40 Jackie Chan Facts That Prove He Kills It Just As Much In Real Life As He Does On Screen
Jackie Chan is probably the most well-known Asian actor working today, and he has a pretty incredible legacy to boot. From his early martial arts films to his eventual break into Hollywood, his reputation as one of the world’s best stunt performers is firmly in place. His off-screen life is just as fascinating, filled with amusing, staggering, and sometimes utterly unbelievable tales. Here are 40 of the very best.
His father was a spy for the Chinese Nationalists
Chan was born in 1954 to Lee-Lee and Charles Chan, but the circumstances were far from ordinary. Charles, his father, was an orderly for a Nationalist general at 20, and he ended up working as a secret agent during the Second Sino-Japanese War. When the Communists took over, he was forced to go into hiding.
He's got a special relationship with two stuffed pandas
While visiting London in 2010, Chan took a trip to a Build-a-Bear shop and left with two pandas that he named Chan La and Chan Zy. He apparently never leaves home without his faithful friends, even taking them to the Academy Awards in 2017. He explained his connection with the endangered animal to Ryan Seacrest, “I’m the ambassador of [the] panda. After [the] earthquake, they get hurt and I raise them. I have two pandas in China, my own. They go wherever I go. They meet all the famous people.”
His mother smuggled illegal substances
Chan’s mother and father actually met when he arrested her for drug trafficking. Unfortunately, it wasn't a case of a misunderstanding or wrong-place-wrong-time scenario, either. As it happens, Lee-Lee Chan had been smuggling opium as a means of supporting herself after moving from Wuhan to Shanghai. Charles caught her concealing the substance during a port inspection but ended up taking pity on her. The rest, as they say, is history.
He was targeted by the triad gangs
Being an actor in Hong Kong used to be far from safe. Performers were often menaced by triad gangs, and Chan was no exception. There are even reports that he was once shot at as he stepped off of a plane. After that, it seems he took matters into his own hands. As a safety precaution, Chan began carrying guns and even grenades in a bid to ward the gangsters off.
He almost died during a shoot in Yugoslavia
It’s no secret that Chan has been injured countless times during shoots, but one accident nearly cost him his life. While in Yugoslavia shooting Armour of God, Chan was tasked with jumping from a wall onto a tree. He missed, smacking his head hard on the ground below and firing a skull fragment into his brain.
The actors who work with him have to wear padding
Anyone who's sat through an epic fight sequence in one of Chan's movies will surely have wondered how much actual contact happens during the on-screen brawl. Well, in actual fact, it’s a lot! As a precaution, Chan makes sure the actors he works with wear special padding. This extra protection stops them from getting hurt when he’s doing this thing.
He’s also in the music business
In the West, we know Chan as an actor, but in China, he has a reputation for singing as well. In fact, he’s been releasing albums there since 1984. To date, he’s produced more than 20, and featured on well over 100 different tracks in as many as five different languages. Is there anything he can’t do?
He once got someone else’s tooth embedded in his hand
In the early days, Chan supplemented his income by working as a nightclub bouncer. After one incident, he spent several days trying to push a protruding bone back into his knuckle, only to find that it was actually somebody else’s tooth. "I had a scuffle with someone, and two days later, I found out his tooth was still in my hand. I thought there was a problem with my bone. I didn't know if I'd killed the guy or just knocked him down and I was petrified for a whole month. I read the newspapers every day to find out if I'd killed someone," he shared with the Sunday Mirror. Seems like the tooth was the least of Chan's worries!
He has a plastic plug in his skull
Remember that accident that nearly killed Chan during the Armour of God shooting? Well, he may have survived, but he also has a permanent reminder that he nearly didn't! And that comes in the form of a plastic plug that's been inserted directly into his skull. It covers the hole that was made when his head hit the ground. Oh, and he also has partial hearing loss in his right ear from that very same fall.
