Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Jackie Chan
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Jackie Chan made an impact.
Jackie Chan, born Fang Shilong, is a highly influential Hong Kong martial artist, actor, and filmmaker. Renowned for his unique blend of slapstick comedy, acrobatic fighting sequences, and exceptional stunt work (often performed by himself), Chan has become a global icon in cinema. His career extends over six decades, and his films have collectively grossed over $5.8 billion worldwide, solidifying his status as one of the most recognizable and impactful martial artists in film history.
1962: Appearance in Big and Little Wong Tin Bar
In 1962, at the age of eight, Jackie Chan appeared in 'Big and Little Wong Tin Bar' with Li Li-Hua playing his mother.
1964: Extra 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: Signing with Great Earth Film Company
In 1971, after an appearance as an extra in '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 the 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 Acting Role by Willie Chan
In 1976, Jackie Chan received a telegram from Willie Chan, offering him an acting role in a film directed by Lo Wei, leading to 'New Fist of Fury'.
1978: Major breakthrough in Snake in the Eagle's Shadow
In 1978 Jackie Chan had his first major breakthrough with the film 'Snake in the Eagle's Shadow' which established the comedic Kung Fu genre.
1978: Breakthrough with Snake in the Eagle's Shadow and Drunken Master
In 1978, Jackie Chan had his breakthrough with the action comedy 'Snake in the Eagle's Shadow'. The same year, he then starred in the film 'Drunken Master', which finally propelled him to mainstream success.
1979: Directorial Debut with The Fearless Hyena
In 1979, Jackie Chan made his directorial debut with 'The Fearless Hyena', which was a box office success.
1980: First Hollywood Film: The Big Brawl
In 1980, Jackie Chan made his first foray into Hollywood with 'The Big Brawl'.
1980: Starring in The Young Master
In 1980, Jackie Chan starred in the action comedy 'The Young Master', continuing his success in the Hong Kong film industry.
1980: Experimentation with elaborate stunt action sequences
In 1980, Jackie Chan started experimenting with elaborate stunt action sequences in his films, such as in "The Young Master".
1980: Success in Japanese Market with The Young Master
In 1980, Jackie Chan's film 'The Young Master' found early success in the lucrative Japanese market.
1981: Role in The Cannonball Run
In 1981, Jackie Chan played a minor role in the film 'The Cannonball Run'.
1982: Dragon Lord's pyramid fight scene
In 1982, Jackie Chan released "Dragon Lord", which featured a pyramid fight scene that required 2900 takes, setting a record. The final fight scene included stunts like a backflip off a loft.
1982: Release of Dragon Lord
In 1982, Jackie Chan released 'Dragon Lord', experimenting with elaborate stunt action sequences.
1983: Formation of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team in Project A
In 1983, 'Project A' marked the official formation of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team. The film established Chan's signature style of elaborate, dangerous stunts combined with martial arts and slapstick humor.
1983: First co-starring with Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao in Project A
In 1983, Jackie Chan co-starred with Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao for the first time in 'Project A', introducing a dangerous stunt-driven style of martial arts.
1983: Formation of Jackie Chan Stunt Team and release of Project A
In 1983, the Jackie Chan Stunt Team was officially formed for "Project A", adding elaborate and dangerous stunts along with slapstick humor. A notable stunt involved Chan falling from a clock tower through fabric canopies.
1984: Starring in Wheels on Meals
In 1984, Jackie Chan starred in 'Wheels on Meals', further developing his signature style of elaborate, dangerous stunts combined with martial arts and slapstick humor in a more modern setting.
1985: Release of Police Story and dangerous stunt
In 1985, "Police Story" was released, featuring large-scale action scenes. During a stunt where Jackie Chan slid down a pole, he suffered second-degree burns, a back injury, and a dislocated pelvis.
1985: Release of First Police Story Film
In 1985, Jackie Chan made the first 'Police Story' film, a crime action film featuring dangerous stunts.
1985: Starring in Police Story
In 1985, Jackie Chan starred in 'Police Story', continuing to develop his signature style of elaborate, dangerous stunts combined with martial arts and slapstick humor.
1985: Abandoning US Market after Failure of The Protector
In 1985, Jackie Chan temporarily abandoned his attempts to break into the US market after the commercial failure of 'The Protector'.
1986: Starring in Armour of God
In 1986, Jackie Chan starred as "Asian Hawk" in the film 'Armour of God', which became his biggest domestic box office success up to that point.
1988: Founding of the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation
In 1988, Jackie Chan founded the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation, offering scholarships and aid to young people in Hong Kong and providing disaster relief.
1988: Last Film Together: Dragons Forever
In 1988, Jackie Chan starred alongside Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao for the last time to date in the film 'Dragons Forever'.
1989: Performance at Concert for Democracy in China
In 1989, Jackie Chan performed at the Concert for Democracy in China, supporting the democratic movement during the Tiananmen Square protests.
1989: Release of Police Story 2
In 1989, Jackie Chan released 'Police Story 2', which won the award for Best Action Choreography at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
1990: Release of Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu
In 1990, "Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu" was released for the PC-Engine and Nintendo Entertainment System.
