| Name | Jackie Chan |
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| Caption | Jackie Chan onboard the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) in 2002. |
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| Tradchinesename | |
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| Simpchinesename | |
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| Pinyinchinesename | Chéng Lóng |
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| Jyutpingchinesename | Sing4 Lung4 |
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| Birthname | Chan Kong-sang Chén Gǎngshēng Can4 Gong2 Sang1 |
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| Ancestry | Linzi, Shandong, China |
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| Origin | Hong Kong |
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| Birthdate | April 07, 1954 |
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| Birthplace | Victoria Peak, Hong Kong |
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| Othername | (Fong Si-lung) (Yuen Lou) (Big Brother) |
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| Occupation | Actor, martial artist, director, producer, screenwriter, action choreographer, singer, stunt director, stunt performer, |
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| Genre | CantopopMandopopHong Kong English popJ-pop |
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| Yearsactive | 1962–present |
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| Spouse | Lin Feng-jiao (1982–present) |
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| Children | Jaycee Chan (born 1982) Etta Ng Chok Lam (born 1999) |
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| Parents | Charles and Lee-Lee Chan |
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| Influences | Bruce LeeBuster KeatonHarold LloydJim Carrey |
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| Hongkongfilmwards | Best Film1989 RougeBest Action Choreography1996 Rumble in the Bronx1999 Who Am I? Professional Spirit Award2004 |
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| Goldenhorseawards | Best Actor1992 Police Story 31993 Crime Story |
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| Goldenroosterawards | Best Actor2005 New Police Story |
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| Mtvasiaawards | Inspiration Award2002 |
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| Awards | MTV Movie Awards2002 Best Fight (Rush Hour 2)1999 Best Fight (Rush Hour)1995 Lifetime Achievement AwardShanghai International Film Festival2005 Outstanding Contribution to Chinese Cinema |
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Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE (born Chan Kong-sang, ; 7 April 1954) is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, filmmaker, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer.
In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts. Jackie Chan has been acting since the 1960s and has appeared in over 100 films. Chan has received stars on the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
As a cultural icon, Chan has been referenced in various pop songs, cartoons, and video games. Chan is also a Cantopop and Mandopop star, having released a number of albums and sung many of the theme songs for the films in which he has starred.
Early life
Chan was born on April 7, 1954, in
Victoria Peak, in the former
Crown colony of Hong Kong, as Chan Kong-sang (meaning "born in Hong Kong") to
Charles and Lee-Lee Chan, refugees from the
Chinese Civil War. He was nicknamed
Paopao (, literally meaning "Cannonball") because the high-energy child was always rolling around. Since his parents worked for the French
Consul 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, where he failed his first year, after which his parents withdrew him from the school. In 1960, his father immigrated to Canberra, Australia, to work as the head cook for the American embassy, and Chan was sent to the China Drama Academy, a Peking Opera School run by Master Yu Jim-yuen.
Chan trained rigorously for the next decade, excelling in martial arts and acrobatics. He eventually became part of the Seven Little Fortunes, a performance group made up of the school's best students, gaining the stage name Yuen Lo in homage to his master. Chan became close friends with fellow group members Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao, 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 (1962), with Li Li Hua playing his mother. Chan appeared with Li again the following year, in The Love Eterne (1963) and had a small role in King Hu's 1966 film, Come Drink with Me. In 1971, after an appearance as an extra in another Kong Fu film, A Touch of Zen, 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 films Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon under the stage name Chan Yuen Lung (). He received his first starring role later that year, in Little Tiger of Canton, 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 starred in a comedic adult film, All in the Family, which features Jackie Chan's first and possibly only nude sex scene filmed to date. It is also the only film he has made to date that did not feature a single fight scene or stunt sequence.
Chan joined his parents in Canberra in 1976, where he briefly attended Dickson College 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, in the late 90s, Chan changed his Chinese name to Fong Si-lung (), since his father's original surname was Fong. literally "become the dragon") to emphasise his similarity to Bruce Lee, whose stage name was Lei Siu-lung (, 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, 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, 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 and Spiritual Kung Fu.
Success of the action comedy genre: 1980–1987
, nicknamed "Glass Story" for its stunt work, is set in a modern period.]]
Willie Chan 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, which grossed
US$100 million worldwide. Despite being largely ignored by audiences in favour of established American actors like
Burt Reynolds, Chan was impressed by the
outtakes shown at the
closing credits, inspiring him to include the same device in his future films.