He’s a world record holder
In 2012 Chan was awarded not one, but two Guinness World Records. He has the most credits in a single film of any actor, and he has more stunts under his (black) belt than any other actor alive today. Indeed, he has a whopping 15 different credits in the film Chinese Zodiac, four more than the previous record holder, director Robert Rodriguez.
“Jackie” isn't his real name
Jackie Chan’s given name is actually Kong-sang. He picked up the anglicized “Jackie” while he was working on a construction site in Australia. As the story goes, another builder called Jack took a shine to him, earning him the moniker “Little Jack,” which in turn was shortened to “Jackie.” We can think of worse people to have lent our names to!
He trains fish to do tricks
Training dogs to perform tricks on command is impressive enough, but fish? Come on now. Remarkably, Chan has managed to train catfish and koi carp to “roll over” on command, as demonstrated in a video that appeared on his official website. Maybe they're scared of the moves he'll pull on them if they don't comply...
Urban legend says he's cursed
As you'd expect, Chan has been approached by many companies over the years with requests for him to star in their TV adverts. But bizarrely, an oddly high number of those companies have gone on to fall on hard times soon after airing a commercial that features Chan. So much so, in fact, that this unexplainable string of bad luck has had news outlets speculating if the actor is cursed!
He once broke 12 concrete blocks with his hand
Breaking blocks is a popular demonstration of precision and control among martial artists — and one which Chan used to build his way to the top. On one TV show, he broke a whopping 12 concrete blocks with nothing but his bare hand. And to top it all off, he completed the whole stunt while holding an egg in his hitting hand. Incredibly, the egg remained intact. What sorcery is this?
He speaks eight different languages
Many Hong Kong residents have to know at least two languages, but astoundingly, Chan knows eight. As well as English, Mandarin, and Cantonese, he speaks some German, Thai, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish. He’s also fluent in American Sign Language. But despite all that knowledge, Chan shared that he thinks English is "the most difficult language" of them all during an interview with Rosie O'Donnell.
He thought the Rush Hour films were "terrible"
Chan and comedian Chris Tucker had audiences laughing with the Rush Hour films, but believe it or not, Chan didn't like them one bit. After watching back the first movie in the franchise, Chan said, "The English, I'm not good. Chris Tucker's English, I don't understand. Terrible movie!" Luckily for Chan, though, the language-barrier humor clearly works for the franchise's legion of fans!
He nearly went blind
It's a miracle that Chan even made it to Hollywood at all, as his early career in Eastern cinema was littered with stunts that all put him in real peril. In fact, the actor suffered a near-catastrophic injury when performing in one of his very first leading roles. While filming 1978’s Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow, his brow bone was broken by a kick from co-star Hwang Jang-Lee — and the star very nearly lost the sight in one of his eyes as a result. There don’t appear to be any hard feelings towards Hwang on Chan’s part, though. In fact, Chan once named the fight in question as among his very favorite action scenes.
There could have been a big bust-up on set
During the filming of Wheels On Meals, Chan thought world kickboxing champion Benny Urquidez was hitting him unnecessarily hard during one particular scene. And with pulses racing from the action happening on set, the actors fictional fighting almost spilled over into real life. Luckily, the crew was able to diffuse the situation before things got ugly.
He was almost sold as a baby
When Chan was born on April 7 in Hong Kong, his parents were severely impoverished. In fact, they were so destitute, that they couldn’t even afford the hospital bill for their son's delivery. Struggling to find a way to cover the fees, they were faced with few options. Tragically, his parents reportedly nearly sold off their newborn to a British physician to cover the cost of the birth.
He starred in an X-rated film
Those who choose acting as their career will know that it's no walk in the park. Picking up well-paid roles on the regular is a tough gig! And the same went for Jackie Chan, who was no stranger to taking whatever roles were around to make ends meet. When Chan was 31, he appeared in an adult Japanese film called All in the Family. He even shot a scene wearing nothing but his birthday suit!
