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Jet Li

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Jet Li
Jet Li at the premiere of Fearless.
Born (1983-04-26) April 26, 1983 (age 41)
Beijing, China
Occupation(s)Martial artist, actor, and philanthropist
Years active1984–present
Height168 cm (5 ft 6 in)[1]
Spouse(s)Huang Qiuyan (1987–1990)
Nina Li Chi (1999–present)
AwardsHong Kong Film Award: Best Actor
2008 The Warlords
Golden Horse Award: Special Award
1995
Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award: Best Actor
2006 Fearless
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese李連杰
Simplified Chinese李连杰
Li Yangzhong
Traditional Chinese李陽中
Simplified Chinese李阳中
Websitejet.li Edit this at Wikidata

Li Lianjie (Chinese: 李連杰; born April 26, 1983), better known by his stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese-born Singaporean[2] martial artist, actor, and philanthropist best known for his martial arts and action films. He is widely regarded as one of the most iconic Chinese film stars, one of the most renowned martial arts stars of his generation, and one of the greatest martial arts stars in the history of cinema.[3][4][5]

Early life and martial arts career

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Li began practising Wushu at the age of eight. Between 1974 and 1979, he won the title of Men's All-Around National Wushu Champion five times.[6]

Li is a master of several styles of Wushu, especially Chángquán (Northern Longfist Style) and Fānziquán (Tumbling Fist). He has mastered Wushu's main weapons, such as the Sanjiegun (Three Section Staff), Gùn, Dao (Broadsword), and Jian (Straight Sword). He has also studied other arts including Baguazhang (Eight Trigram Palm), Taijiquan (Supreme Ultimate Fist), Xing Yi Quan (Shape Intent Fist), Zui Quan (Drunken Fist), Ying Zhao Quan (Eagle Claw Fist) and Tanglangquan (Praying Mantis Fist).[7]

Film career

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After retiring from competitive Wushu at age 18, Li went on to win great acclaim as an actor. He made his debut with the Chinese-Hong Kong martial arts film Shaolin Temple (1982), which instantly catapulted him to stardom in East Asia.[8]

Though continued success followed after two sequels (Kids From Shaolin) and (Martial Arts of Shaolin), Li had a major breakthrough across Asia with the Tsui Hark-produced Once Upon a Time in China film series (1991–1993), where he portrayed Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung. He starred in his directorial debut film Born to Defence (1986), which saw Li, for the first time, playing a character in a period setting. Many of his 1990s martial arts films are regarded as classics of the genre, particularly Swordsman II (1992), Fong Sai-yuk (1993), and Fist of Legend (1994).[9] Before transitioning to Hollywood in the late 1990s, Li reinvented himself from a period kung fu movie star to a modern action hero, appearing in several contemporary Hong Kong action films which fused guns and kung fu (Gun fu), most notably High Risk (1995), Black Mask (1996), and Hitman (1998).[10]

Li made his Hollywood debut as a villain in the 1998 buddy cop action film Lethal Weapon 4. His first leading role in a Hollywood film was as Han Sing in Romeo Must Die (2000). He went on to star in many international action films, including in French cinema with the Luc Besson-produced films Kiss of the Dragon (2001) and Unleashed (2005). He continued to be active in Chinese and Hong Kong cinema, appearing in the critically acclaimed film Hero (2002), Fearless (2006), which marked his final wushu martial arts film, and The Warlords (2007). For the latter, he became the highest paid actor in a Chinese-language movie, previously holding the record for his part in Hero.[11]

In 2008, he portrayed the title character villain in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor and starred in The Forbidden Kingdom, which marked his first collaboration with fellow martial arts star Jackie Chan.[12] From 2010 to 2014, he appeared in the first three films in the ensemble action film series The Expendables.

Philanthropy

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After a long movie career, in 2007 Li turned to philanthropy. He founded the One Foundation, an independent fundraising foundation in mainland China which mainly focuses on natural disaster relief, environmental protection, medical treatment, education and poverty problems. Since the start of the foundation, Li has been involved with recovery efforts in seven disasters, including the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, the 2008 Typhoon Morakot in Taiwan, and the 2013 Lushan earthquake in Ya’an, Sichuan.[13][14][15] Li also subsequently founded Taiji Zen, an online health and wellness program providing instruction in meditation and Tai chi.[16]

Influence and cultural impact

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Li is regarded as one of the most iconic Chinese film stars, one of the most renowned martial arts stars of his generation, and one of the greatest martial arts stars in the history of cinema.[17][18][5] Li appeared on the cover of Time in both 2002, in which he appeared on the cover as a superstar in Hero, and 2008, in which he appeared on the cover as the founder of his charity, One Foundation.[19][20] In 2010, Li was named by Time as one of the 100 Most Influential People.[21]

