Early Life

Jackie Chan’s real name is Chan Kong-sang, and he was born in Hong-Kong on April 7th, 1954. As a child, Chan earned the nickname “Pao-pao” due to the fact that he was full of energy and rolled around the house while curled up in a ball. He grew up on the grounds of the French consul, as his parents worked for the French ambassador. Chan failed his first year of primary school. As a result, he was enrolled in the China Drama Academy not long afterward. In this school, Chan learned acrobatics and martial arts for the first time, excelling in both areas. He studied under Yu Jim-yuen, who taught many other prolific martial artists. After becoming one of the school’s brightest students, he formed close relationships with other future stars and fixed his sights on the film industry. During this time, Chan earned a black belt in Hapkido and also studied Karate, Judo, Taekwando, and Jeet Kune Do. In the late ’70s, Jackie Chan moved to Australia, where his parents were working for the American embassy. He worked as a construction worker for a time, and this is when he earned the nickname “Jackie.”

Early Film Career

Despite being involved in school, Jackie Chan started appearing in movies as early as age five. His biggest early role came at age eight when he appeared alongside many of his classmates in Big and Little Wong Tin Bar. After a slew of other minor roles, Chan was signed to Great Earth Film Company. This would prove to be a valuable launching platform for his later career. Through this company, he worked as a stuntman in Bruce Lee’s legendary films, Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon. This led to his first-ever starring role in a movie called Little Tiger of Canton in 1973.

In 1976, Jackie Chan started working with director Lo Wei. The director wanted to take advantage of Bruce Lee’s popularity, and tried to make Jackie Chan “the next Bruce Lee.” However, Chan couldn’t replicate Lee’s fighting style, and so the film New Fist of Fury was a failure.

Mainstream Breakthrough

A major breakthrough came when Jackie Chan was able to put his trademark comedic skills to use in The Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow. The 1978 film pioneered the comedic Kung-Fu genre, which proved to be incredibly popular among Hongkongers. Director Yuen Woo-ping capitalized on the success of this film with the release of Drunken Master later that year. This proved to be one of Jackie Chan’s most iconic performances, and it propelled the young actor to incredible levels of fame. Because the director was willing to give Chan complete freedom over his stunt choreography, the young actor was able to fully show off his impressive abilities. After a number of other similar films, Chan was ready to tackle the international film industry.

International Success

With help from manager Willie Chan, the actor started to land roles in Hollywood blockbusters, starting with The Big Brawl in 1980. Chan’s attempts to break into Hollywood started slow, and he frequently traveled back to Hong Kong to work on various films. During this time, he started to experiment with even more daring stunts, and this gained the attention of an international audience. This continued into the mid-’90s, and Jackie Chan slowly became a sought-after addition to various Hollywood movies – although he refused to play villains because he didn’t want to be typecast.

Rumble in the Bronx gained a massive cult following in North America when it was released in 1995, and Jackie Chan would soon arrive in Hollywood in true fashion. After starring in Rush Hour alongside Chris Tucker in 1998, he became a household name within the American film industry. The film grossed $130 million in the United States alone.

In the year 2000, Chan capitalized on the success of Rush Hour with Shanghai Noon, and a sequel was later released. Rush Hour 2 soon followed, along with films like The Tuxedo and The Medallion. The latter two films were not as successful as Chan’s prior Hollywood releases, and the star became increasingly frustrated with the American film industry. After the release of Rush Hour 3, which grossed $255 million, Jackie Chan returned his focus to his roots, creating his own production company (JCE Movies Limited) and focusing on dramatic roles.

In May 2023, it was announced that Jackie Chan is set to star in the $50 million action sequel to 2005’s The Myth titled A Legend.

Earnings

The Rush Hour film franchise grossed a cumulative $845 million globally to date. In 2018, it was reported that his films have grossed $1.84 billion in the United States and in Canada alone. Adjusted for inflation, this number becomes $2.44 billion. Worldwide, Chan’s films have generated more than $5 billion in box office earnings.

In 2016, Jackie Chan was the second-highest paid actor in the world. Between June 2018 and June 2019, Jackie Chan earned $60 million from his various endeavors. Between June 2019 and June 2020, he earned $40 million.

Business Ventures

In addition to JCE Movies Limited, Chan also owns a range of other production companies and a chain of cinemas throughout China. He also launched his own clothing line and a range of food products. Jackie Chan is heavily involved in charity and has donated considerable sums to those in need.

Personal Life

In 1982, Chan married Taiwanese actress Joan Lin. They had a son, singer and actor, Jaycee Chan, that same year. Jackie had an affair with Elaine Ng Yi-Lei, and they had a daughter together, Etta Ng Chok Lam, who was born in January 1999. It’s reported that Chan gave Elaine nearly $9,000 a month for living expenses and over $76,600 when she moved to Shanghai. These transactions were later claimed to be nonexistent by her lawyer.

In 2020, Jackie Chan was forced to let his Beijing apartments go up for auction amidst an ownership dispute. Chan worked with Yujia Real Estate and paid some $4.9 million for the apartments in 2006. Reportedly, the real estate company didn’t file the paperwork properly. The market value of the property was found to be close to $14.6 million, but they went up for auction in September starting at $10.5 million.