After the commercial failure of The Protector in 1985, Chan temporarily abandoned his attempts to break into the US market, returning his focus to Hong Kong films. Over the following two years, the "Three Brothers" appeared in Wheels on Meals and the original Lucky Stars trilogy. In 1985, Chan made the first Police Story 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-esque character, in the film Armour of God. The film was Chan's biggest domestic box office success to date, grossing over HK $35 million.
Acclaimed sequels and Hollywood breakthrough: 1988–1998
breakthrough film
Rumble in the Bronx.]]
In 1988 Chan starred alongside Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao for the last time to date, in the film
Dragons Forever. Hung co-directed with
Corey Yuen, and the villain in the film was played by
Yuen Wah, 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, which won the award for Best Action Choreography at the 1989 Hong Kong Film Awards. This was followed by , and , for which Chan won the Best Actor Award at the 1993 Golden Horse Film Festival. In 1994, Chan reprised his role as Wong Fei-hung in Drunken Master II, which was listed in Time Magazine's All-Time 100 Movies. Another sequel, , brought more awards and domestic box office success for Chan, but did not fare as well in foreign markets.
Jackie Chan rekindled his Hollywood ambitions in the 1990s, but refused early offers to play villains in Hollywood films to avoid being typecast in future roles. For example, Sylvester Stallone offered him the role of Simon Phoenix, a criminal in the futuristic film Demolition Man. Chan declined and the role was taken by Wesley Snipes.
Chan finally succeeded in establishing a foothold in the North American market in 1995 with a worldwide release of Rumble in the Bronx, attaining a cult following in the United States that was rare for Hong Kong movie stars.
The success of Rumble in the Bronx led to a 1996 release of in the United States under the title Supercop, which grossed a total of US $16,270,600. Jackie's first huge blockbuster success came when he co-starred with Chris Tucker in the 1998 buddy cop action comedy Rush Hour, grossing US$130 million in the United States alone. Chan then helped create a PlayStation game in 2000 called Jackie Chan Stuntmaster, to which he lent his voice and performed the motion capture.
Despite further success with Shanghai Noon in 2000, Rush Hour 2 in 2001 and Shanghai Knights and The Medallion 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 (Jackie Chan Emperor Movies Limited) in association with Emperor Multimedia Group (EMG).
Chan's next release was Rush Hour 3 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.
New experiments and change in style: 2008–present
As Chan had stated years before, there would be a point in his life in which he would have to be modernized and use special effects, and try new different things than martial arts flicks. This began in 2007, with the filming of
The Forbidden Kingdom (released in 2008), Chan's first onscreen collaboration with fellow Chinese actor
Jet Li, which was completed on 24 August 2007 and the film was released in April 2008. The film featured heavy use of effects and wires. Chan voiced the character Master Monkey in the
DreamWorks Animation film,
Kung Fu Panda, released in June 2008, appearing with stars
Jack Black,
Dustin Hoffman and
Angelina Jolie. In addition, he has assisted Anthony Szeto in an advisory capacity for the writer-director's film
Wushu, released on May 1, 2008. The film stars
Sammo Hung and Wang Wenjie as father and son.
In November 2007, Chan began filming Shinjuku Incident, a dramatic role featuring no martial arts sequences with director Derek Yee, which sees Chan take on the role of a Chinese immigrant in Japan. The film was released on 2 April 2009. According to his blog, Chan discussed his 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 April 1, 2008, but that date had passed and the current state of the film is unknown. Because the Screen Actors Guild did not go on strike, Chan started shooting his next Hollywood movie The Spy Next Door at the end of October in New Mexico, In The Spy Next Door, Chan plays an undercover agent whose cover is blown when he looks after the children of his girlfriend; Chan most likely did the film to appeal to his younger audience in America. In Little Big Soldier, Chan stars, alongside Leehom Wang in a non-martial arts comedy movie based on the Warring States Period.
On June 22, 2009, Chan left Los Angeles to begin filming The Karate Kid, a remake of the 1984 original, in Beijing. The film was released in America on June 11, 2010 and sees Chan's first dramatic American film. In the film, he plays Mr. Han, a kung fu master and maintenance man who teaches Jaden Smith's character, Dre, kung-fu so he can defend himself from school bullies. In Chan's next movie, The New Shaolin Temple, instead of playing one of the major characters, he plays the cook of the temple.
