vocal lessons whilst at the Peking Opera School in his childhood. He began producing records professionally in the 1980s and has gone on to become a successful singer in Hong Kong and Asia. He has released 20 albums since 1984 and has performed vocals in Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Taiwanese and English. He often sings the theme songs of his films, which play over the closing credits
Closing credits

Closing credits or end credits are added at the end of a motion picture or television program to list the Cast member and Film crew involved in the production....
. Chan's first musical recording was "Kung Fu Fighting Man", the theme song played over the closing credits of The Young Master
The Young Master

The Young Master is a Hong Kong films of 1980 Hong Kong martial arts film-Hong Kong action cinema starring Jackie Chan as Dragon.The film is notable for being the first that Jackie Chan worked on for Golden Harvest, and despite being his second film as director , this is often incorrectly credited as his directorial debut....
 (1980). At least 10 of these recordings have been released on soundtrack albums for the films. His cantonese song Story of a Hero (theme song of Police Story
Police Story (film)

Police Story is a Hong Kong films of 1985 Cinema of Hong Kong Hong Kong action cinema-comedy film directed by and starring Jackie Chan and written by Edward Tang....
) was selected by the Royal Hong Kong Police and incorporated into their recruitment advertisment
Television advertisement

A 'television advertisement' or television commercial is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organisation that conveys a message....
 in 1994.

Chan voiced the character of Shang in the Chinese release of the Walt Disney
Walt Disney Pictures

Walt Disney Pictures refers to several different entities associated with The Walt Disney Company:Walt Disney Pictures, the film banner, was found as a designation in 1983, prior to which Disney films since the death of Walt Disney were released under the name of the parent company, then named Walt Disney Productions....
 animated feature
Animation

Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. It is an optical illusion of Motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in a number of ways....
, Mulan
Mulan

Mulan is a 1998 United States animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, and released by Walt Disney Pictures on June 19, 1998....
 (1998). He also performed the song "I'll Make a Man Out of You", for the film's soundtrack. For the US release, both voice and song were performed by Donnie Osmond.

In 2007, Chan recorded and released the song "We Are Ready", the official one-year countdown song to the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics

The 2008 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, People's Republic of China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008....
. He performed the song at a ceremony marking the one-year countdown to the 2008 Summer Paralympics
2008 Summer Paralympics

The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games, the thirteenth Paralympic Games, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to September 17, 2008. Mainland China fielded more Sportspersons than any other country....
.

The day before the Beijing Olympics opened, Chan released one of the two official Olympics albums, Official Album for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games - Jackie Chan's Version, which featured a number of special guest appearances. Chan, along with Andy Lau
Andy Lau

Andy Lau Tak-Wah Medal of Honour, Justice of the Peace is a Hong Kong China Cantopop star, movie actor, and Film producer. He has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the 1990s....
, Liu Huan
Liu Huan

Liu Huan, born August 26, 1963, is a male pop singer and songwriter in China. His song "Asking Myself a Thousand Times for That" remained in the number one position for ten weeks on mainland China radio stations....
 and Emil Chau, performed "Hard to Say Goodbye", the farewell song for the 2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony
2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony

The 2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony was held at the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest. It was directed by Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou and began at 8:00 pm China standard time on August 24, 2008....
.

Image and celebrity status

Jackie Chan Star
Jackie Chan has received worldwide recognition for his acting, having won several awards including an Innovator Award from the American Choreography Awards
American Choreography Awards

The American Choreography Awards were founded in 1994 to recognize outstanding achievements in Film, Television, Commercial, and Music Video. They also honor individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to dance....
 and a lifetime achievement award from the Taurus World Stunt Awards
Taurus World Stunt Awards

The Taurus World Stunt Awards is a yearly ceremony award that honors stunt performers in movies. It is held each year in Los Angeles....
. He has stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
List of stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

The following is a list of stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, including the category and location of each star. It should be consistent with the list on the Hollywood Walk of Fame maintained by the Hollywood Chamber of commerce....
 and the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars
Avenue of Stars, Hong Kong

The Avenue of Stars , modelled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, is located along the Victoria Harbour waterfront in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. It honours celebrities of the Cinema of Hong Kong....
. Despite considerable box office success in Hollywood, Chan's American films have been criticised with respect to the action choreography. Reviewers of Rush Hour 2, The Tuxedo, and Shanghai Knights criticised the toning down of Chan's fighting scenes, citing less intensity compared to his earlier films. The comedic value of his films is questioned; some critics stated it can be childish at times.

