Jackie Chan was born on Hong Kong's famous Victoria Peak on April 7, 1954. His parents, Charles and Lee-Lee Chan, immigrated to Canberra, Australia in early 1960. As a result of Jackie's poor academic performance, his father sent him back to Hong Kong to attend the demanding China Drama Academy, one of the Peking Opera institutions. Chan excelled at acrobatics, singing, and martial arts, and he eventually joined the "Seven Little Fortunes" performing troupe, where he formed enduring friendships with fellow martial artists/actors Sammo Kam-Bo Hung and Biao Yuen. Chan traveled back and forth to Canberra to visit his parents and employment, but eventually he returned to Hong Kong as his permanent residence.
Chan's own film career took off, and he quickly participated in a slew of low-budget martial arts films put out at breakneck speed by Hong Kong companies eager to capitalize on the early 1970s boom in martial-arts filmmaking. He appeared in Shaolin Wooden Men (1976), To Kill with Intrigue (1977), Half a Loaf of Kung Fu (1978), and Magnificent Bodyguards (1978), all of which did well at the box office. He did, however, make a significant breakthrough with the action comedy Drunken Master (1978), which has become a cult favorite among martial arts cinema lovers. Soon after, Chan made his directorial debut with The Young Master (1980), and "Enter the Dragon" producer Robert Clouse enticed Jackie to the US for a picture intended to introduce Jackie into the lucrative US market. Jackie competed in a "toughest Street fighter" contest set in 1940s Texas in Battle Creek Brawl (1980), but she was dissatisfied with the outcome, and the film failed to connect with US audiences.
Undaunted, he returned to East Asia to do what he does best: make jaw-dropping action pictures with incredible stunt work. Chan and his famed stunt team were unrivaled in their abilities to stage the most spectacular battle scenes and action sequences. Chan's childhood has been the subject of much speculation. Chan's parents abandoned him in Hong Kong when he was seven years old, fleeing a Communist rule and settling in Australia, where he worked for the American Embassy. Chan attended a residential school that stressed the performing arts. Only in recent years has Chan learned more about his parents. Fang Daolang, his father, was involved in illegal criminal activities and may have been a Nationalist spy; his mother had been arrested for smuggling opium and had connections to the Shanghai underworld. In 2003, Chan reconciled with his father. In 2001, his mother died.
Chan visited a Build-a-Bear Workshop in London in 2010 and created two cuddly panda bears named Chan La and Chan Zy. The actor enjoys traveling with them and posing for photos with fellow entertainers. His pandas have met celebrities such as Ang Lee, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jet Li, and Bill Clinton. In 2017, the two also escorted him to the Academy Awards.
It's not uncommon for Chan to serve in multiple capacities on his Hong Kong productions, including directing, producing, and acting. Chan set a new record in 2012 for the number of people credited in a single film with Chinese Zodiac, earning him a Guinness World Record. He also composed the music, directed the art, oversaw the unit's production, served as gaffer, sang the theme song, wrote the script, shot the film, performed stunts, oversaw the catering, and coordinated props.
Many consider Chan to be Bruce Lee's successor in the post-Bruce Lee period, bridging the gap between Hollywood and Hong Kong. But that's where the parallels end. Even after receiving words of encouragement from the man himself, Chan had no desire to become "the next Bruce Lee." As a result, he began to pursue his own trademark style of martial arts and action films, eventually establishing his own brand and name.
Chan is a true maverick actor/director/stuntman/producer combination in the worldwide film industry; he has done it the hard way, and always his way, to fulfill his objectives and goals of becoming an international cinematic star. Off-screen, he has been integrally involved in a number of humanitarian endeavors that have provided financial help to schools and institutions all around the world. He is a UNICEF GoodWill Ambassador, and he has campaigned against animal cruelty and pollution, as well as assisting with disaster relief efforts for victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.