Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Jackie Chan
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Jackie Chan made an impact.
Jackie Chan, born Chan Kong-sang, is a highly influential Hong Kong martial artist, actor, and filmmaker. Renowned for his acrobatic fighting style, slapstick humor, comic timing, and daring stunts he performs himself, Chan has built a career spanning over six decades. He is considered one of cinema's most iconic and influential martial artists. His films have collectively grossed over $6 billion globally, solidifying his status as a major entertainment figure.
1962: Appearance in Big and Little Wong Tin Bar
In 1962, at the age of eight, Jackie Chan appeared with some of his fellow "Little Fortunes" in the film 'Big and Little Wong Tin Bar'.
1964: Appearance in Liang Shan Po and Chu Ying Tai
In 1964, Jackie Chan appeared as an extra in Yen Chun's film 'Liang Shan Po and Chu Ying Tai'.
1966: Small role in Come Drink with Me
In 1966, Jackie Chan had a small role in King Hu's film 'Come Drink with Me'.
1971: Signed to Great Earth Film Company
In 1971, after appearing as an extra in the film 'A Touch of Zen', Jackie Chan was signed to Chu Mu's Great Earth Film Company.
1972: Appearance in Fist of Fury
In 1972, Jackie Chan appeared in the Bruce Lee film 'Fist of Fury' as an extra and stunt double.
1973: Appearance in Enter the Dragon
In 1973, Jackie Chan appeared in another Bruce Lee film, 'Enter the Dragon', as a minor henchman.
1974: Martial Arts Choreographer for The Young Dragons
In 1974, Jackie Chan worked as a martial arts choreographer for John Woo's 'The Young Dragons'.
1976: Offered role in a film directed by Lo Wei and renamed to Cheng Long
In 1976, Jackie Chan was offered an acting role in a film directed by Lo Wei after film producer Willie Chan had been impressed with Jackie's stunt choreography work. His stage name was changed to 成龍 to emphasize his similarity to Bruce Lee.
1978: Breakthrough with 'Snake in the Eagle's Shadow' and starring in 'Drunken Master'
In 1978, Jackie Chan had his breakthrough with the action comedy 'Snake in the Eagle's Shadow'. He then starred in similar action comedies such as 'Drunken Master'.
1979: Directorial Debut with 'The Fearless Hyena'
In 1979, Jackie Chan made his directorial debut with 'The Fearless Hyena', which achieved box office success.
1980: Release of 'The Young Master'
In 1980, Jackie Chan released 'The Young Master' which was successful in Japan.
1980: First Hollywood film, The Big Brawl
In 1980, Jackie Chan's first Hollywood film was 'The Big Brawl'.
1980: Experimenting with Stunt Action Sequences
In the early 1980s, Jackie Chan began experimenting with elaborate stunt action sequences in films such as The Young Master (1980).
1981: Minor role in The Cannonball Run
In 1981, Jackie Chan played a minor role in the film 'The Cannonball Run', which grossed over US$100 million worldwide.
1982: Release of 'Dragon Lord'
In 1982, Jackie Chan released 'Dragon Lord', experimented with stunts.
1982: Dragon Lord Fight Scene Record
In 1982, the film Dragon Lord featured a pyramid fight scene that set the record for the most takes required for a single scene, with 2900 takes.
1983: Formation of Jackie Chan Stunt Team with 'Project A'
In 1983, 'Project A' marked the official formation of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team and established Chan's signature style of elaborate, dangerous stunts combined with martial arts and slapstick humor.
1983: First co-starring role with opera school friends in Project A
In 1983, Jackie Chan co-starred for the first time with Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao in 'Project A', which introduced a dangerous stunt-driven style of martial arts.
1983: Established Jackie Chan Stunt Team
In 1983, Jackie Chan established the Jackie Chan Stunt Team to choreograph his films and utilize each member's specific abilities, ensuring safer and more elaborate stunts.
1983: Project A and Jackie Chan Stunt Team formation
In 1983, Jackie Chan's Project A saw the official formation of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team, adding elaborate and dangerous stunts to the fights and typical slapstick humor. At one point in Project A, Chan falls from the top of a clock tower through a series of fabric canopies.
1984: Starring in Wheels on Meals
In 1984, Jackie Chan further developed his signature style of elaborate, dangerous stunts combined with martial arts and slapstick humor in a more modern setting with 'Wheels on Meals'.