Chan is a cultural icon, having been referenced in Ash's
Ash (band)

Ash are an alternative rock band that formed in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland in 1992. The media originally pegged Ash's music as Britpop when the band first found mainstream success....
 song "Kung Fu
Kung Fu (song)

"Kung Fu" is a song by Ash , released as the first single from their album 1977 on March 20 1995 - as a CD single, limited edition 7?, and standard 7? vinyl....
", "Jackie Chan Is a Punk Rocker" by Heavy Vegetable
Heavy Vegetable

Heavy Vegetable was an indie rock band based in Encinitas, California, which featured guitarist and lead singer Rob Crow, singer El?a Tenuta, bassist Travis Nelson and drummer Manolo Turner....
, as well as in "Jackie Chan" by Frank Chickens
Frank Chickens

Frank Chickens were a mostly female, Anglo-Japanese musical group based in London and performing songs mainly in English from 1982 to about 2001....
, and television shows Celebrity Deathmatch
Celebrity Deathmatch

Celebrity Deathmatch was a claymation parody television show that pits celebrity against each other in a wrestling ring, almost always ending in the loser's gruesome death....
 and Family Guy
Family Guy

Family Guy is an animated cartoon Television in the United States Situation comedy created by Seth MacFarlane that airs on Fox Broadcasting Company and regularly on other television networks in syndication....
. He has been the inspiration for manga
Manga

, , are comics and print cartoons , in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 20th century. In their modern form, manga date from shortly after World War II, but they have a long, complex pre-history in earlier Japanese art....
 such as Dragon Ball (including a character with the alias "Jackie Chun"), the character Lei Wulong in Tekken and the fighting-type Pokémon
Pokémon

is a media franchise owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri around 1995. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy line Console role-playing game video games, Pok?mon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video game-based media franchise in the world, behind only Nintendo's own...
 Hitmonchan. In addition, Jackie Chan has a sponsorship deal with Mitsubishi Motors
Mitsubishi Motors

is the fifth largest automaker in Japan and the fifteenth largest in the world by global unit sales. It is part of the Mitsubishi keiretsu, formerly the biggest industrial group in Japan, and was formed in 1970 from the automotive division of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries....
. As a result, Mitsubishi cars can be found in the most recent Jackie Chan films. Furthermore, Mitsubishi honoured Chan by launching Evolution, a limited series of cars which he personally customised.

A number of video games have featured Jackie Chan. Before Stuntmaster, Chan already had a game of his own, Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu, released in 1990 for the PC-Engine and NES
Nintendo Entertainment System

The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe and Australia in . In most of Asia, including Japan , the Philippines, China, Vietnam and Singapore, it was released as the ....
. In 1995, Chan was featured in the arcade fighting game Jackie Chan The Kung-Fu Master. In addition, a series of Japanese Jackie Chan games were released on the MSX
MSX

MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s. It was a Microsoft-led attempt to create unified standards among hardware makers, conceived by one-time Microsoft Japan executive Kazuhiko Nishi....
 by Pony, based on several of his films (Project A, Project A 2, Police Story, The Protector and Wheels On Meals).

Chan has always wanted to be a role model to children, remaining popular with them due to his good-natured acting style. He has refused to play villains and has almost never used the word fuck
Fuck

Fuck is an English word that, as a transitive verb, means "to have sexual intercourse with". It also has various metaphorical meanings:*The verb "to be fucked" can mean "to be cheated" ....
 in his films (He's only said that word in two films, The Protector and Burn, Hollywood, Burn). Chan's greatest regret in life is not having received proper education, inspiring him to fund educational institutions around the world. He funded the construction of the Jackie Chan Science Centre at the Australian National University
Australian National University

The Australian National University, commonly abbreviated to ANU, is a Public university research university located in Canberra, Australia, the Federal capital city....
 and the establishment of schools in poor regions of China.

