Jackie Chan: Biography

Jackie Chan is a renowned Chinese actor, singer, martial artist, director, and producer. Born on April 7th 1954 in Hong Kong as Cheng Long, he is the son of Charles and Lee-Lee Chan. His father was a cook while his mother was a housewife. His parents nicknamed him Pao-pao (Cantonese for “Cannonball”) due to his energetic nature. Jackie started his career as a stuntman in Bruce Lee's films when he was a teenager.

Rise to Fame

Jackie's first major breakthrough was the 1978 film Snake in the Eagle's Shadow. This was followed by Drunken Master in 1978 which earned him recognition in the Hong Kong film industry. He starred in other successful films such as Project A (1983), Police Story (1985), Armour of God (1986), and Miracles (1989). In the 1990s, he began to expand his career outside of Hong Kong with his first US film being the 1994 action comedy Rumble in the Bronx.

International Success

The 1998 film Rush Hour was Jackie's first major success outside of Asia. He reprised his role for two sequels, Rush Hour 2 (2001) and Rush Hour 3 (2007). His other international successes include The Karate Kid (2010), Kung Fu Panda (2008), Shanghai Noon (2000), and Around the World in 80 Days (2004).

Music Career

Jackie has released over 20 albums since 1984. Most of them consist of Cantopop music and Mandarin Chinese pop songs. He has also released several movie theme songs over the years. Jackie won an MTV Movie Award for Best Song From a Movie for “Kung Fu Fighting” from the 2004 film Around the World in 80 Days.

Personal Life

Jackie married Lin Feng-Jiao in 1982 and they have one son together, Jaycee Chan. In 2008, he was awarded an honorary Oscar for his contribution to film industry at the 8th Annual Governors Awards ceremony. He is currently 66 years old.