In perfecting his craft, he's broken his nose three times, cracked his ankle, hurt most of his fingers, damaged both his cheekbones and his
skull is patched together with a steel plate. One thing's for sure, you can't say Jackie Chan hasn't paid his dues...
After nearly 40 years in the business, the legendary martial arts maestro has reached worldwide stardom. As he always wanted, pretty much everyone knows his name! Jackie Chan's become one of the best-known names in kung fu and action films worldwide.
Renowned for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons and innovative stunts he has truly revolutionised the film industry. Fitting with his global stature, CNN's THE SCREENING ROOM
will pay special tribute to the legendary Chinese actor, director, producer, martial artist and stunt performer on DStv this April.
Airing on Friday April 25 (19:30 CAT) the program examines how Chan kicked and punched his way to international stardom from Hong Kong to Hollywood, producing and starring in over a hundred movies. His latest production, The Forbidden Kingdom sees him square up against fellow actor Jet Li in a much awaited on-screen duel.
THE SCREENING ROOM takes a walk down memory lane to show DStv audiences how the young unknown boy from Hong Kong became the megastar he is today. It all started in 1960, when as a youngster Jackie Chan's family immigrated to Canberra in Australia. However it was only when his father sent him back to Hong Kong to attend the rigorous China Drama Academy, one of the Peking Opera Schools, that the star was truly born.
Chan excelled at acrobatics, singing and martial arts and eventually became a member of the Seven Little Fortunes performing troupe. He journeyed back and forth to visit his parents and work in Canberra, but eventually he made his way back to Hong Kong as his permanent home.
In the early 1970s martial arts maestro kicked off his movie career and appeared in very minor roles in two films, The Chinese Connection and
Enter the Dragon, starring then rising martial arts superstar Bruce Lee.
Not long after Lee's untimely death, Chan was often cast in films cashing in on the success of Lee by utilizing words like "fist", "fury"
or "dragon" in their release titles.
In the early 1980s, Chan tried his luck in Hollywood, with little success. He starred in The Big Brawl, which flopped, He also had a small
supporting role, opposite Burt Reynolds in the disappointing ensemble comedy Cannonball Run in 1982.
Undeterred, he returned to the Orient to do what he did best....make jaw dropping action films laden with amazing stunt work. Chan and his
legendary stunt team were unparalleled in their ability to execute the most incredible fight scenes. The next decade would see some of their
best work.
In 1995, Chan created his own comic book character, the central figure in Jackie Chan's Spartan X, a series that hit newsstands in both Asia and the U.S. That same year, newly anointed directing sensation Quentin Tarantino, fresh off the success of Pulp Fiction (1994), presented Chan
with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the MTV Movie Awards.
In 1996, Rumble in the Bronx, Chan's first U.S. hit and fifth English-language film was released. The film grossed $10 million in its first weekend of release, reaching No. 1 at the box office. In 1998, Chan had another big box-office hit with the film Rush Hour, which also starred rising comedian Chris Tucker. In 2000, Chan starred in Shanghai
Noon, another crossover comedy-action starring Owen Wilson and Lucy Liu.
The following summer, Chan reteamed with Tucker for the smash hit sequel Rush Hour 2, for which he earned a hefty $15 million, plus a percentage
of the record-breaking box-office haul. In 2002, Chan co-starred with Jennifer Love Hewitt in The Tuxedo, an action comedy about a taxi driver
who receives special powers when he puts on his boss's tux.
That same year, Chan received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was honoured with the Taurus Award for best action movie star at the
World Stunt Awards. Chan's latest film, The Forbidden Kingdom, is set to be released later in 2008. When released, it will become the first film starring together two of the most names in the martial arts film
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_arts_film> genre
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genre> , Jackie Chan
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Chan> and Jet Li
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Tune in for THE SCREENING ROOM on Friday April 25 (19:30 CAT) on CNN,
channel 280, on DStv.