Jc Opens Disney Hk
Chan is a spokesperson for the Government of Hong Kong
Government of Hong Kong

The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China; conventional short name Hong Kong Government, led by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong as Head of the Government....
, appearing in public service announcement
Public service announcement

A public service announcement or community service announcement is a non-commercial advertising broadcast on radio or television, ostensibly for the public interest....
s. In a Clean Hong Kong commercial, he urged the people of Hong Kong to be more considerate with regards to littering, a problem that has been widespread for decades. Furthermore, in an advertisement promoting nationalism, he gave a short explanation of the March of the Volunteers, the national anthem of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China

The People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the List of countries by population in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately a fifth of the world's population....
. When Hong Kong Disneyland
Hong Kong Disneyland

Hong Kong Disneyland is the first theme park inside the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and is owned and managed by the Hong Kong International Theme Parks, an incorporated company jointly owned by The Walt Disney Company and the Government of Hong Kong....
 opened in 2005, Chan participated in the opening ceremony. In the United States, Chan appeared alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American bodybuilder, actor, businessman, and Politics of the United States, currently serving as the List of Governors of California Governor of California of the state of California....
 in a government advert to combat copyright infringement
Copyright infringement

Copyright infringement is the unauthorized use of material that is covered by copyright law, in a manner that violates one of the copyright owner's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works....
 and made another public service announcement with Los Angeles
Los Ángeles

Los ?ngeles is the Capital of the Biob?o Province, in the municipality of the same name, in Regions of Chile VIII , in the center-south of Chile....
 County Sheriff Lee Baca
Lee Baca

Leroy David Baca is the Sheriff of Los Angeles County, California.Baca was elected Los Angeles County's 30th Sheriff against his mentor Sherman Block, who had died in office days prior to the election but remained on the ballot....
 to encourage people, especially Asians
Asian people

Asian or Asiatic people is a demonym for people from Asia. However, the use of the term varies by country and person, often referring to people from a particular region or subregion of Asia....
, to join the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is a local county law enforcement agency that serves Los Angeles County, California. It is the seventh largest law enforcement agency in the United States ....
.

Construction has begun on a Jackie Chan museum in Shanghai. Work began in July 2008 and is due to finish in October 2009.

Entrepreneurship and philanthropy

In 2004, Chan launched his own line of clothing
Clothing

A feature of all human societies, except perhaps the most primitive, is the wearing of clothing or clothes, especially in public. The primary purpose of clothing is functional, as a protection from the weather....
, which bears a Chinese dragon
Chinese dragon

The China dragon or Oriental dragon is a mythical creature in East Asian culture with a China origin. It is visualized these days as a long, scaled, snake-like creature with four legs and five claws on each ....
 logo
Logo

A logo is a graphical element that, together with its logotype form a trademark or commercial brand. Typically, a logo's design is for immediate recognition....
 and the English word "Jackie", or the initials "JC". Chan also has a number of other brand
Brand

A brand is a collection of symbols, experiences and associations connected with a product, a service, a person or any other artifact or entity....
ed businesses. His sushi restaurant chain, Jackie's Kitchen, has outlets throughout Hong Kong
Hong Kong

Hong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located in Southern China in East Asia, bordering the province of Guangdong to the north and facing the South China Sea to the east, west and south....
, as well as seven in South Korea
South Korea

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea , ), often referred to as Korea and the "names of Korea#Revival of the names", is a Semi-presidential system republic in East Asia, located in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula....
 and one in Hawaii
Hawaii

File:Pahoehoe and Aa flows at Hawaii.jpgThe State of Hawaii is a U.S. state in the United States, located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia....
, with plans to open another in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip

The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately 4 mile stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada, Nevada, United States. A small portion of The Strip lies in Las Vegas, Nevada, but most of it is in the unincorporated area areas of Paradise, Nevada and Winchester, Nevada....
. Jackie Chan's Cafe has outlets in Beijing
Beijing

is a metropolis in northern China and the Capital of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the four municipality of China, which are equivalent to province in China's Political divisions of China....
, Singapore
Singapore

Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country microstate located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. It lies 137 kilometres north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands....
, Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur , is the largest city of Malaysia. The city proper, making up an area of , has an estimated population of 1.6 million in 2006. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million....
 and the Philippines
Philippines

The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
. Other ventures include Jackie Chan Signature Club gyms (a partnership with California Fitness
California Fitness

California Fitness is a wholly owned subsidiary of 24 Hour Fitness Worldwide which has over 400 clubs serving more than 3 million members. The first California Fitness club was established in 1996 in the business district of Hong Kong....
), and a line of chocolates, cookies and nutritional oatcakes. He also hopes to expand into furniture and kitchenware, and is also considering a branded supermarket. With each of his businesses, a percentage of the profits goes to various charities, including the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation.

