Jackie Chan

Chan Kong-sang (Chinese: 陳港生; born 7 April 1954), known professionally as Jackie Chan, is a Hong Konger martial artist, actor, film director, producer, stuntman, and singer. He is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts, which he typically performs himself, in the cinematic world. He has trained in Wushu or Kung Fu and Hapkido, and has been acting since the 1960s, appearing in over 150 films.

Chan is one of the most recognisable and influential cinematic personalities in the world, gaining a widespread following in both the Eastern and Western hemispheres, and has received stars on the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He has been referenced in various pop songs, cartoons, and video games. He is an operatically trained vocalist and 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. He is also a globally known philanthropist, and has been named as one of the top 10 most charitable celebrities by Forbes magazine. In 2004, film scholar Andrew Willis stated that Chan was "perhaps" the "most recognised star in the world". In 2015, Forbes estimated his net worth to be $350 million, and as of 2016, he was the second-highest paid actor in the world.

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 emigrated 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, and the three of them later became known as the Three Brothers or Three Dragons. After entering the film industry, Chan along with Sammo Hung got the opportunity to train in hapkido under the grand master Jin Pal Kim, and Chan eventually attained a black belt. Jackie Chan also trained in other styles of martial arts such as Karate, Judo, Taekwondo and Jeet Kune Do.

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, thus earning Chan the nickname of "Little Jack" that was later shortened to "Jackie", and the name Jackie Chan has stuck with him ever since. In the late 1990s, Chan changed his Chinese name to Fong Si-lung (Chinese: 房仕龍), since his father's original surname was Fong.

Early life
Chan was born on 7 April 1954 in Hong Kong as Chan Kong-sang to Charles and Lee-Lee Chan, refugees from the Chinese Civil War. His parents nicknamed him Pao-pao (Chinese: 炮炮 "Cannonball") because the energetic child was always rolling around. His parents worked for the French ambassador in Hong Kong, and Chan spent his formative years within the grounds of the consul's residence in the Victoria Peak district.

Legacy
Chan has received worldwide recognition for his acting and stunt work. His awards include the 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. In addition, Chan has also been honoured by placing his hand and footprints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Despite considerable box office success in Asia, Chan's Hollywood films have been criticised with regard to their action choreography. Reviewers of Rush Hour 2, The Tuxedo, and Shanghai Knights noted 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 stating that they can be childish at times. Chan was awarded the MBE in 1989 and the Silver Bauhinia Star (SBS) in 1999.

Chan has been the subject of 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 Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, 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.

Jackie Chan has a sponsorship deal with Mitsubishi Motors that has resulted in the appearance of Mitsubishi cars in a number of his films. Furthermore, Mitsubishi launched a limited series of Evolution cars personally customised by Chan.

A number of video games have been based on, or featured, Jackie Chan. His film Wheels on Meals spawned the hit 1984 Japanese beat 'em up arcade video game, Spartan X (released as Kung-Fu Master in Western markets), and its sequel Spartan X 2 for the NES/Famicom console. Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu was 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. A series of Japanese games were released on the MSX by Pony, based on several of Chan's films (Project A, Project A 2, Police Story, The Protector and Wheels on Meals). Other games based on Jackie Chan include Jackie Chan Stuntmaster, Jackie Chan Adventures and Jackie Chan J-Mat Fitness.

Chan was also the primary catalyst for the creation of review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, whose founder Senh Duong was his fan and created the website after collecting all the reviews of Chan's Hong Kong action movies as they were being released in the United States. In anticipation for Rush Hour, Chan's first major Hollywood crossover, he coded the website in two weeks and the site went live shortly before the release of Rush Hour.

Chan says he has always wanted to be a role model to children, and has remained popular with them due to his good-natured acting style. He has generally refused to play villains and has been very restrained in using swear words in his films – he persuaded the director of Rush Hour to take "jerk" out of the script. Chan's greatest regret in life is not having received a 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 Asian people, to join the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Construction has begun on a Jackie Chan museum in Shanghai. In November 2013, a statue of Chan was unveiled in front of what is now known as the JC Film Gallery, scheduled to open in the spring of 2014.

