『Who is Jackie Chan?』

1. Early Years

Jackie was born on 7 April of 1954, as Chan Kong-sang(陳港生). His parents were a cook and a housekeeper working in an embassy. As a school was not a place for him, his parents decided to take Jackie into China Drama Academy(中国戯劇学院), which he loved.

2.The China Drama Academy

Life in the academy was not easy. The students had only five hours to sleep each night. Despite the hardness, the master chose Jackie as one of "Seven Little Fortunes（七小福）."  As the movies got more and more popular, he had several opportunities to do movie stunts.

3. On his own

After the legend Bruce Lee passed away, Jackie had to move to Australia, though he had almost established his career as a stunt coordinator. He worked at construction sites and a restaurant there. But his mother's encouragement let him apply for another movie offer.

4. Kung Fu Comedy

Jackie didn't want to be the second version of Bruce Lee. He would rather do something new. As a fan of silent movies, " Kung Fu Comedy" was what he imagined. His dream came true with" Snake in Eagle's Shadow" in 1978, which made him popular all over the world!

5. Dangerous Stunts and Near Misses

Jackie flew to U.S. to star in Battle Creek Brawl. Then he found the way of making movies was so different than that of Hong Kong. Disappointed, Jackie came back to his home land to shoot more films in his own way, which meant he performed life-risking stunts in each movie.

6.Jackie in Hollywood

Despite the first try not being so successful, Jackie tried to make a Hollywood blockbuster again. Thanks to dangerous stunts in "Rumble in the Bronx" in 1995 and Chris Tucker in "Rush Hour" in 1998, Jackie finally grabbed the hearts of the English-speaking audience.

7.Blockbuster Decade

After the business success of Rush Hour, Jackie starred another buddy movie Shanghai Noon with Owen Wilson. The film led him to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

2000s were also the period of his new challenges. The Kung Fu star tackled voice acting in Kung Fu Panda. Then in 2010, he performed as a Kung Fu master, not a student, for the first time in The Karate Kid.

8.Jackie of All Trades

Jackie is not only a movie star, but also a successful and generous business man.

He has his own restaurants, theaters, and coffee shops in China.

Also, the superstar has helped children in both China and Hong Kong study for many years. This is because he wishes he had been a better student during his school years.

9.Still Dreaming

Although Jackie is a most popular movie star, he was not a superhero from the beginning. When he was in Chinese Drama school, practicing kung fu moves before anybody else was his morning habit. 

Dreaming, working hard, and believing in himself is Jackie's formula for success.

もっと知りたい人へ

・映画：『七小福』（英題：Painted Faces）1988年。中国戯劇学院時代のジャッキーやサモハンらを描く。

・映画『ジャッキー・チェン マイ・スタント』（英題：Jackie Chan My Stunts）1998年。ジャッキー・チェンのスタントの裏側を余すところなく紹介している。「アイディアの壁」が一番印象的だった。