Chan is a keen philanthropist
Philanthropist

A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable organization....
 and a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
List of UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors

This is a list of UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors, who work on behalf of the UNICEF....
, having worked tirelessly to champion charitable works and causes. He has campaigned for conservation
Conservation ethic

Conservation is an ethic of resource use, allocation, and protection. Its primary focus is upon maintaining the health of the Natural environment: its forests, fishery, habitat , and biological diversity....
, against animal abuse and has promoted disaster relief efforts for floods in mainland China
Natural disasters in China

China is one of the countries most affected by natural disasters. It had 6 of the List of natural disasters by death toll#Top Ten deadliest natural disasters; the top 3 occurred in China: the 1931 China floods, death toll 2 million to 4 million, the 1887 Yellow River flood, death toll 0.9 million to 2 million, and the 1556 Shaanxi eart...
 and the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

The was an undersea earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 Coordinated Universal Time on December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia....
. In June 2006, he announced the donation of half his assets to charity upon his death, citing his admiration of the effort made by Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett

Warren Edward Buffett is an American investor, businessman, and philanthropist. He is one of the world's most successful investors and the largest shareholder and chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway....
 and Bill Gates
Bill Gates

William Henry "Bill" Gates III is an United States business magnate, philanthropist, author, the List of the 100 wealthiest people , and chairman of the board of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen....
 to help those in need. On 10 March 2008, Chan was the guest of honour for the launch, by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd

Kevin Michael Rudd is the 26th and current Prime Minister of Australia of Australia and federal leader of the centre-left Australian Labor Party ....
, of the Jackie Chan Science Centre at the John Curtin School of Medical Research
John Curtin School of Medical Research

The John Curtin School of Medical Research is a major biomedical research centre in Australia, based at the Australian National University, Canberra....
, Australian National University
Australian National University

The Australian National University, commonly abbreviated to ANU, is a Public university research university located in Canberra, Australia, the Federal capital city....
 in Canberra
Canberra

Canberra is the List of Australian capital cities of Australia. With a population of over 340,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth largest Australian city overall....
. Jackie Chan is also a supporter of the Save China's Tigers
Save China's Tigers

Save China's Tigers is an international charitable foundation based in Hong Kong, the United States, and the United Kingdom which aims to save the big cats of China from extinction....
 project which aims at saving the endangered South China Tiger
South China Tiger

The South China tiger or South Chinese tiger , also known as the Chinese, Amoy, or Xiamen tiger, is a subspecies of tiger native to the forests of Northern and southern China....
 through breeding and releasing them into the wild; he is currently an ambassador for this conservation project. Chan has many historic artefacts, such as old door frames from 2000 years ago. He also owns the Jinricksha Station in Singapore.

In April 2008, Jackie Chan was invited for the audio launch of an Indian film, entitled Dasavathaaram (2008) in Chennai
Chennai

Chennai , formerly Indian renaming controversy , is the fourth largest metropolitan area of India and the capital city of the Indian states and territories of India of Tamil Nadu....
, where he shared the dais with Indian celebrities, including Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan , is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s and has since become one of the most prominent figures in the history of Cinema of India....
 and Kamal Hassan. Though he did not understand a word of Tamil
Tamil language

Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has Official language in India, Sri Lanka and Singapore....
, Chan was touched by the Indian community's love for him and his films, and was impressed with the movie Dasavathaaram, expressing a keen interest in working with the star of the film, Kamal Hassan. Hassan himself reciprocated the desire to work with the action superstar, urging Chan to keep his promise of working with him on a possible film project.

Following the 2008 Sichuan earthquake
2008 Sichuan earthquake

The List_of_deadliest_natural_disasters#Earthquakes, the 2008 Sichuan earthquake , or "Great Sichuan Earthquake", which measured at 8.0 Surface wave magnitude
, Chan donated RMB Ą10 million to help those in need. In addition, he is planning to make a film about the Chinese earthquake to raise money for survivors.

Personal life

In 1982, Jackie Chan married Lin Feng-Jiao (aka Joan Lin), a Taiwanese actress. That same year, the two had a son, singer and actor Jaycee Chan
Jaycee Chan

Jaycee Chan Jo-Ming is an American-born Chinese people actor, singer, composer, lyricist and guitarist who released his first CD album in 2004....
.

