Who is the best martial arts film star of all time? If asked this question, young fans of martial arts and MMA would probably boil the multitude of names down to just two outstanding heroes. One would be Bruce Lee and the other Jackie Chan. Unfortunately Bruce Lee’s career did not last long because of his early demise but Jackie Chan is still going strong. On April 7, 2024 he celebrated his 70th birthday and declared that he has no plans to retire.
Jackie Chan’s long lasting film career is a testament to his dedication. He rose to prominence in the 1970s because of his unique blend of martial arts, comedy, and daredevil stunts. He started working in the Hong Kong film industry as a stuntman. But his unusual fighting style came to be known in Hong Kong as “Drunken Boxing” because he seemed to be doing everything by accident. His ability to integrate comedy into his action sequences set him apart from other martial artists of his time.
When he was born, his father was a cook in the residence of the French ambassador in Hong Kong. As a child Chan was always seen playing and doing acrobatic stunts in the grounds of the ambassador’s building. He was so full of energy that neighbours gave him the Chinese nickname of Pao Pao (Cannonball). As a teenager he learnt martial arts, acting and acrobatics. Using those skills, he managed to obtain small parts in Chinese films.
Came up after demise of Bruce Lee
In 1973, after the demise of Bruce Lee, the Chinese film producer Lo Wei was looking for a successor to the iconic star. The producer sensed the potential that Jackie Chan had and cast him in a few films but the movies did not do well.
However, that was when Chan’s overactive imagination came to his rescue. Instead of imitating Bruce Lee’s strong and quiet personality, Chan developed a new type of action hero – one who seemed to be a bumbling and ineffective man; who seemed to be doing stunts as if by mistake.
Mix of comedy and action
This mixture of comedy and action worked wonders and pulled in thousands of viewers in Hong Kong and China. His first successful film was She Xing Diao Shou (Snake In The Monkey’s Shadow). The film titles may seem strange but it is because kung fu movements are often based upon the fighting styles of different animals.
He later joined the production house named Golden Harvest which went on to become the most famous in Hong Kong largely due to Jackie Chan’s popularity. At this time Chan also began experimenting with fight choreography and in the 1990s Chan finally achieved what he had always wanted. He made his mark in Hollywood.
His films in the USA
In the USA he appeared in films such as Karate Kid, Rush Hour, The Tuxedo, Police Story, The Armour of God series, Forbidden Kingdom, The Spy Next Door, The Foreigner and many other films. At the Box office, ten of his films earned $ 200,000,000 worldwide in the 1980s. By the mid 1990s, he had become the most popular action star in Asia and Europe, with at least 20 films earning him a net income of $ 5 million per film.
He may be 70 years old now but Jackie Chan is not done yet. His last film named Hidden Strike, where his co-star is the WWE wrestler John Cena, was released in 2023. The story is an absorbing blend of action, emotion and comedy. It is available on Netflix.
Chan’s next film, along with Ralph Macchio as his co-star, will be released in a few months. The action star that does his own stunts is still going strong. It is no wonder that Jackie Chan has left an indelible mark and has cemented his place as one of the greatest action stars of all time.
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