Jackie Chan

Jackie Chan was born Chan Kong-Sang (meaning Born In Hong Kong) on the 7th of April, 1954, in Hong Kong. He was the only child of Charles and Lee-Lee Chan, weighing 12 pounds). His father Charles worked as a cook for the French Ambassador, while Lee-Lee, his mother was the housekeeper.
Jackie was enrolled at age 7, at the Peking Opera School. Though he speaks 7 languages, he still cannot read or write with great proficiency. At the Peking Opera School, he was trained music, acrobatics and martial arts. Exercises were brutal, the kids performing headstands for hours on end. Beatings were commonplace. Being something of a prodigy, Jackie was introduced to public performance early. At age 8, he was cast in Big And Little Wong Tin Bar, with the great Taiwanese star Li Li-hua as his mother.
Leaving school, he then took to soccer, boxing, gambling, and then pool.
Jackie's extraordinary athleticism and inventive stunt-work quickly brought him a lead role, in Master With Cracked Fingers. But for the next couple of years, Jackie would play second fiddle to the man credited with bringing kung fu to the West - Bruce Lee - appearing as an extra in both Chinese Conection and Enter The Dragon. When Lee died, though, in 1973, the path was open. There were many pretenders - Bruce Li, Bruce Le, Dragon Lee - and Jackie was at the forefront. It didn't work.
Today , finally, after nearly 40 years in the business, the Jackie Chan reached worldwide stardom. He has acted in literally hundreds of films. He is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons and innovative stunts. Chan is also a music star, having released a number of albums and sung many of the theme songs for the films in which he has starred.