Stunts
building in
New Police Story]]Jackie Chan performs most of his own stunts, which are choreographed by the
Jackie Chan Stunt Team. He has stated in interviews that the primary inspiration for his more comedic stunts were films such as
The General directed by and starring
Buster Keaton, who was also known to perform his own stunts. Since its establishment in 1983, Chan has used the team 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 so 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. 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 Jianzi game in Dragon Lord.
Chan has been injured numerous times attempting stunts; many of them have been shown as outtakes or as bloopers during the closing credits of his films. He came closest to death filming Armour of God, 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. Promotional materials for Rumble in the Bronx emphasized that Chan performed all of the stunts, and one version of the movie poster even diagrammed his many injuries.
Filmography and screen persona
.]]
Jackie Chan created his screen persona as a response to Bruce Lee, and the
numerous imitators 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.
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, which ran until 2005.
In July 2008, the BTV reality television 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, Wu Yue and Cheng Pei Pei. Guest judges include Stanley Tong, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao. The "Finals" began on 5 April 2008, with 16 contestants remaining, and concluded on 26 June 2008. Amongst those in attendance were Tsui Hark, John Woo, Ng See Yuen and Yu Rongguang.
The winner of the series was Jack 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. The films will be entitled Speedpost 206, Won't Tell You and Tropical Tornado 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. 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. Chan's first musical recording was "Kung Fu Fighting Man", the theme song played over the closing credits of
The Young Master (1980). At least 10 of these recordings have been released on soundtrack albums for the films. His cantonese song
Story of a Hero (英雄故事) (theme song of
Police Story) was selected by the
Royal Hong Kong Police and incorporated into their recruitment
advertisement in 1994.
Chan voiced the character of Shang in the Chinese release of the Walt Disney animated feature, Mulan (1998). He also performed the song "I'll Make a Man Out of You", for the film's soundtrack. For the US release, the speaking voice was performed by B.D. Wong and the singing voice was done by Donny Osmond.
In 2007, Chan recorded and released the song "We Are Ready", the official one-year countdown song to the 2008 Summer Olympics. He performed the song at a ceremony marking the one-year countdown to the 2008 Summer Paralympics.
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, Liu Huan and Wakin (Emil) Chau, performed "Hard to Say Goodbye", the farewell song for the 2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony.
Image and celebrity status
, Hong Kong]]
Jackie Chan has received worldwide recognition for his acting, having won several awards including an Innovator Award from the
American Choreography Awards and a lifetime achievement award from the
Taurus World Stunt Awards. He has stars on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Hong Kong
Avenue of Stars. Despite considerable box office success in The Northsouth Territories, Chan's American films have been criticised with regard 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 song "Kung Fu", Heavy Vegetable's "Jackie Chan Is a Punk Rocker", Leehom Wang's "Long Live Chinese People", as well as in "Jackie Chan" by Frank Chickens, and television shows Celebrity Deathmatch and Family Guy. He has been the inspiration for manga such as Dragon Ball (including a character with the alias "Jackie Chun"), the character Lei Wulong in Tekken and the fighting-type Pokémon Hitmonchan.
In addition, Jackie Chan has a sponsorship deal with Mitsubishi Motors. As a result, Mitsubishi cars can be found in a number of 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. 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 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" in his films (He's only said that word in two films, The Protector and Burn, Hollywood, Burn), but in Rush Hour, in an attempt to be "cool" and imitate his partner Carter, who said "What's up, my nigga?" to a club of black men, he said the same thing when Carter was in another room and they all attacked him, so he had to pull out his fighting skills to beat them down and escape. 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 and the establishment of schools in poor regions of China.
Chan is a spokesperson for the Government of Hong Kong, appearing in public service announcements. 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. When Hong Kong Disneyland opened in 2005, Chan participated in the opening ceremony. In the United States, Chan appeared alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in a government advert to combat copyright infringement and made another public service announcement with Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca to encourage people, especially Asians, to join the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Construction has begun on a Jackie Chan museum in Shanghai. Work began in July 2008 and although was scheduled to be completed on October 2009, as of January 2010 it is still under construction.
Controversies
During a news conference in Shanghai on 28 March 2004, Chan referred to the recently concluded
Republic of China presidential election, 2004 in
Taiwan, in which
Democratic Progressive Party candidates
Chen Shui-bian and
Annette Lu were re-elected as President and Vice-President as "the biggest joke in the world." Chan's comments were criticized by Parris Chang, a Taiwanese legislator and senior member of the DPP, who called for the government of Taiwan to take punitive steps against Chan for his comments, such as banning his movies and barring him the right to visit Taiwan. Some 50 police and security personnel were required to separate protesters from Chan, as they were attempting to spit at him when he arrived at Taipei airport for a charity sponsored by cable TV channel
TVBS on 18 June 2008. Chan insisted that his remarks were not intended to insult the people of Taiwan.
