Billed as Cheng Lung, Chan entered films in his mid-teens, appearing in 25 productions before his 20th birthday. Starting out as a stunt man, Chan was promoted to stardom as the potential successor to the late Bruce Lee. In his earliest starring films, he was cast as a stone-cold serious type, determined to avenge Lee's death. Only when he began playing for laughs did Chan truly attain full celebrity status. Frequently referred to as the Buster Keaton of kung-fu, Chan's outlook on life is a lot more optimistic than Keaton's, but in his tireless devotion to the most elaborate of sight gags and the most awe-inspiring of stunts (many of which have nearly cost him his life), Chan is Keaton incarnate.
From 1978's Drunken Master onward, Chan has usually been his own director and screenwriter. His best Hong Kong-produced films include the non-stop action-fests Project A (1983), Police Story (1985), Armour of God (1986), and the Golden Horse Award-winning Crime Story (1993) -- not to mention the multiple sequels of each of the aforementioned titles. Despite his popularity in Europe and Asia, Chan was for many years unable to make a dent in the American market. He tried hard in such films as The Big Brawl (1980) and the two Cannonball Run flicks, but American filmgoers just weren't buying.
At long lost, Chan mined U.S. box office gold with 1996's Rumble in the Bronx, a film so exhilarating that audiences never noticed those distinctly Canadian mountain ranges looming behind the "Bronx" skyline. Chan remained the most
NICKNAMES: Y'uen Lo, Sing Lung.
HEIGHT: 5'81/2" (1.74m)
SPOUSE: Feng-Jiao Lin (1983 - Present); 1 child (Jaycee Chan).
- Uses unusual props (chairs, ladders, lamps, tables, etc) in his fight scenes for his films.
- Likes to give "thumbs up."
- Always does his own stunts.
- Often has outtakes at the end of the films of failed stunts and other accidents.
- In addition to spectacular stunts and action, his movies often contain scenes in which he is tortured or forced to undergo grueling physical activity (usually as punishment by a master or teacher).
- Kong Sung Chan means "Born in Hong Kong."
- Sing Lung means "Already a Dragon."
- Prefers to do action films with strong humour streaks and physical clowning like Buster Keaton.
- In the act of performing his own stunts, he has broken his nose three times, his ankle once, most of the fingers in his hand, both cheekbones and his skull.
- Most often dubs his own voice for the English release of his Asian films.
- Was to star in a film entitled Nosebleed, but the project was cancelled after the World Trade Center attack on September 11th, 2001. He was to play a window-washer at the WTC that has to stop a terrorist plot.
- In 1989, he was made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by the British Government for Hong Kong / Commonwealth.
- His fan club once topped 10,000 members, mostly young girls; one of them committed suicide after she discovered that he was married. Another female fan attempted suicide, but was saved.
- Spokesmodel for the "got milk?" campaign.
- Has a permanent hole in his head from a stunt accident.
- Admits he did Cannonball Run II (1984) just to fulfill his contract with Warner Bros.
- His Opera Academy "brothers" include Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, Biao Yuen, Corey Yuen, Wah Yuen and Yuen Man Meng.
- He has his own stuntmen team, known as the Sing Ga Ban, or Jackie Chan Stuntman Association. Members of the team appear as extras in Jackie's films. Members include Andy Kai Chung Cheng, Chung Chi Li (Nicky Li) and Bradley James Allan.
- Underwent plastic surgery in 1976 to re-shape his eyelids, giving him a more "Western" appearance. The final film with the old-look Chan is Shaolin Wooden Men (1976).
- Despite the minimal formal education he received, he was made an honorary doctor of social science of the Hong Kong Baptist University, and an honorary fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts.
- In his action scenes, his punches and kicks actually connect with their targets. He has his actors wear special padding in their feet and body to prevent serious injury.
- In 1990, he was made a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters) by the French Minister of Culture and Communication.
- The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region conferred the Silver Bauhinia Star (SBS) upon him in 1999.
- Has a great, long lasting relationship with Mitsubishi Motors. The company has donated many of their automobiles for his films.
SALARY: Rush Hour 2 (2001) - $15 million + gross points, Shanghai Noon (2000) - $5 million, Rumble in the Bronx (1995) - $4 million