Bruce Lee once hit him
Just like us normal folk, Bruce Lee is apparently a hero in Chan’s eyes. And luckily for a young Chan, he actually got the chance to work alongside Lee. Chan was a stunt performer in Enter the Dragon, and during the shoot, Lee accidentally cracked Chan on the head. Lee’s desire to make up for the accident gave Chan the chance to actually get some one-on-one time with the Hong Kong legend.
He sang in the Chinese version of Disney’s Mulan
As well as his impressive back catalog of albums, Chan has also featured on film soundtracks. One of his most noteworthy roles was his work on the Chinese version of “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” for Disney’s Mulan. The English-speaking version was recorded by Donny Osmond. We'll let you be the judge of who sang it best!
He has his own stunt team
To say that Chan is a good stunt performer is a serious understatement. But, what you might now have known, is that he also has his very own stunt team. The aptly-named Jackie Chan Stunt Team has been active since 1976. Members of the team are contracted for individual films, with the whole thing working a little like any other acting agency.
There’s a detailed diagram of all his previous injuries
Chan’s reputation as a talented stuntman is only matched by his reputation for getting damaged on the job. He uses it to his advantage, though, often including outtakes of stunts in the end credits of his films. And in 2012, he used his mishaps to promote CZ12. Indeed, a diagram of all his past injuries (and the films during which he acquired them) was incorporated into the film’s poster.
He can catch a fly without even looking
Famously in The Karate Kid, Mr. Miyagi is seen catching flies with chopsticks. Chan was clearly the perfect choice to play him in the 2010 remake, as actor Jason Isaacs once recounted that he saw Chan catch a fly in his hand on the set of The Tuxedo. Then, just to make the point, he did it a second time without even looking.
He started an unusual business that went bust
Back in the early noughties, the idea of clean-air transportation got Chan excited enough that he was inspired to take action himself. So excited, in fact, that, along with a business partner Matt McGuire, he kickstarted his own Segway dealership. Unfortunately, Segways weren't cheap and the business struggled to take off. As for Chan, he stated that "this is very little money to me. I don't rely on this to make money." Clean air for China - 0, No big deal for Jackie Chan - 1.
He's a perfectionist
The actors in Chan's 1982 film Dragon Lord got a dose of his perfectionist streak when he filmed a mind-boggling 2,900 takes for the opening 10-minute scene! He earned himself a Guinness World Record for his tedious effort, but we doubt he made many fans among the crew who had to do goodness only knows how many backflips to appease their eagle-eyed director!
He started his own clothing line
A guy who kicks as much tail as Jackie Chan needs to sport some flashy clothing to match, and that's possibly why he started a line all of his own. The not-so-adventurously named Jackie Chan Design stocks a mix of casual, athletic, and high-end attire. He can leap from building to building, looking stylish while doing it. Win-win!
He refuses to play the bad guy
Directors have offered Chan movie villain roles, but the martial arts star won't take them. Even though early in his career he played no-name street thugs in Bruce Lee movies, he sticks to good-guy characters now. And that translates to real life, too. Chan never stops trying to make the world a better place. He runs The Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation, which raises money for natural disaster survivors, and he's involved with the Make-a-Wish Foundation, as well.
He survived a six-story fall
While filming Project A in 1983, Chan’s character is left hanging from a clock tower 60 feet off the ground before plummeting six stories. And while the actor was supposed to have his fall broken by awnings, the safety measure didn’t quite act as intended. The awnings turned out to be more of a hindrance than a help, as Chan ultimately landed in a way that looked certain to have done him some significant harm. Yet despite doing damage to his spine in the fall, the star carried on acting as a group of extras helped lift him to his feet.
He jumped from a plane onto a hot air balloon
Once again, this happened during the Armour of God shoot. Chan was supposed to leap from a cliff face onto a hot air balloon, but instead, he skydived from a plane and shot the cliff jump separately. He was wired for the cliff shoot, but the plane jump was aided by nothing but gravity.
