Research Notes On Jackie Chan

Dominic Wills. Jackie Chan Biography. [Online] 22, April 2008. URL<http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/jackie_chan_biog.html>.

Jackie Chan is 5’8” in height!

Attended Nah-hwa primary school at Hong Kong, but spent his travel money on food, and got into a lot of fights with caucasian kids attending schools in the area.

He failed to pass primary 1 while his peers went on to primary 3, so his dad enrolled him at peking opera school when he was 7 years old.

His dad, Charles, left to work at the Chinese Embassy in Australia, and soon after his mother Lee Lee left too, leaving Jackie to be adopted by Shu Master Yu Jan Yuen.

Being introduced to publics preformance early, he was in a troupe called The Seven Little Fortunes, along with three other’s who also went on to become big names in Hong Kong cinema.

At 8 years old he was lucky to have been cast in Big and Little Wong Tin Bar, with Taiwanese star Li Li-hua playing as he mother. She liked him, and had him appear in more series of features with her. All his paychecks went to his master.

After leaving his school, he would often stay at 24-hour pool halls in Hong Kong, where a group called Triads would often try to recruit him. He stayed out of their way by playing dumb and innocent since his father told him not to join any gangs or do any drugs.

For years he played second to Bruce Lee, who was credited for bringing Kung Fu to the West.

His current name, Jackie was obtained during his time visiting his parents in Australia when taken to work on a construction site by his dad’s friend, he told the other co workers that his name was also “Jack”.

Martindale, David. "Biograph" Biography Aug 2001: Vol. 5 Issue 8, p22, 2p, 5c.

EBSCOhost. 23 April 2008. < http://search.epnet.com >.

When Jackie is 17 years old, the Academy needs financial help, so loans their students out as stuntment for the film company.

Directors try to turn Jackie into the next, “Bruce Lee” after he passes away in ’73, but none of the films are a huge success.

He was told his english wasn’t strong enough for an interview on the Today show, so gave a martial arts demonstration instead.

Later, he improves his language skill by watching american t.v.

On separate ocassions, two female fans commited suicide upon realizing that their dream of romance with super star, Jackie Chan was an impossibility.

Although he has been married, and had a child, with Taiwanese actress Lin Feng-Jiao a secret for many years.

CITE BOOK SOURCE HERE

Jackie’s worst injury occurred on the set of “Amour of god” in Yugoslavia, almost killing him when he hit the rock ground, headfirst.