Jackie Chan, also known as Thành Long, is considered one of the pioneering figures who has significantly influenced the action film genre. Drawing inspiration from legends such as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Bruce Lee, Thành Long has consistently elevated the standards of action-comedy throughout several decades.
With a remarkable career spanning decades, it is no surprise that Thành Long will receive the Oscar for “Lifetime Achievement” from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences this year. Therefore, this is the perfect time to discover some information about this iconic actor that not every fan may know:
1. Thành Long/Jackie Chan was born as Chan Kong-sang.
2. He was initially nicknamed “Little Jack” before changing it to “Jackie” while working as a construction worker in Canberra, Australia.
3. His stage name “Thành Long” (in Chinese: 成龙) means “becoming a dragon.”
4. He began his film career as a stuntman in Bruce Lee’s movies.
5. Thành Long has sustained major injuries throughout his career, including three contusions, one broken foot, losing several fingers, and serious injuries to both legs during stunt performances.
6. He had a severe injury on his knee while filming “The Twins Effect.”
7. Although he loves performing his own stunts, he admits to being very shy and often speaks hesitantly in public.
8. Thành Long currently holds a Guinness World Record for being “the most prolific stunt performer alive.”
9. He also holds a Guinness World Record for the most roles played in a single film. In “The Spy Next Door,” he played a total of 15 roles including director, producer, and stuntman.
10. Thành Long can speak seven languages including Cantonese, Mandarin, English, German, Korean, Japanese, and Thai. He is also proficient in the sign language of the deaf community.
11. Thành Long often dubs his own films to international markets and provides the Mandarin version for films released in the US.
12. Thành Long is also a talented singer, having released at least 20 albums in various languages including Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Taiwanese, and English.
13. Thành Long once applied for a visa to the United States under a false identity in 1976.
14. Thành Long once carried a gun and personal protection to safeguard himself during the tumultuous years of the 1980s and 1990s.
15. After a major film shoot, he lost two teeth while trying to get back into character, only to realize they were actually the teeth of a villain.
Source: Hollywood