1985: Starring in Police Story
In 1985, Jackie Chan developed his signature style of elaborate, dangerous stunts combined with martial arts and slapstick humor with 'Police Story'.
1985: Made the first Police Story film
In 1985, Jackie Chan made the first 'Police Story' film, a crime action film in which Chan performed a number of dangerous stunts.
1985: Abandoning US market attempts after commercial failure of The Protector
In 1985, after the commercial failure of 'The Protector', Jackie Chan temporarily abandoned his attempts to break into the US market, returning his focus to Hong Kong films.
1986: Played Asian Hawk in Armour of God
In 1986, Jackie Chan played "Asian Hawk", an Indiana Jones-esque character, in the film 'Armour of God'.
1988: Founded Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation
In 1988, Jackie Chan founded the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation to offer scholarships and aid to young people in Hong Kong and victims of natural disasters.
1988: Starred in Dragons Forever
In 1988, Jackie Chan starred alongside Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao in the film 'Dragons Forever'.
1989: Performed at Concert for Democracy in China
In 1989, Jackie Chan performed at the Concert for Democracy in China in support of democratic movement during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.
1989: Police Story 2 wins Best Action Choreography at the Hong Kong Film Awards
In 1989, Police Story 2 won the award for Best Action Choreography at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
1993: Best Actor Award at the Golden Horse Film Festival
In 1993, Jackie Chan won the Best Actor Award at the Golden Horse Film Festival for Police Story 3: Super Cop.
1994: Reprised role as Wong Fei-hung in Drunken Master II
In 1994, Jackie Chan reprised his role as Wong Fei-hung in Drunken Master II, which was listed in Time Magazine's All-Time 100 Movies.
1995: Mainstream breakthrough with Rumble in the Bronx
In 1995, 'Rumble in the Bronx', which had a successful worldwide theatrical run, brought Jackie Chan into the North American mainstream.
1998: Hollywood Success with Rush Hour
In 1998, Jackie Chan gained Hollywood success for portraying Chief Inspector Lee in the American buddy cop action comedy film 'Rush Hour'.
2000: Appearing in the Shanghai film series
In 2000, Jackie Chan appeared in the Shanghai film series.
2003: Appearing in the Shanghai film series
In 2003, Jackie Chan appeared in the Shanghai film series.
2004: Appearing in New Police Story
In 2004, Jackie Chan appeared in 'New Police Story'.
2004: Launch of Clothing Line
In 2004, Jackie Chan launched his own line of clothing, featuring a Chinese dragon logo and the initials "JC".
2004: UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
In 2004, Jackie Chan was working as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, championing charitable works, conservation, and disaster relief.
June 2006: Pledge to Donate Assets to Charity
In June 2006, Jackie Chan pledged to donate half of his assets to charity upon his death, inspired by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates.
2006: Appearing in Rob-B-Hood
In 2006, Jackie Chan appeared in 'Rob-B-Hood'.
2006: Played an Antihero in Rob-B-Hood
In 2006, Jackie Chan played an antihero for the first time in Rob-B-Hood as Thongs, a burglar with gambling problems.
March 2008: Launch of Jackie Chan Science Centre
On March 10, 2008, Jackie Chan was the guest of honour for the launch of the Jackie Chan Science Centre at the Australian National University.
2008: Collaboration with Jet Li in The Forbidden Kingdom and Kung Fu Panda franchise
In 2008, 'The Forbidden Kingdom' marked Jackie Chan's first collaboration with Jet Li. Jackie Chan also started his voice acting in the Kung Fu Panda franchise.
2009: Played a Low-Level Gangster in Shinjuku Incident
In 2009, Jackie Chan played a low-level gangster in Shinjuku Incident, a serious drama set in Tokyo about unsavory characters.
2009: Acting against type in Shinjuku Incident
In 2009, Jackie Chan played against type in 'Shinjuku Incident'.
2009: Anti-Drug Ambassador
In 2009, Jackie Chan was named an "anti-drug ambassador" by the Chinese government, actively taking part in anti-drug campaigns.
February 2010: Opening of Jackie Chan-Yaolai International Cinema
In February 2010, Jackie Chan-Yaolai International Cinema opened, claimed to be the largest cinema complex in China.
2010: Appearing in Little Big Soldier and The Karate Kid
In 2010, Jackie Chan appeared in 'Little Big Soldier' and 'The Karate Kid', where he played martial arts mentor Mr. Han.
2010: Brand Ambassador for Kaspersky Lab
In 2010, Jackie Chan served as brand ambassador for Kaspersky Lab's antivirus software in Asia.