1993: Best Actor Award at 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: Release of 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: Rumble in the Bronx Brought Chan into North American Mainstream
In 1995, 'Rumble in the Bronx' brought Jackie Chan into the North American mainstream due to its successful worldwide theatrical run.
1995: Featured in the Jackie Chan The Kung-Fu Master arcade game
In 1995, Jackie Chan was featured in the arcade game "Jackie Chan The Kung-Fu Master".
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: Shanghai Film Series (2000-2003)
In 2000, Jackie Chan appeared in the well-received 'Shanghai' film series.
2003: Shanghai Film Series (2000-2003)
In 2003, Jackie Chan continued his work in the 'Shanghai' film series.
2004: Chan promotes disaster relief efforts for floods in mainland China and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami
In 2004, Jackie Chan championed charitable works and causes including promoting disaster relief efforts for floods in mainland China and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
2004: Launch of Jackie Chan's clothing line
In 2004, Jackie Chan launched his own line of clothing, featuring a Chinese dragon logo. Also in 2004, Chan owned Jackie's Kitchen restaurants, with outlets in Hong Kong and South Korea, Jackie Chan's Cafe, Jackie Chan Signature Club gyms (in partnership with California Fitness), and a line of chocolates, cookies and nutritional oatcakes.
2004: New Police Story release
In 2004, Jackie Chan starred in "New Police Story", portraying a character suffering from alcoholism and mourning his murdered colleagues, aiming to act with more emotion.
2004: Starring in New Police Story
In 2004, Jackie Chan starred in 'New Police Story'.
June 2006: Pledge to donate half of assets to charity
In June 2006, Jackie Chan pledged to donate half of his assets to charity upon his death, citing admiration for Warren Buffett and Bill Gates' efforts.
2006: Anti-hero role in Rob-B-Hood
In 2006, Jackie Chan played an antihero for the first time in "Rob-B-Hood", portraying Thongs, a burglar with gambling problems.
2008: Collaboration with Jet Li in The Forbidden Kingdom and Kung Fu Panda
In 2008, Jackie Chan collaborated with Jet Li for the first time in 'The Forbidden Kingdom'. He also did voice acting work in 'Kung Fu Panda'.
2009: Role as 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.
2009: Starring in Shinjuku Incident
In 2009, Jackie Chan played against type in the film 'Shinjuku Incident'.
2009: Named an "anti-drug ambassador" by the Chinese government
In 2009, Jackie Chan was named an "anti-drug ambassador" by the Chinese government, supporting the eradication of illegal drugs.
February 2010: Opening of Jackie Chan-Yaolai International Cinema
In February 2010, the first Jackie Chan-Yaolai International Cinema opened, claimed to be the largest cinema complex in China, with 17 screens and 3,500 seats. Chan hoped the size would allow young, non-commercial directors to have their films screened. Further cinemas were planned.
2010: Brand Ambassador for Kaspersky Lab
In 2010, Jackie Chan served as brand ambassador for Kaspersky Lab's antivirus software in Asia.
2010: Starring in Little Big Soldier and The Karate Kid Remake
In 2010, Jackie Chan starred in 'Little Big Soldier' and the remake of 'The Karate Kid', where he played Mr. Han.
2011: Starring in Shaolin
In 2011, Jackie Chan starred in the film 'Shaolin'.
2011: Expansion of Dragon's Heart Foundation to Europe
In 2011, the Dragon's Heart Foundation expanded its reach to Europe.
2012: Guinness World Records for CZ12
In 2012, Jackie Chan earned two Guinness World Records for 'CZ12', recognizing his extensive stunt work.
March 2015: Meeting with David Cheng, discussion on motorsports team
In March 2015, Jackie Chan met with David Cheng and discussed his interest in motorsports, raising the possibility of starting a team together.
2016: Voice Acting in Kung Fu Panda Franchise
In 2016, Jackie Chan continued his voice acting work in the 'Kung Fu Panda' franchise.
2016: Formation of Baxi DC Racing Alpine and rebranding to Jackie Chan DC Racing
In 2016, Jackie Chan partnered with David Cheng to form Baxi DC Racing Alpine, the first mainland China-based operation in WEC. Later in 2016, leading into the Asian Le Mans Series season, the team was rebranded to Jackie Chan DC Racing, promoting his movie Kung Fu Yoga.
January 2017: Donation to flood victims in Thailand
In January 2017, Jackie Chan donated $65,000 to help flood victims in Thailand.
2017: Jackie Chan DC Racing Wins at 24 Hours of Le Mans
In 2017, Jackie Chan DC Racing became the first Chinese team to win its class (LMP2) at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
2017: Starring in The Foreigner
In 2017, Jackie Chan starred in 'The Foreigner', playing against type.
2023: Voice Acting in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
In 2023, Jackie Chan voiced a character in 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem'.
2025: Future Role in Karate Kid: Legends
In 2025, Jackie Chan is set to reprise his role as Mr. Han in 'Karate Kid: Legends'.
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