ACTOR · BORN 1954
Jackie Chan
- Born
- 7 April 1954, Victoria Peak, Hong Kong
- Known for
- Kung Fu Panda (2008), Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011), Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016), The Karate Kid (2010)
102 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Sep 2026
17 Facts About Jackie Chan's Life and Family
- #004
Jackie Chan got the name "Jackie" from coworkers on a construction site in Canberra, Australia, who could not pronounce his real name.
- #010
Jackie Chan has a great, long-standing relationship with Mitsubishi Motors. The company has donated many of its cars for his films.
- #013
In 1976, Jackie Chan had plastic surgery to reshape his eyelids and give him a more "Western" look. The last film featuring the old-looking Chan is Shaolin Wooden Men (1976).
- #021
His role models were Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd; throughout his childhood all of them mattered more to him than martial arts stars, and he was pushed into that label at a very young age.
- #022
Some of his favorite films are Gone with the Wind (1939), Singin' in the Rain (1952) and The Matrix (1999).
- #023
According to the production diary on the official Shanghai Knights (2003) website, the film's producers wanted to throw him a birthday party, but he asked them not to because his mother had recently died and Chinese custom requires waiting 3 to 12 months after a death before ending the mourning period. The producers threw the party anyway, and Chan did not object, saying that "it is an important part of the American culture to celebrate birthdays."
- #026
He trained in the Northern and Southern styles of kung fu as well as other martial arts styles such as Taekwondo, Karate, Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Hapkido. Chan also has experience in Jeet Kune Do from working as a stuntman on some of Bruce Lee's films.
- #036
Despite his minimal formal education, he became an honorary doctor of social sciences at Hong Kong Baptist University and an honorary fellow of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.
- #040
Jackie Chan's family worked at the American Embassy in Canberra, Australia. After one of his ventures in the film business failed, he lived with them there for a time.
- #046
In 2009 he was appointed an anti-drug ambassador by the Chinese government, took an active part in anti-drug campaigns and supported President Xi Jinping's statement that illegal drugs must be eliminated and their users severely punished. In 2014, when his own son Jaycee was arrested for marijuana use, he said he was "angry," "shocked," "heartbroken" and "ashamed" of his son. He also said, "I hope all young people will learn a lesson from Jaycee and stay away from the harms of drugs. I tell Jaycee that when you do something wrong, you have to face the consequences."
- #049
He founded the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation to offer scholarships and active assistance to the youth of Hong Kong and to provide aid to victims of natural disasters or illness.
- #050
Police Story (1985) is his favorite film in the "Police Story" series.
- #054
His father is Charles Chan and his mother is Lily Chan (also known as Lee-Lee Chan).
- #063
Jackie Chan received an honorary degree (Doctor of Social Sciences) from Hong Kong Baptist University in 1996.
- #071
Elaine Wu gave birth to a daughter named Etta Ng Chok Lam on 19 November 1999. Hong Kong media claimed Jackie Chan was the father, but no confirmation has been made by any of the parties involved.
- #072
Jackie Chan is the godfather of Tin-Chiu Hung.
- #082
Miracles: Canton Father (1989) is Jackie Chan's favorite among his own films.
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
Sources for the entries on this page
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