He was trained at a Chinese opera school
Chan began developing his acrobatic and martial arts skills when he was just seven. Specifically, at this tender age, he joined the Chinese Opera Research Institute. It was here that he spent ten years in training. Chan’s prowess was ultimately rewarded when he became part of his homeland’s burgeoning movie industry. In fact, by the time he'd left his teens, he’d already appeared in no fewer than 25 different films.
Christmas lights are not his friend
In the 1985 original Police Story, Chan's character, Ka-Kui, leaps onto a pole adorned with Christmas lights before tumbling through a roof made of glass and onto a shopping mall floor. And while the glass may not have been real, the festive lights certainly were, and Chan’s hands were left badly burned after he slid down a pole that the illuminations had turned hot. What’s more, the star also damaged two vertebrae and suffered a dislocated pelvis as a result of the hard landing.
He won't give up stunts on one condition
In a 1997 interview with Indiewire, Chan implied that his days of death-defying stunt work were coming to a close. But why? Well not, as many fans may have thought, because of one injury too many. In reality, Chan is just aware of how far modern technology has come. “I want to learn bluescreen! Here’s where I can use half bluescreen, half computer, so I don’t have to do stupid jumps from ten stories,” he joked. Nevertheless, the actor was keen to emphasize that his daredevil days weren’t entirely behind him, adding, “But I’ll still jump. Maybe 20 feet [down] though… but with the bluescreen I still do the jump but more safety! Ten years ago, I said, ‘Yeah! Jump from helicopter.’ But [it’s] a different kind of thinking now.”
Quentin Tarantino is a big fan
In Police Story 3: Super Cop includes one particularly hair-raising stunt which should have seen Chan drop from a moving helicopter onto a train. As seems to be just Chan's luck — things didn't go to plan. An unforeseen problem with the pipe left him with a shattered shoulder, a dislocated cheekbone, and a fractured rib after the helicopter in question struck him. And yet, in 2015, Quentin Tarantino chose the stunt when asked which movie moment he would put in a time capsule. He told The Hollywood Reporter, “That’s a sequence that aliens would watch and be amazed by. That could actually give you an understanding of cinema in all of its bells and whistles and movement.”
He married a Taiwanese actress
Despite his hectic work schedule, Chan has made time for a personal life too. In 1982, he married Taiwanese actress Joan Lin, and they welcomed their first and only child, Jaycee, soon afterward. They tend to keep out of the limelight, but the pair are still going strong. Their son is all grown up now and is less private than his mother. He's followed in Chan's footsteps to become a singer.
He worked as a stuntman in two Bruce Lee films
After serving as a stuntman on two Bruce Lee movies, Chan was given top billing in 1973’s Little Tiger of Canton. And yet the fledgling actor wouldn’t come to wider attention until 1978 – the year in which Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow and Drunken Master were released. Both films showcased Chan’s distinctive brand of comedic kung-fu and turned him into a star.
He was embroiled in a scandal
Chan’s image received a blow in the late ’90s when it was revealed that he had cheated on his wife with Elaine Ng Yi-Lei. The one-time Miss Asia winner also gave birth to their daughter, Etta, in 1999. Chan ultimately decided against becoming involved in Etta’s life. For a while, admittedly, he paid Elaine monthly child support of around $45,000, and he allegedly bought a costly home for his daughter and her mother. However, his financial help would eventually cease after Elaine moved to Hong Kong and entered the public eye.
His estranged daughter claimed to be living in poverty
Chan's daughter was 19 years old when she claimed that she and her girlfriend Andi Autumn were forced to resort to living underneath a bridge because of their parents’ homophobia. In an emotional YouTube video, the pair explained that they couldn’t rely on government homeless shelters, as that might lead to the pair being separated due to strict laws.
He admits to failing his daughter
Chan publicly acknowledged Etta in 2004 during a promotional tour for Around the World in 80 Days. At that time, the star admitted, “I know I have failed my daughter, but since her mother is that kind of a person, I don’t know how to treat [my daughter].” In 2015, however, Etta revealed that she wasn’t angry with Chan for how he had behaved with her – even if she had never really seen him as her dad.
