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   Jackie Chan by Sara Hall
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As an actor, filmmaker, comedian, film producer, martial artist, screenwriter, singer and stuntman, Jackie Chan’s talents are legendary. In a career that spans over four decades, Jackie Chan has appeared in well over 100 films. Best known for his acrobatic and innovative fighting style, Chan continues to perform his own stunts whenever he can. However, Chan’s long and distinguished career is littered with multiple injuries and setbacks that include a fractured skull. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the film industry, Chan boasts having a star on Hong Kong’s Avenue of 

Stars as well as on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. Chan also works hard on a number of different projects and schemes. As a keen philanthropist, he is an active ambassador for UNICEF and a diligent charity worker.

Jackie Chan was born in Hong Kong on 7 April 1954. His parents were refugees from mainland China. They named their baby Chan Kong-Sang, meaning “born in Hong Kong”. From the very beginning, Jackie was no ordinary baby. He was nicknamed Pao Pao, or “cannonball”, because he weighed over 12 lbs at birth.

Chan’s parents worked at the French Consul in the Victoria Peak district of Hong Kong where Jackie spent his early years. He initially attended the local primary school. However, he left this school when he failed his first year exams. Chan’s father later moved to Australia to work as Head Chef for the American embassy in Canberra when Chan was just seven years old. The younger Chan stayed in Hong Kong and enrolled at the China Drama Academy. For the next 10 years, Jackie trained hard. Discipline was tough at the Academy and he saw very little of his parents.

At the Academy, Chan excelled at martial arts and acrobatics. Chan played minor roles in several Hong Kong films as part of the Seven Little Fortunes - a group made up of the Academy’s best performers. And despite all the harsh rigorous training, Chan made some life-long friends while attending the Academy. Fellow actors Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao were also members of the Seven Little Fortunes. The three students became firm friends and went on to work together in a number of films during the 1980s.


After leaving the Academy, Chan found difficulty in obtaining work. Disappointed by the lack of acting roles in Hong Kong, he left for Canberra, Australia in 1976 to join his parents. To pass the time, Chan worked as a construction worker, which he found monotonous and boring. However, Chan acquired his stage name while working on one particular building site. A fellow builder called Jack took Chan under his wings, calling him affectionately “Little Jack”. The other builders shortened the name to Jackie – and the name stuck!


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Glossary

Acrobatic (n)
using your body to jump and balance in many different ways.

Philanthropist (n)
someone who believes in helping people.

Nickname (n)
an informal name given by your friends and family.

Monotonous (adj)
boring and repetitive.
  Last Updated ( Wednesday, 13 January 2010 12:36 )