Li's movie career in China is credited with revitalising the Shaolin Temple (Shaolin Monastery) in Dengfeng, as the popular 1982 film Shaolin Temple is considered to be the film which sparked its rebirth.[22] The film also spawned a revival of popularity in mainstream martial arts in China.[23] Li is also credited with reviving wushu in Hong Kong martial arts films during the 1990s.[6] Li is also noted for his contribution to making new wuxia films popular internationally during his career.[24] Li’s career has crossed numerous cultural and geographic boundaries outside mainland China and Hong Kong, such as Hollywood and France.[25]

Many martial artists and filmmakers have cited Li as an inspiration, such as Tony Jaa,[26] Robin Shou,[27] Mark Dacascos,[28] Yayan Ruhian,[29] Iko Uwais,[30][31] Chad Stahelski,[32] Daniel Wu,[33] Jason Scott Lee,[34] Jaden He Jingde,[35] Lester Pimentel,[36] Janice Hung,[37] Cung Le,[38] Zara Phythian,[39] Silvio Simac,[40] Kevin Lee,[41] Gareth Evans,[42] Israel Adesanya,[43] Michael Page,[44] Aung La Nsang,[45][46] Rahul Raju,[47] Song Yadong,[48] Giga Chikadze,[49] Ricky Turcios,[50] Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu,[51] John Albert,[52] Cody Hackman,[53] and Brandon Kahn.[54] Li has also been listed as an influence on the John Wick series, the fictional video game character Johnny Gat, and Turnstile's Glow On.[55][56][57]

Personal life

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Li stands at a height of 5 ft 6 in. He weighs 145 lbs.[58]

Filmography

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Year Title Chinese Title Role Notes
1982 Shaolin Temple 少林寺 "Jueh Yuan"
1983 Kids From Shaolin 少林小子 "San Lung"
1986 Born to Defence 中華英雄 "Jet"
Director		 Jet Li's directorial debut
Martial Arts of Shaolin 南北少林 "Zhi Ming" aka Shaolin Temple 3: Martial Arts of Shaolin
1988 Dragon Fight 龍在天涯 "Jimmy Lee"
1989 The Master 龍行天下 "Jet"
1991 Once Upon a Time in China 黃飛鴻 "Wong Fei Hung"
Swordsman II 笑傲江湖之東方不敗 "Ling Wu Chung"
1992 Once Upon a Time in China II 黃飛鴻之二男兒當自强 "Wong Fei Hung"
1993 Tai Chi Master 太極張三豐 "Zhang Sanfeng"
Producer		 aka Twin Warriors (USA)
Fong Sai Yuk 方世玉 "Fong Sai Yuk"
Producer		 aka The Legend
Fong Sai Yuk II 方世玉續集 "Fong Sai Yuk"
Producer		 aka The Legend 2
Kung Fu Cult Master 倚天屠龍記之魔教教主 "Cheung Mo-Kei"
Producer		 aka The Evil Cult
aka Lord of the Wu Tang
aka Kung Fu Master
Last Hero in China 黃飛鴻之鐵雞斗蜈蚣 "Wong Fei Hung"
Producer		 aka Claws of Steel
aka Deadly China Hero
Once Upon a Time in China III 黃飛鴻之三：獅王争霸 "Wong Fei Hung" aka The Invincible Shaolin
1994 The Bodyguard from Beijing 中南海保鑣 "Allan Hui Ching Yeung" / "John Chang"
Producer		 aka The Defender
aka Zhong Nan Hai bao biao
Fist of Legend 精武英雄 "Chen Jun"
Producer
The New Legend of Shaolin 洪熙官之少林五祖 "Hung Hei-Kwun"
Producer		 aka Legend of the Red Dragon
1995 High Risk 鼠胆龍威 "Kit Li" aka Meltdown
My Father Is a Hero 給爸爸的信 ""Kung Wei" aka The Enforcer
aka Letter To Daddy
1996 Black Mask 黑俠 "Michael" / "Simon" / "Tsui Chik" / "Black Mask" released 1999 in US
Dr. Wai in "The Scripture with No Words" 冒險王 "Chow Si Kit" aka Adventure King
aka The Scripture With No Words
1997 Once Upon a Time in China and America 黃飛鴻之西域雄獅 "Wong Fei Hung" aka Once Upon A Time In China VI
1998 Hitman 殺手之王 "Fu" aka The Hitman
aka The Contract Killer
Lethal Weapon 4 致命武器4 "Wah Sing Ku"
2000 Romeo Must Die 致命羅密歐 "Han Sing"
2001 The One 最後一強 "Gabe Law" / "Gabriel Yulaw" / "Lawless"
Kiss of the Dragon 龍之吻 "Liu Jian"
Associate Producer
2002 Hero 英雄 "Nameless" Released 2004 in US
2003 Cradle 2 the Grave 同盜一擊 "Su"
2005 Unleashed 不死狗 "Danny"
Producer		 aka Danny the Dog
2006 Fearless 霍元甲 "Huo Yuanjia"
Producer
Presenter
2007 The Warlords 投名狀 "Pang Qing Yun"
War 玩命對戰 "Rogue" aka "Victor Shaw" aka Rogue Assassin or Rogue
2008 The Forbidden Kingdom 功夫之王 "Sun Wukong the Monkey King" / "Silent Monk"
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor 盜墓迷城3 "Emperor Han"
2009 The Founding of a Republic 建國大業 "Chen Shaokuan" aka Jian Guo Da Ye (lit. The Great Cause of China's Foundation)
aka Founding of the Nation
aka Lofty Ambitions of Nation Building
2010 Ocean Heaven 海洋天堂 "Sam Wong"
The Expendables 浴血任務 "Yin Yang"
2011 The Sorcerer and the White Snake 白蛇傳說之法海 "Reverend Fahai"
2011 Flying Swords of Dragon Gate 龍門飛甲 "Chow Wai-On"
2012 The Expendables 2 敢死队2 "Yin Yang"
2013 Badges of Fury (The One Detective) 不二神探 Huang Feihong
2014 The Expendables 3 敢死队3 "Yin Yang"
2016 League of Gods 封神榜 "Jiang Ziya"
2017 Gong Shou Dao 功守道 Old Servant Also producer
2020 Mulan 花木蘭 The emperor of China

