Jackie Chan was born on April 7, 1954. He was born with the name Jacky Chan Kong-sang. His weight at birth was 10 pounds. Jackie was poverty sricken. His parents didn't have much money to raise Jackie. He was almost sold to the delivering doctor for 26 dollars! When Jackie Chan was 7 years old his parents brought him to a Peking Opera School. Jackie went into the school and was amazed, he saw children tumbling and flipping and practicing martial arts with elegant weapons. It was like a dream to him. The master asked him how long he wanted to stay here for 3, 5, or the maximum amount of time, 10 years. Jackie didn't understand how long that was, so he just chose ten. He regreted it within a week of staying there. His teacher would beat him and other children. He would push them past the althletic limits most children have. One thing he would have them do would be to do a handstand on a stool for one hour. The children all slept under one blanket. When Jackie was eight years old he was chosen to be in an opera show. It was a team of 7 children, they were called the Seven Little Fortunes. The children were given stage names, Jackie's stage name was Yuen Lau, and he worked with Sammo Hung(Sammo worked with Jackie in such movies as Dragons Forever, Wheels On Meals, and the Lucky Stars series), he also was with Yuen Biao(Project A, Wheels On Meals, Dragons Forever), Yuen Wah, Yuen Kuei, Yuen Mo, Ng Ming Choi, and Yuen Tak. When he was also eight years old a director came to the school to choose an actor to be in a movie. Jackie was chosen to be in the movie "Big and Little Wong Tin Bar", this would be his first movie, it was a drama. Jackie made a few more movies while he was at the school. When he got out of the school he went on to be a stuntman on a couple movies including the Bruce Lee movie "Enter the Dragon" he got his neck snapped by Bruce in that movie. Jackie's first starring role was "Master With Cracked Fingers" made in 1971. In 1976 Jackie was "discovered" by a director named Lo Wei. Jackie soon signed a contact to make 8 movies with Lo Wei. "New Fist Of Fury", "Shaolin Wodden Men", "To Kill With Intrigue", "The Killer Meteors", "Magnificent Bodyguard", "Spiritual Kung Fu", and "Dragon Fist". Most of these movies were all flops. Lo Wei tried to make Jackie into the new Bruce Lee but Jackie just didn't want that. He wanted to add humor to his movies. During this period Lo Wei allowed Jackieto direct the film, "One Half a Lof Of Kung Fu" it finally gave Jackie the chance to do things his way. One director in 1978 wanted Jackie to be in a movie called, "Snake in the Eagles Shadow", so Low Wei decided to "lend" Jackie to the director Yuen Woo Ping to make two movies with Jackie. These two movies, "Snake in the Eagles Shadow" and "Drunken Master" were huge successes in Hong Kong. These films launched Jackie into stardom. Soon Jackie signed a new contract with Lo Wei in 1980, his first movie was to be, "Fearless Hyena 2", but Willie Chan knew it was a bad idea and took Jackie to America in the middle of filming. Lo Wei was determined to finish the film and made a Chan look alike film the rest and he took scenes from "Fearless Hyena 1" and somehow made a plot. So while Jackie was in America he made the movie,"The Big Brawl" (or "Battlecreek Brawl"), it didn't do well in America but he at least was noticed there. Also while he was in America he made two more American films, "Cannonball Run", and Cannonball Run 2". Jackie had gone back to Hong Kong to make "Drangon Lord". He was very frusturated because the audience only wanted action and nothing else from Jackie. So he made "Project A", in this movie he does one of his best stunts, he does a fall 75 feet down from a clock tower, he would rip through two canvases and then fall on his head, he did it three times! One time the second canvas bounced him in the air and he fell head first into the ground. Jackie made one more American film in the 80s, called "The Protector", he didn't like the way the director made the movie, so he went back to Hong Kong to make what many people call his greatest movie ever, "Police Story". This movie was absolutely wonderful, it hade more action in it than any other Chan film. This was the way "The Protector" should have been made. By now Jackie was very well known. In 1986 Jackie made the movie that almost killed him, "Armour Of God", in the opening scene of this movie Jackie was supposed to jump off a castle wall onto a tree and swing down. Jackie did it one time and thought that he should do a twist when he lets go of the tree, so he did it again. This time, though, the branch broke when he jumped on it, it sent him falling down head first for about 40 feet. He fell on his head onto rocks, it was the most serious injury he ever had. He just barely survived, but as soon as he healed he went back to filming. After this movie was done he made sequels to most of his successful movies. He made "Project A 2", "Police Story 2", and "Armour Of God 2: Operation Condor". During this period he also made one of his best movies, and what Jackie calls his best directorial effort, "Miracles", or "Mr. Canton and Lady Rose". In 1992 he made "Police Story 3: Supercop", also starring Michelle Yeoh(Khan), Michelle made theBond movie "Tomorrow Never Dies" with Pierce Brosnan later on. Then in 1994, he made my very favorite movie, "Drunken Master 2". This movie was wonderful, it's amazing to think that he was 40 years old when he made this movie. There was spectacular fights, including the end fight with Ken Lo. This movie was directed by Lau Kar Leung, Lau didn't want any drinking in this movie, but Jackie still added one great fight showing off the drunken style. Then came Jackie's movie that finally got him into America, "Rumble in the Bronx". This movie was also directed by Stanley Tong, who directed him in "Supercop", and later on "First Stirke". "Rumble" was #1 at the box office in America. Finally the American market began to appreciate him. Miramax and New Line movie companys re-relesed the movies "Operation Condor" and "Supercop" they cut a lot of footage out, but at they got to American theatres. Jackie also got "First Strike" directed by Stanley Tong, to come to America, and "Mr. Nice Guy". Jackie's movie "Who Am I?"(see "Who Am I?" review section) will come straight to video on December 15, 1998. His newest movie "Rush Hour", his first American movie for 12 years, will open in theaters September 18. This movie also stars Chris Tucker("Money Talks). Hopefully this movie will be #1 at the box office too: )
Jackie Chan, he is the most amazing human being on earth, he has defied gravity time and time again. His life is like a Cinderella story, almost sold to a doctor for 26 dollars, and now he is the biggest action star the world has ever seen. Jackie Chan, I give this person 1 billion out of 1 billion stars!