April 2011: Artistes 311 Love Beyond Borders
On April 1, 2011, Jackie Chan headlined a charity concert titled Artistes 311 Love Beyond Borders to help with Japan's disaster recovery effort.
2011: Named one of the top 10 most charitable celebrities by Forbes
In 2011, Jackie Chan was named one of the top 10 most charitable celebrities by Forbes.
2011: Inspiration for The Raid: Redemption
In 2011, the Indonesian cinema film The Raid: Redemption took inspiration from Jackie Chan's fight sequences and action choreography.
2012: Guinness World Records for CZ12
In 2012, Jackie Chan earned two Guinness World Records for 'CZ12': "Most Stunts Performed by a Living Actor" and "Most Credits in One Movie".
2013: Member of the National Committee
In 2013, Jackie Chan began his service as a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
2013: Served as Delegate to National Committee
Since 2013, Jackie Chan has been a pro-China politician, having served two terms as a delegate to the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, China's political advisory body.
2014: Inspiration for Kingsman: The Secret Service
In 2014, the film Kingsman: The Secret Service took inspiration from Jackie Chan's fight sequences and action choreography.
2016: Voice acting in Kung Fu Panda franchise
In 2016, Jackie Chan continued his voice acting work in the Kung Fu Panda franchise.
2016: Partnership to Form Racing Team
In 2016, Jackie Chan partnered with David Cheng to form the racing team Baxi DC Racing Alpine.
January 2017: Donation to Flood Victims in Thailand
In January 2017, Jackie Chan donated $65,000 to help flood victims in Thailand.
2017: Acting in The Foreigner
In 2017, Jackie Chan played in 'The Foreigner'.
2017: Win at 24 Hours of Le Mans
In 2017, the Jackie Chan DC Racing team became the first Chinese team to win its class (LMP2) at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
2017: Inspiration for Atomic Blonde
In 2017, the film Atomic Blonde took inspiration from Jackie Chan's fight sequences and action choreography.
2018: Inspiration for Black Panther
In 2018, Marvel Cinematic Universe films such as Black Panther took inspiration from Jackie Chan's fight sequences and action choreography.
2020: Inspiration for Birds of Prey and Extraction
In 2020, the DC Extended Universe film Birds of Prey and the Netflix film Extraction took inspiration from Jackie Chan's fight sequences and action choreography.
2021: Inspiration for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
In 2021, Marvel Cinematic Universe films such as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings took inspiration from Jackie Chan's fight sequences and action choreography.
2022: Cited as Influence on Uncharted
In 2022, Tom Holland cited Jackie Chan as an influence on several action scenes in Uncharted, noting Chan's use of his surroundings to fight people in unique ways.
2023: End of Term on the National Committee
In 2023, Jackie Chan concluded his second term as a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
2023: Voice acting in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
In 2023, Jackie Chan did voice acting for 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem'.
2025: Appearing in The Shadow's Edge and Karate Kid: Legends
In 2025, Jackie Chan is scheduled to appear in 'The Shadow's Edge' and 'Karate Kid: Legends'.
Mentioned in this timeline
Tom Holland is a highly successful English actor known for...
Bill Gates an American businessman and philanthropist revolutionized personal computing...
John Cena is an American actor retired professional wrestler writer...
PlayStation is a video game brand owned by Sony Interactive...
Nintendo is a Japanese multinational video game company based in...
Facebook is a social media and networking service created in...
Trending
58 minutes ago Mamdani trolls Ramaswamy after Knicks win, NYC to host viewing parties.
59 minutes ago Hailey Baptiste shines at French Open, saving match points against Krejcikova.
2 hours ago Delaware Court: Corporations Can Vote in Some Elections; ACLU Challenge Fails.
3 hours ago Anna Paulina Luna: From Maxim Model to Congress, UFO Focus, and Viral Rifle Tweet.
3 hours ago Rafael Jódar Shines at French Open Debut, Advances to Second Round.
4 hours ago Djokovic, Swiatek, and Svitolina compete at the French Open 2026 on Day Four.
Popular
Ken Paxton is an American politician and lawyer serving as...
Thomas Massie is a Republican politician and engineer representing Kentucky's...
Michael Joseph Jackson the King of Pop was a highly...
William Franklin Graham III known as Franklin Graham is an...
Tulsi Gabbard is an American politician and U S military...
Chip Roy is an American attorney and politician currently serving...