"In a 1999 scandal, he all but acknowledged paternity of a daughter with 1990 Miss Asia Pageant
Miss Asia Pageant

The Miss Asia Pageant , is organized by the Asia Television Limited , and they have organized this event since 1985. The contest was stopped from the year of 2000 through 2003, and relaunched in 2004....
 winner Elaine Ng
Elaine Ng Yi-Lei

Elaine Ng She gave birth to a daughter, Etta Ng Chok Lam, on November 19, 1999. The Hong Kong media alleged that the father was Jackie Chan, There has as yet been no verification by either party involved....
," although paparazzi
Paparazzi

File:Paparazzi by David Shankbone.jpgPaparazzi is a plural term for photographers who take unstaged and/or candid photographys of celebrities caught unaware....
 had also linked Jackie to "everyone from the late Taiwanese singer Teresa Teng
Teresa Teng

Teresa Teng , was an immensely popular and influential Taiwanese pop singer. Teresa Teng's voice and songs are instantly recognizable in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan and areas with large Chinese populations....
 to sultry pop star and actress Anita Mui
Anita Mui

Anita Mui Yim-fong was a popular Hong Kong singer, actress, and sex symbol. During her prime years she made major contributions to the cantopop music scene, while receiving numerous awards and honours....
."

See also

  • Cinema of China
    Cinema of China

    The Chinese language film has three distinct historical threads: Cinema of Hong Kong, Cinema of China, and Cinema of Taiwan. After 1949 and until recent times, the cinema of mainland China operated under restrictions imposed by the Communist Party of China....
  • Cinema of Hong Kong
    Cinema of Hong Kong

    The Movie theater of Hong Kong is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese language film, alongside the cinema of China, and the cinema of Taiwan....
  • Hong Kong action cinema
    Hong Kong action cinema

    Hong Kong action cinema is the principal source of the Cinema of Hong Kong's global fame. It combines elements from the action film, as codified by Cinema of the United States, with Chinese culture storytelling and aesthetic traditions, to create a culturally distinctive form that nevertheless has a wide transcultural appeal....


Further reading

  • Chan, Jackie, and Jeff Yang. I Am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action. New York: Ballantine Books, 1999. ISBN 0-345-42913-3. Jackie Chan's autobiography.
  • Cooper, Richard, and Mike Leeder. 100% Jackie Chan: The Essential Companion. London: Titan Books, 2002. ISBN 1840234911.
  • Cooper, Richard. More 100% Jackie Chan: The Essential Companion Volume 2. London: Titan Books, 2004. ISBN 1840238887.
  • Corcoran, John. The Unauthorized Jackie Chan Encyclopedia: From Project A to Shanghai Noon and Beyond. Chicago: Contemporary Books, 2003. ISBN 0071388990.
  • Fox, Dan. Jackie Chan. Raintree Freestyle. Chicago, Ill.: Raintree, 2006. ISBN 1410916596.
  • Gentry, Clyde. Jackie Chan: Inside the Dragon. Dallas, Tex.: Taylor Pub, 1997. ISBN 0878339620.
  • Le Blanc, Michelle, and Colin Odell. The Pocket Essential Jackie Chan. Pocket essentials. Harpenden: Pocket Essentials, 2000. ISBN 1903047102.
  • Major, Wade. Jackie Chan. New York: Metrobooks, 1999. ISBN 1567998631.
  • Moser, Leo. Made in Hong Kong: die Filme von Jackie Chan. Berlin: Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, 2000. ISBN 3896023128.
  • Poolos, Jamie. Jackie Chan. Martial Arts Masters. New York: Rosen Pub. Group, 2002. ISBN 0823935183.
  • Rovin, Jeff, and Kathleen Tracy. The Essential Jackie Chan Sourcebook. New York: Pocket Books, 1997. ISBN 0671008439.
  • Stone, Amy. Jackie Chan. Today's Superstars: Entertainment. Milwaukee, Wis.: Gareth Stevens Pub, 2007. ISBN 0836876482.
  • Witterstaetter, Renee. Dying for Action: The Life and Films of Jackie Chan. New York: Warner, 1998. ISBN 0446672963.
  • Wong, Curtis F., and John R. Little (eds.). Jackie Chan and the Superstars of Martial Arts. The Best of Inside Kung-Fu. Lincolnwood, Ill.: McGraw-Hill, 1998. ISBN 0-8092-2837-8.


External links

  • , All Things Considered
    All Things Considered

    All Things Considered is a news radio program in the United States, broadcast on the National Public Radio network. It was the first news program on the network, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets....
    , 11 April 2008. An interview, which includes mention of Chan's father revealing that he was a spy for Taiwan against China.