On 25 June 2013, Chan responded to a hoax Facebook page created a few days earlier that alleged he had died. He said that several people contacted him to congratulate him on his recent engagement, and soon thereafter contacted him again to ask if he was still alive. He posted a Facebook message, commenting: "If I died, I would probably tell the world!"

On 1 February 2015, Chan was awarded the honour of Knight Commander of the Order of the Territorial Crown by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia Tuanku Abdul Halim in conjunction with the country's Federal Territory Day. It carries the title of Datuk in Malaysia.

In 2015, a made-up word inspired by Chan's description of his hair during an interview for a commercial, duang, became an internet viral meme in China. The Chinese character for the word is a composite of two characters of Chan's name.

Political views and controversy
During a news conference in Shanghai on 28 March 2004, Chan referred to the recently concluded Republic of China 2004 presidential election 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". A Taiwanese legislator and senior member of the DPP, Parris Chang, called for the government of Taiwan to ban his films and bar him the right to visit Taiwan. Police and security personnel separated Chan from scores of protesters shouting "Jackie Chan, get out" when he arrived at Taipei airport in June 2008.

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. He warned that "publicity seekers" planning to stop him from carrying the Olympic Torch "not get anywhere near" him. Chan also argued that the Olympics coverage that year would "provide another way for us to tell the world about Chinese culture."

In 2009, Chan was named an "anti-drug ambassador" by the Chinese government, actively taking part in anti-drug campaigns and supporting President Hu Jintao's declaration that illegal drugs should be eradicated, and their users punished severely. In 2014, when his own son Jaycee was arrested for cannabis use, he said that he was "angry", "shocked", "heartbroken" and "ashamed" of his son. He also remarked, "I hope all young people will learn a lesson from Jaycee and stay far from the harm of drugs. I say to Jaycee that you have to accept the consequences when you do something wrong."

On 18 April 2009, during a panel discussion at the annual Boao Forum for Asia, he questioned whether or not broad freedom is a good thing. Noting the strong tensions in Hong Kong and Taiwan, he said, "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's comments prompted angry responses from several prominent figures in Taiwan and Hong Kong. A spokesman later said Chan was referring to freedom in the entertainment industry, rather than in Chinese society at large.

In April 2016, Chan was named in the Panama Papers. In December 2012, Chan caused outrage when he criticised Hong Kong as a "city of protest", suggesting that demonstrators' rights in Hong Kong should be limited. The same month, in an interview with Phoenix TV, Chan stated that the United States was the "most corrupt" country in the world, which in turn angered parts of the online community. Other articles situated Chan's comments in the context of his career and life in the United States, including his "embrace of the American film market" and his seeking asylum in the United States from Hong Kong triads.

In 2019, Chan criticized Hong Kong anti-extradition bill protests, saying that the "'Five-starred Red Flag' is respected everywhere around the world."

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 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-run 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, with plans to open another in Las Vegas. Jackie Chan's Cafe has outlets in Beijing, Singapore, 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. With each of his businesses, a percentage of the profits goes to various charities, including the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation.

In 2016, Chan partnered with Asian Le Mans Series champion David Cheng to form a racing team in the series and the FIA World Endurance Championship. The two met in March 2015 and Chan told Cheng about his interest in motorsports and raised the possibility of starting a team. Together, the two formed Baxi DC Racing Alpine, the first mainland China-based operation in WEC. In October, leading into the 2016–17 Asian Le Mans Series season, the team was rebranded to Jackie Chan DC Racing and raced with liveries promoting Chan's movie Kung Fu Yoga. At the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans, the team became the first Chinese team to win its class (LMP2).

