Jackie Chan, a Hong Kong icon, gained international fame by risking his body and life—often for several takes—long before computer effects helped keep leading actors safe during stunts.
In movies like The Legend of the Drunken Master and Police Story, Chan’s willingness to suffer severe harm in order to perform comedic violence ballets is demonstrated. Here are some interesting facts about the man who seems to have both Charlie Chaplin and Bruce Lee’s movie genes.
1. His Mother Smuggled Opium.
Chan Kong-sang was born in 1954, and much has been said about his early years. When Chan was just seven years old, his parents fled Communist rule in Hong Kong and relocated to Australia, where they worked for the American Embassy. Chan attended a residential school where the performing arts were highly valued.
Chan only learned more about his parents in more recent years. His mother had ties to the Shanghai underworld and had once been detained for smuggling opium; his father, Fang Daolang, was involved in illegal criminal activity and may have been a Nationalist spy. In 2003, Chan and his father reconciled. In 2001, his mother passed away.
2. His Education in School Was Grudging.
Chan Attended Boarding School from The Age of Seven to Seventeen, Where He Endured Some of The Most Emotionally and Physically Taxing Training Possible. the Chinese Opera Research Institute in Hong Kong Put Its Pupils Through Demanding Training, Including Singing, Dancing, and Martial Arts, to Get Them Ready for A Future in Theatre.
Chan Claimed that Some Days Might See 19 Hours of Instruction. Chan Realised that Joining the Peking Opera by The Time He Graduated Was Unlikely. Chan Instead Focused on Making Martial Arts Movies.
3. For an Adult Movie, He Went Full-Frontal.
The Majority of Chan’s Movies Have a Comic Approach to Violence, and Very Few of Them Contain Excessive Gore or Other Stuff that Would Make Them Unacceptable for General Audiences. the One Piece on Chan’s Resume that Probably Wouldn’t Be Appropriate for Family Movie Night Is, However.
Chan Made an Appearance in The 1975 Hong Kong Softcore Film All in The Family, Which Included a Well-Known Adult Film Actress and Showed Chan Naked but Not Doing Any Sexual Acts. He Explained His Motivations for Filming the Movie in 2006 by Saying, “i Don’t Believe It’s a Huge Deal.
31 Years Ago, I Had to Do Anything I Could to Make a Living. Even Marlon Brando Once Featured Exposed Actors in His Films. the Pornographic Movies of The Day Were More Traditional than The Ones Nowadays.
4. He Bowled with Bruce Lee.
Early in His Career, Chan Made Two Brief Cameos in Movies Starring Bruce Lee: The Chinese Connection in 1972 and Enter the Dragon in 1973. Chan Was on His Way to A Bowling Alley a Few Months Later when Lee Saw Him Walking Down the Street and Invited Him to Join Him.
Chan Concurred, and The Two Engaged in Play While Chan Occupied Himself by Turning Away Fans Clamouring to Get Lee’s Autograph. Lee Would Pass Away from Cerebral Edoema Just Over Ten Days Later at The Age of 32. I Was Quite Astonished, Said Chan.
5. For Walking Scenes, He Can Use Stuntmen.
Chan Is Willing and Able to Carry out His Own Stunts, but It Doesn’t Mean that Stuntmen Are No Longer in Demand. Chan Admitted to Yahoo! in 2013 that Stunt Actors Have Occasionally Filled in For Him in His Films.
when His Character Is Required to Drive, Move Around, or Carry out Other Simple Duties so Chan May Rest. the Actor Added that In Order to Prepare for His Time in Front of The Camera, He Hires Stuntmen to Execute Stunt Tests.
6. He Considered Rush Hour to Be Horrible.
Chan Had Considerable Success as A Cult Cinema Icon as A Result of The 1990s Re-Releases of His Previous Films, but His Big American Breakthrough Came with The Release of 1998’s Rush Hour, Which Paired Him with Chris Tucker.
Chan Didn’t Really See the Appeal Because He Had Little Opportunity to Perform His Own Stunts and The Movie Relied Heavily on The Cultural Contrast Between His Character and Tucker’s. He Recalled Telling His Manager, “that’s a Bad Movie.” They Forbid Me from Acting in A Way that Is Unique to Me. My English Is Not Very Excellent. I’m Not Able to Grasp Chris Tucker’s English. Terrible Film
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7. He and The Triad Gang Engaged in An Armed Standoff.
Chan Is Extremely Wealthy Thanks to His Fame in Hong Kong. His Prominence and Success Finally Brought Him Into Contact with The Infamous Triad Group in China. According to Time, Chan Has Claimed that Over the years, the Criminal Group Has Repeatedly Harassed Him, Including One Incident in Which Members Shot at Him as He Got Off an Aircraft.
Chan Claimed He Once Attacked Them With A Gun and Grenades Prepared for A More Explosive Confrontation Since He Was Sick of The Fight. Chan Was Contacted by Authorities After Telling the Tale Since Weapons in Hong Kong Are Subject to Severe Criminal Consequences.
They Decided Not to Pursue the Matter Further After Chan Informed Them that The Incident Occurred Outside of The Area.
8. He Likes to Get Photos with His Two Stuffed Pandas from Celebrities.
Chan Created Two Stuffed Panda Bears He Named Chan La and Chan Zy After Visiting a Build-A-Bear Workshop in London in 2010. the Actor Enjoys Accompanying Them on Trips and Getting Other Actors to Take Pictures with Them.
His Pandas Interacted with Bill Clinton, Jet Li, Ang Lee, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. in 2017, the Two Also Accompanied Him to The Academy Awards.
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9. He Bought and Sold Segways.
Chan Established a Dealership and Obtained Distribution Rights to Sell the Segway Scooter Throughout Asia in 2006 After Becoming Excited by Its Potential for Eco-Friendly Transportation.
Although It Was an Expensive Choice at The Time—the Segway’s Suggested Retail Price in The United States Was $5000—the Actor Wanted to Promote a Low-Emission Vehicle. the Price in China Was $10,000.
10. His Head Is Permanently Damaged.
It’s Kind of Amazing Chan Is Still with Us Given His Lengthy Career as A Stuntman. He Did, However, Come Extremely Near to Passing Away when Filming Armour of God in 1986.
Chan, Who Described the Incident as “simple,” Hung from A Tree and Struck His Head on A Rock, Resulting in A Permanent, Quarter-Sized Indentation in His Skull and The Need for A Surgically Placed Metal Plate. Chan Occasionally Invites Others—such as Co-Stars or Hosts of discussion shows—to dip their fingers in it.