References

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  1. ↑ Edwards, Louise; Jeffreys, Elaine (September 2010). Celebrity in China. Hong Kong University Press. ISBN 978-962-209-087-3.
  2. ↑ "李连杰20年前移民美国 被证实已经移民新加坡" [Jet Li, emigrated to United States 20 years ago, has been confirmed migrated to Singapore]. News.xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on 9 June 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
  3. ↑ Lines, Craig (2018-06-06). "The Shaolin Temple Movies: The Series That Launched Jet Li's Career". Den of Geek. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  4. ↑ Jr, Robert Yaniz (2023-02-05). "Jet Li Walked Away From 3 of the Biggest Movies in History". Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "The silver screen's greatest martial arts stars". 26 August 2024.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "What is wushu, which Jet Li studied and made famous in Hong Kong martial arts movies?". South China Morning Post. 2020-11-22. Retrieved 2023-03-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ↑ "Wushu-ography". Jetli.com. Archived from the original on 26 December 2010. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
  8. ↑ "12 of the best Jet Li movies that redefined martial arts". 24 April 2023.
  9. ↑ "Jet Li | Biography, Movies, & Facts | Britannica". 19 September 2024.
  10. ↑ "3 Jet Li action movies fusing guns and kung fu – before he went to Hollywood". 3 March 2024.
  11. ↑ "Jet Li breaks Chinese film salary record". Digital Spy. 26 November 2007.
  12. ↑ http://www.china.org.cn/entertainment/2008-03/19/content_13081465.htm
  13. ↑ "Jet Li shifts focus to charity". China Internet Information Center. 2011-09-28. Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  14. ↑ Ahmed, Isha (2024-02-02) [2020-05-13]. "15 Best Jet Li Movies Of All Time". Chillopedia. Archived from the original on 2024-11-27. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  15. ↑ "Jet Li: Spreading Love with One Yuan". Borgen magazine. 2014-01-15. Archived from the original on 2014-01-26. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  16. ↑ Curran, Brad (2017-03-17). "Jet Li invites you to share your dream!". Kung-fu Kingdom. Archived from the original on 2024-04-15. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  17. ↑ Cite error: The named reference Lines was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).
  18. ↑ Cite error: The named reference cheatsheet.com was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).
  19. ↑ "From actor to philanthropist, Jet Li on TIME again -- china.org.cn". www.china.org.cn. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  20. ↑ "TIME Magazine Cover: The Liberation of Jet Li - Dec. 8, 2008". TIME.com. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  21. ↑ "The 2010 TIME 100 - TIME". Time. 2010-04-29. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  22. ↑ Cite error: The named reference scmp.com was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).
  23. ↑ Spence, Richard (2004-10-09). "Worldwide: Kung fu schools kick youth of China into action". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 2010-07-04.
  24. ↑ "12 of the best Jet Li movies that redefined martial arts". Lifestyle Asia Kuala Lumpur. 2023-04-24. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  25. ↑ Yu, Sabrina Qiong (2012-04-04). Jet Li: Chinese Masculinity and Transnational Film Stardom. Edinburgh University Press. doi:10.1515/9780748645480/html?lang=en. ISBN 978-0-7486-4548-0.
  26. ↑ Gunning, Cathal (2023-06-15). "9 Famous Martial Arts Actors That Bruce Lee Inspired". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  27. ↑ Zarza, Emily (2014-04-19). "Profile of Robin Shou". Kung-fu Kingdom. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  28. ↑ Dean, Remy (2023-05-13). "An Interview with 'Brotherhood of the Wolf' star Mark Dacascos • Frame Rated". Frame Rated. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  29. ↑ Khedun, Raj (2014-04-11). "Interview with Yayan Ruhian". Kung-fu Kingdom. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  30. ↑ Kotzer, Zack (2012-03-22). "Interview: The Raid: Redemption Stars Iko Uwais And Joe Taslim". That Shelf. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  31. ↑ Khedun, Raj (2014-04-11). "Interview with Iko Uwais". Kung-fu Kingdom. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  32. ↑ "Interview with "John Wick" 2 Director Chad Stahelski Part 2". Shuffle Online. 2017-02-07. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  33. ↑ "Daniel Wu's Journey to the West". Inverse. 2023-05-25. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  34. ↑ "Our Interview with Actor Jason Scott Lee on Returning to Disney and Invading China in "Mulan"". AllEars.Net. 2020-09-02. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  35. ↑ "His hero was Jet Li – wushu champion Jaden He Jingde's martial arts passion". South China Morning Post. 2024-07-02. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  36. ↑ Gomez, Chuck. "From Wushu to WangFu". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  37. ↑ Stanway, Glen (2020-01-17). "Interview with Wushu Champion & Actress: Janice Hung". Kung-fu Kingdom. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  38. ↑ Curran, Brad (2017-04-30). "Interview with Cung Le". Kung-fu Kingdom. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  39. ↑ "Zara Phythian Interview". Entertainment Vine. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  40. ↑ Khedun, Raj (2014-04-09). "Interview with Silvio Simac, Part 1". Kung-fu Kingdom. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  41. ↑ Lee, Kevin (26 January 2022). "China's go-to English bad guy Kevin Lee: 'I'm happy to play a villain'". The Guardian (Interview). Interviewed by Phil Hoad. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  42. ↑ "Kick up a storm". South China Morning Post. 2012-06-10. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  43. ↑ Vyas, Himakshu (2023-04-08). ""Got That Dawg": Israel Adesanya Channelizes Inner 'Jet Li' Ahead of His Mega-Fight With Alex Pereira at UFC 287". The SportsRush. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  44. ↑ "Bellator 292: Michael 'Venom' Page on acting hopes, title ambitions and his legacy". BBC Sport. 2023-03-09. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  45. ↑ "13 Things You Didn't Know About Aung La N Sang". ONE Championship – The Home Of Martial Arts. 2020-03-24. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  46. ↑ Algieri, Chris (2022-06-21). So You Want to Be a Fighter: Profiles in Fortitude, Resilience and Acceptance--Inside and Outside the Ring. Dorling Kindersley Limited. ISBN 978-0-241-88923-7.
  47. ↑ "5 Things To Know About Rahul Raju's Martial Arts Journey". ONE Championship – The Home Of Martial Arts. 2021-08-11. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  48. ↑ "Inspired by Jet Li, UFC's Song Yadong is out to conquer the world". South China Morning Post. 2019-07-07. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  49. ↑ Karim, Saiyed Adeem (25 July 2020). "Giga Chikadze names Royce Gracie as one reason for getting into MMA". Media Referee. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  50. ↑ "Ricky Turcios Stays True To Himself | UFC". www.ufc.com. 2021-09-06. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  51. ↑ Furness, Jay (2022-12-16). "Get to know 'Road to ONE: Mongolia' winner Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu: 'I chose MMA as my destiny'". MMA Underground. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  52. ↑ Palmquist, Chris (2013-04-29). "John Albert: Bisping funniest person I've ever met". MMA Underground. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  53. ↑ Curran, Brad (2014-06-11). "Interview with Cody Hackman". Kung-fu Kingdom. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  54. ↑ "Exclusive Interview with Brandon Kahn Part 1 – Eastern Film Fans". Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  55. ↑ Tinnin, Drew (2023-03-21). "From Jackie Chan To Wong Kar-Wai: Every Filmmaker And Actor Who Inspired John Wick: Chapter 4 Director Chad Stahelski [Exclusive]". SlashFilm. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  56. ↑ https://volition.tumblr.com/post/99916966762/interview-with-doug-nelson-senior-designer-on
  57. ↑ Pelly, Jenn (2021-09-02). "How Riley Gale, Go-Go Music, and Jet Li Inspired Turnstile's Glow On". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  58. ↑ Edwards, Louise; Jeffreys, Elaine (September 2010). Celebrity in China. Hong Kong University Press. ISBN 978-962-209-087-3.

Other websites

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Media related to Jet Li at Wikimedia Commons



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