Chan is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and has championed 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, citing his admiration of the efforts made by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates to help those in need, Chan pledged the donation of half his assets to charity upon his death. 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 of the Australian National University. Chan is also a supporter and ambassador of Save China's Tigers, which aims to save the endangered South China tiger through breeding and releasing them into the wild. 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. In response to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Chan and fellow Hong Kong-based celebrities, including American rapper MC Jin, headlined a special three-hour charity concert, titled Artistes 311 Love Beyond Borders, on 1 April 2011 to help with Japan's disaster recovery effort. The 3-hour concert raised over $3.3 million. In January 2017, Chan donated $65,000 to help flood victims in Thailand.

Chan founded the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation in 1988, to offers scholarship and active help to Hong Kong's young people and provide aid to victims of natural disaster or illness. In 2005 Chan created the Dragon's Heart Foundation to help children and the elderly in remote areas of China by building schools, providing books, fees, and uniforms for children; the organisation expanded its reach to Europe in 2011. The foundation also provides for the elderly with donations of warm clothing, wheelchairs, and other items.

Endorsements
One product which Chan had endorsed in China was the "Little Tyrant" ("小霸王") produced by Subor, a Nintendo Entertainment System hardware clone marketed as a "learning machine" to circumvent China's then ban on video game consoles.

Awards and nominations
The Jackie Chan Action Movie Awards, held at the Shanghai International Film Festival since 2015, is named after Jackie Chan.


 * Academy Awards
 * Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has awarded Chan an honorary Oscar for his "extraordinary achievements" in film at the 8th Annual Governors Awards ceremony on 12 November 2016.


 * American Choreography Awards
 * 8th American Choreography Innovator Awards


 * Asia Pacific Film Festival
 * 1993 Asia-Pacific Film Lifetime Achievement Award
 * 2005 Asia-Pacific Film Special Jury Award


 * Blockbuster Entertainment Awards
 * 1999 Favorite Duo – Action/Adventure (for Rush Hour)
 * 2001 Favorite Action Team (for Shanghai Noon) – Nominated


 * Cinequest Film Festival
 * 1998 Maverick Spirit Award


 * Daytime Emmy Awards
 * 2002 Performer in an Animated Program (for Jackie Chan Adventures) – Nominated


 * Fant-Asia Film Festival
 * 1997 Best Asian Film (for Drunken Master II) (shared with Chia-Liang Liu)


 * Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards
 * 1984 Best Actor (for Project A) – Nominated
 * 1987 Special Award
 * 1987 Best Director (for Project A Part II) – Nominated
 * 1989 Best Actor (for Miracles) – Nominated
 * 1981 Special Achievement Award
 * 1992 Best Actor (for Police Story 3: Super Cop)
 * 1993 Best Actor (for Crime Story)
 * 1993 Best Action Choreography (for Crime Story) – Nominated
 * 1995 Best Action Choreography (for Rumble in the Bronx) – Nominated
 * 1999 Best Action Choreography (for Gorgeous) – Nominated
 * 2001 Best Action Choreography (for The Accidental Spy) – Nominated
 * 2013 Best Action Choreography (for CZ12)


 * Golden Phoenix Awards
 * 2005 Outstanding Contribution Award


 * Golden Rooster Awards
 * 2005 Best Actor (for New Police Story)


