Jackie Chan, the legendary kung fu daredevil, Hollywood star, and Guinness World Record holder, is set to be a torchbearer for Wednesday’s Paralympic opening ceremony in Paris.
At 70, Chan, whose unique blend of comedy and martial arts has earned him a massive following in France and beyond, continues to captivate audiences across language barriers.
Born in British colonial Hong Kong in 1954, Chan began his film career as a child actor and worked as a stunt double in Bruce Lee’s 1972 classic Fist of Fury.
His thrilling fight scenes interspersed with slapstick humor – showcased in films such as Drunken Master and Police Story – made him a household name in Hong Kong and across Asia.
Chan’s stunt work also led to frequent injuries, and outtakes of scenes gone wrong were typically shown at the end of his films in blooper reels alongside the credits.
Guinness World Records recognized him in 2012 for “Most Stunts by a Living Actor.”
Chan’s Hollywood breakthrough came with Rumble in the Bronx in 1996 and the subsequent Rush Hour trilogy, where he starred opposite American comedian Chris Tucker.
The third installment of the Rush Hour movies, filmed in France, featured a pivotal fight scene at the Eiffel Tower, with Chan somersaulting and rolling off the iron beams of the Paris icon to evade his opponent.
“I did all my stunts, even the scene full of fighting and acrobatics on top of the Eiffel Tower,” he told reporters in 2007 during the premiere.
“I can tell my grandchildren, ‘This is your grandfather. This is me. That’s not a double flying around the Eiffel Tower in 100-mile-per-hour winds,’” Chan said.
On Wednesday, he is expected to take over the ceremonial torch in the afternoon. This will not be his first time carrying the Olympic flame.
In 2008, he was among several other Chinese personalities – including Zhang Ziyi of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon fame – to carry the Olympic torch ahead of the Games in Beijing.
Oscar recognition
Despite a late start to his international film career, Chan has been listed multiple times in the past decade as one of the best-paid actors in the world.
He has also starred in big-budget action blockbusters such as Shanghai Noon, The Karate Kid, and the Kung Fu Panda series of animated films.
Chan was awarded the Honorary Oscar Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016, saying, “After 56 years in the film industry, making more than 200 films – I broke so many bones – finally this is mine!”
Back in Hong Kong, his star has waned somewhat over the years as Chan’s pro-Beijing stance has rankled some fans, and his decision to join China’s top political advisory body made headlines in 2013.
A video emerged in 2021 of him expressing a desire to be a card-carrying Chinese Communist Party member.
“I’m honored to be a Chinese person. But I’m also very envious that you are a party member. I think the Communist Party is just too great… I want to be a party member!” he said.
Chan sits at the head of a sprawling business empire encompassing a clothing line, cinemas, and restaurants.
His net worth was estimated at $350 million in 2015, according to Forbes.
Speaking to reporters at the premiere of Rush Hour 3, the then-53-year-old said he sometimes forgets his age.
“You just keep moving,” he said. “I’ll do it until my body tells me to stop. I don’t think about retirement,” he added.
