JET LI





When Jet Lee was seven years old his primary school teacher took him and his classmates to the Peking Wu Shu Academy. It
was here that Jet's passion for Wu Shu began. On returning from the trip he decided to start training at once, and discovered to
his delight that he had a natural born gift for this art. This enabled him to rise through the ranks quickly and at just eleven years
old he took five gold medals in the national Wu Shu championships. He continued his disciplined training and by the Seventies
he was the national coach.

In 1981 he was approached to star in the film THE SHAOLIN TEMPLE, which was to be shot on location in Hu Nam
Province and used the real Shaolin Temple for the best parts of the picture. This was to be the first time audiences worldwide
were given a chance to see behind China's red curtain.

When the film was released it broke box office records in Hong Kong, Korea and Chinatowns all over the world, but sadly the
picture was to be banned in Taiwan.

From this one film Jet became an overnight success and a legend in his own country. People would queue up outside his house
in the hope of getting a glimpse of this rising star. And it wasn't long before Jet was back in front of the cameras with the
comedy sequel KIDS FROM SHAOLIN. Although this was not as action packed as THE SHAOLIN TEMPLE, the film still
fared well at the box office. MARTIAL ARTS OF SHAOLIN was the final part of the trilogy, and unfortunately artistic
difficulties had flared up between Jet Lee and director Liu Chia Liang. But problems aside, the film achieved very impressive
box office figures with its superb sets and exciting action sequences aplenty.

Jet decided to turn his hand to directing his own production, which he was also to star in. BORN TO DEFEND was set during
the Second World War, and Jet played a young soldier who took on all comers inside the boxing ring. The finished movie was
very unpolished and was not regarded as one of Jet's best vehicles. The box office figures were disappointing and even worse,
Jet had sustained a bad back injury while performing his own stunts.

Disappointed, Jet spent the next two years trying to get US citizenship, claiming that he was not able to express himself as freely
as he would like, and that he had no power when it came to putting forward creative ideas. His move West was to prove
invaluable. After a slow start in Lo Wei's DRAGON FIGHT, which co-starred the then unknown Chow Sing Chi, and Tsui
Hark's THE MASTER, which was to be shelved and later released as WONG FEI HUNG '92, he was offered the lead role in
Tsui Hark's ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA. The movie was a huge success worldwide and critically acclaimed, and Jet
went on to star in two sequels.

Along with the success of ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA the Hong Kong movie scene witnessed a revival in traditional
kung fu films, with Jet at the top of the hot property list. Everyone wanted a piece of Jet Lee, and it was Golden Princess who
were lucky enough to sign him to star in Ching Siu Tung's SWORDSMAN 2: INVINCIBLE DAWN. When the film opened in
Taiwan it took the highest lunar new year box office ever. The picture was released in 86 screens island wide.

A frantic panic broke out amongst producers who were desperate to get Jet Lee in their film, and some people were prepared
to go to any lengths to get him. Later that year Jet's personal manager Jim Choy was gunned down in Kowloon. The reason
was not clear, but talk in film circles said he had refused to let Jet star in some unscrupulous Triad production.

1993 was to be Jet's biggest year. He set up his own production company Jing Tung, and produced the fabulous FONG SAI
YUK. Jet Lee had once again created a tremendous hit, and he himself declared, 'This is as close to me as any character I've
ever played.' Later that year he went on to make the comedy sequel, FONG SAI YUK 2. Although enjoyable it didn't quite
meet the standards set by its predecessor.

In between these two films Jet made a surprise move when he went into co-production with the Heung Brothers (one of whom
played the indispensable Mister Dragon in GOD OF GAMBLERS) of Win's Movie Company. The film was called LAST
HERO IN CHINA and was directed by comedy king Wong Jing (CITY HUNTER). It was a brilliant mixture of comedy and
kung fu and witnessed the welcome return of Gordon Liu in full abbot regalia. The fight scenes were directed by the veteran of
the Jade screen, Yuen Woo Ping (DRUNKEN MASTER). For his next film Jet called back Yuen Woo Ping to direct TAI
CHI MASTER, where he played Chang San Fong, the real life founder of Tai Chi. He then went on to shoot one more film in
1993, which was released in 1994, KUNG FU CULT MASTER. This film returned to the Shaw Brothers for inspiration and
saw Jet cast alongside martial arts supremo: Samo Hung. In recent years Jet Lee has found even more fame with several
modern day action movies, including a brilliant performance in FIST OF LEGEND, a good version of the Bruce Lee classic
FIST OF FURY.

The film was so impressive that Quentin Tarantino bought the film rights for American distribution. Jet has continued to work in
the modern day genre, with BODYGUARD FROM BEIJUNG, MY FATHER IS A HERO and HIGH RISK.

Signing a two year picture deal with Win's, Jet's most recent films include DR WAI IN 'THE SCRIPTURES WITH NO
WORDS', an Indiana Jones styled action adventure, the hugely successful manga-styled fantasy BLACK MASK and ONCE
UPON A TIME IN CHINA AND AMERICA, a reprisal of the Wong Fei Hung role that made him famous.

Jet Lee made his first public UK appearance in October of 1996, courtesy of Eastern Heroes and as a result has since enjoyed
ever increasing popularity with kung fu fans. After starring in the slick HITMAN, Jet followed in the footsteps of Jackie Chan,
Chow Yun Fat and John Woo in breaking into the American market, kicking ass with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as the
bad guy in LETHAL WEAPON 4. ROMEO MUST DIE as a Good Guy,KISS OF THE DARGON,Currently Jet Li new movie is THE ONE.


Filmography


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