 * Hollywood Film Festival
 * 1999 Actor of the Year


 * Hong Kong Film Awards
 * 1983 Best Action Choreography (for Dragon Lord) – Nominated (shared with Hark-On Fung and Yuen Kuni)
 * 1985 Best Action Choreography (for Project A)
 * 1985 Best Actor (for Project A) – Nominated
 * 1986 Best Action Choreography (for Police Story)
 * 1986 Best Director (for Police Story) – Nominated
 * 1986 Best Actor (for Police Story) – Nominated
 * 1986 Best Actor (for Heart of Dragon) – Nominated
 * 1988 Best Action Choreography (for Project A Part II)
 * 1989 Best Action Choreography (for Police Story 2)
 * 1989 Best Film (for Rouge)
 * 1990 Best Action Choreography (for Miracles)
 * 1990 Best Actor (for Miracles) – Nominated
 * 1992 Best Action Choreography (for Armour of God II: Operation Condor) – Nominated
 * 1993 Best Actor (for Supercop) – Nominated
 * 1994 Best Actor (for Crime Story) – Nominated
 * 1994 Best Action Choreography (for Crime Story) – Nominated
 * 1995 Best Action Choreography (for Drunken Master II)
 * 1996 Best Actor (for Rumble in the Bronx) – Nominated
 * 1996 Best Action Choreography (for Rumble in the Bronx)
 * 1997 Best Actor (for Dragon Lord) – Nominated
 * 1997 Best Action Choreography (for Mr. Nice Guy) – Nominated
 * 1999 Best Actor (for Who Am I?) – Nominated
 * 1999 Best Action Choreography (for Who Am I?)
 * 2000 Best Action Choreography (for Gorgeous) – Nominated (shared with Jackie Chan Stunt Team)
 * 2002 Best Action Choreography (for The Accidental Spy)
 * 2005 Best Actor (for New Police Story) – Nominated
 * 2005 Professional Achievement Award
 * 2005 Best Action Choreography (for New Police Story)
 * 2006 Best Original Film Song (for The Myth) – Nominated (shared with Choi Jun Young, Wang Zhong Yan, and Hee-seon Kim)
 * 2006 Best Action Choreography (for The Myth) – Nominated (shared with Stanley Tong, Tak Yuen)
 * 2007 Best Action Choreography (for Robin-B-Hood) – Nominated (shared with Chung Chi Li)
 * 2013 Best Action Choreography (for CZ12)


 * Hundred Flowers Awards
 * 2006 Best Actor (for New Police Story) – Nominated


 * International Indian Film Academy Awards
 * 2000 Special Award for Global Impact


 * Kids' Choice Awards
 * 2002 Favorite Male Movie Star (for Rush Hour 2) – Nominated
 * 2002 Favorite Male Action Hero (for Rush Hour 2)
 * 2003 Favorite Movie Actor (for The Tuxedo) – Nominated
 * 2003 Favorite Male Butt Kicker (for The Tuxedo)
 * 2011 Favorite Butt Kicker (for The Karate Kid)


 * Montreal World Film Festival
 * Grand Prix des Amériques


 * MTV Movie Awards
 * 1995 Lifetime Achievement Award
 * 1996 Best Fight (for Rumble in the Bronx) – Nominated
 * 1997 Best Fight (for Police Story 4: First Strike) – Nominated
 * 1999 Best Fight (for Rush Hour) – Nominated (shared with Chris Tucker)
 * 1999 Best On-Screen Duo (for Rush Hour) (shared with Chris Tucker)
 * 2002 Best On-Screen Team (for Rush Hour 2) – Nominated (shared with Chris Tucker)
 * 2002 Best Fight (for Rush Hour 2) (shared with Chris Tucker)
 * 2003 Best On-Screen Team (for Shanghai Knights) – Nominated (shared with Owen Wilson)
 * 2008 Best Fight (for Rush Hour 3) – Nominated (shared with Chris Tucker and Sun Mingming)

Shanghai International Film Festival
 * People's Choice Awards
 * 2008 Favorite on Screen Match-up (for Rush Hour 3) – Nominated (shared with Chris Tucker)
 * 2011 Favorite On-Screen Team (for The Karate Kid) – Nominated (shared with Jaden Smith)
 * 2011 Favorite Action Star
 * 2005 Outstanding Contribution to Chinese Cinema


 * Teen Choice Awards
 * 2002 Film – Choice Chemistry (for Rush Hour 2) – Nominated (shared with Chris Tucker)
 * 2008 Choice Movie Actor: Action Adventure (for The Forbidden Kingdom) – Nominated


 * Walk of Fame
 * 2002 motion pictures star at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard on the Walk of Fame


 * World Stunt Awards
 * 2002 Taurus Honorary Award