Referring to his participation in the torch relay for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Chan spoke out against demonstrators who disrupted the relay several times attempting to draw attention to a wide-ranging number of grievances against the Chinese government, including China's human rights record and the political status of Taiwan. He warned that he would lash out against anyone planning to stop him from carrying the Olympic Torch, saying, "Demonstrators better not get anywhere near me." In addition Chan felt that the protesters were publicity seekers. 'They are doing it for no reason. They just want to show off on the TV,' he said. 'They know, "if I can get the torch, I can go on the TV for the world news".' Chan felt the country was trying to improve and the Olympics is a chance for the country to open up and learn from the outside world and vice versa. "We are not right about everything. Things are getting better in China but we can change and are changing. We want to learn from the rest of the world as well as teach others about our ways and our culture."
On 18 April 2009, during a panel discussion at the annual Boao Forum for Asia titled "Tapping into Asia's Creative Industry Potential," Chan said "...in the 10 years after Hong Kong's return to Chinese rule, I can gradually see, I'm not sure if it's good to have freedom or not." Chan went on to say, "If you're too free, you're like the way Hong Kong is now. It's very chaotic. Taiwan is also chaotic." He also added, "I'm gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we're not being controlled, we'll just do what we want." Chan however complained about the quality of Chinese goods, saying, "...a Chinese TV might explode." but refrained from criticizing the Chinese government for banning his 2009 film Shinjuku Incident. Chan's comments prompted an angry response from some legislators and other prominent figures in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Hong Kong Legislator Leung Kwok-hung said that Chan "insulted the Chinese people. Chinese people aren't pets." The Hong Kong Tourism Board stated that it had received 164 comments and complaints from the public over Chan's remarks. A spokesman for Chan told reporters that the actor was referring to freedom in the entertainment industry rather than Chinese society at large and that certain people with "ulterior motives deliberately misinterpreted what he said."
On 24 August 2010, Jackie Chan tweeted about the botched rescue operation on the Manila hostage crisis that left 8 Hong Kong tourists dead. Although saddened by the news, he also tweeted "If they killed the guy sooner, they will say why not negotiate first? If they negotiate first, they ask why not kill the guy sooner?" Chan's comments caused outrage in Hong Kong. Several anti-Jackie Chan groups were set up on Facebook with tens of thousands of supporters. Some fellow actors and directors told local newspapers that they were also upset by his remarks. Chan reportedly has business interests in the Philippines. He issued a statement on 27 August 2010 apologizing for his comments and claiming that his assistant who helped him post the tweets had misunderstood the meaning of his original message.
Entrepreneurship and philanthropy
In addition to his film production and distribution company,
JCE Movies Limited, Jackie Chan also owns or co-owns the production companies
JC Group China,
Jackie & Willie Productions (with Willie Chan) and
Jackie & JJ Productions.
Chan has also put his name to Jackie Chan Theater International, a cinema chain in China, co-ran by Hong Kong company Sparkle Roll Group Ltd. The first - Jackie Chan-Yaolai International Cinema - opened in February 2010, and is claimed to be the largest cinema complex in China, with 17 screens and 3,500 seats. Chan expressed his hopes that the size of the venue would afford young, non-commercial directors the opportunity to have their films screened. 15 further cinemas in the chain are planned for 2010, throughout Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, with a potential total of 65 cinemas throughout the country proposed.
In 2004, Chan launched his own line of clothing, which bears a Chinese dragon logo and the English word "Jackie", or the initials "JC". Chan also has a number of other branded businesses. His sushi restaurant chain, Jackie's Kitchen, has outlets throughout Hong Kong, as well as seven in South Korea and one in Hawaii, with plans to open another in Las Vegas. Jackie Chan's Cafe has outlets in Beijing, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and the Philippines. Other ventures include Jackie Chan Signature Club gyms (a partnership with California Fitness), 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 and a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, having worked tirelessly to champion charitable works and causes. He has campaigned for conservation, against animal abuse and has promoted disaster relief efforts for floods in mainland China and the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. 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 and Bill Gates to help those in need. On 10 March 2008, Chan was the guest of honour for the launch, by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, of the Jackie Chan Science Centre at the John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University in Canberra. Jackie Chan is also a supporter of the Save China's Tigers project which aims at saving the endangered South China Tiger through breeding and releasing them into the wild; he is currently an ambassador for this conservation project. Chan has many historic artifacts, 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 (Madras), where he shared the dais with Indian celebrities, including Amitabh Bachchan, Mammootty and Kamal Hassan. Though he did not understand a word of Tamil, 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, Chan donated RMB ¥10 million to help those in need. In addition, he is planning to make a film about the Chinese earthquake to raise money for survivors.
Chan also holds guest lectures at the Shanghai Institute of Visual Art of Fudan University, Shanghai.
The Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation
Founded in 1988, the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation offers scholarships and active help to Hong Kong's young people through a variety of worthy causes. Over the years, the foundation has broadened its scope to include provision of medical services, aid to victims of natural disaster or illness, and projects where the major beneficiaries are Hong Kong people or organizations.
Major donation projects of The Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation:
The Jackie Chan Gymnasium at Lingnan University
The Jackie Chan Challenge Cup Intercollegiate Invitation Tournament
The Jackie Chan Family Unit, Hong Kong Girl Guides Association Jockey Club Beas River Lodge
The Jackie Chan Whole Person Development Center
Renovation of the Bethanie Site, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
Medical Funding in Mainland China (
Operation Smile)
Medical Donation in Hong Kong (Queen Mary Hospital, SARS Relief)
Support for the Performing Arts
Youth Development Programs
The Dragon's Heart Foundation
The Dragon's Heart Foundation was founded in 2005 to fulfill the desperate needs of children and the elderly in remote areas of China. Since 2005, the Dragon's Heart Foundation has built over a dozen schools, provided books, fees, and uniforms, and has raised millions of dollars to give much-needed educational opportunities for the poor. In addition, the Dragon's Heart Foundation provides for the elderly with donations of warm clothing, wheelchairs, and other items. Jackie often travels to the remote locations to attend groundbreakings or school openings, and to lend support and encouragement.
Awards and nominations
Hong Kong Film Awards
Best Action Choreography Nomination for Dragon Lord
Best Actor Nomination for Project A
Best Actor Nomination for Heart of Dragon
Best Actor Nomination for Police Story
Best Director Nomination for Police Story
Best Film for Rouge
Best Actor Nomination for Mr Canton and Lady Rose
Best Actor Nomination for Police Story 3: Super Cop
Best Actor Nomination for Crime Story
Best Action Choreography Nomination for Crime Story
Best Actor Nomination for Rumble in the Bronx
Best Action Choreography for Rumble in the Bronx
Best Actor Nomination for Police Story 4: First Strike
Best Actor Nomination for Who Am I?
'Best Action Choreography for Who Am I?''
Best Action Choreography Nomination for Gorgeous
Best Actor Nomination for New Police Story
Professional Spirit Award
Best Film Nomination for The Myth
Best Action Choreography Nomination for The Myth
Best Original Film Song Nomination for The Myth
Best Action Choreography Nomination for Rob-B-Hood
Best Film Nomination for Shinjuku Incident
(10 Best Actor Nominations, 7 Best Action Choreography Nominations, 3 Film Nominations, 1 Best Director Nomination, 1 Best Original Film Song Nomination)
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. Chan is a Buddhist.
He speaks Cantonese, Mandarin, and English fluently, and also speaks some German, Korean and Japanese, as well as a little Spanish.
See also
Cinema of Hong Kong
Hong Kong action cinema
Cinema of China
References
Further reading
Boose, Thorsten; Oettel, Silke.
Hongkong, meine Liebe - Ein spezieller Reiseführer. Shaker Media, 2009. ISBN 978-3-86858-255-0
Boose, Thorsten.
Der deutsche Jackie Chan Filmführer. Shaker Media, 2008. ISBN 978-3-86858-102-7
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
Jackie Chan at Rotten Tomatoes
Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Best Action Choreographer HKFA
Category:Stunt performers
Category:Stunt actors
Category:Hong Kong voice actors
Category:Hong Kong film actors
Category:Hong Kong film directors
Category:Hong Kong film producers
Category:Hong Kong screenwriters
Category:Hong Kong singers
Category:Hong Kong male singers
Category:Cantopop singers
Category:Hong Kong Mandopop singers
Category:Hong Kong kung fu practitioners
Category:Hong Kong wushu practitioners
Category:Chinese martial artists
Category:Chinese actors
Category:1954 births
Category:Living people
