TapeHead Profile - Jackie Chan

One of the most loved and admired actor/directors in the world, Jackie Chan has come a very long way from the indentured servitude of his youth.

At the age of seven, Jackie was given over to the Peking Opera School, a now defunct military-styled martial arts and opera training academy. For ten years he was systematically beaten by the stern masters at the academy (the contract for entry included an immunity clause in case the teachers killed you while training). Although brutal, this regimented lifestyle helped to hone the incredible strength and agility that Jackie is famous for.

Following his release from the opera school, a young Jackie took his martial arts and acting ability to film, getting his start as a stunt double in tons of Shaw Brothers chop-socky flicks. It was the death of Bruce Lee, and the subsequent search for a new martial arts superstar, that led to Jackie getting larger film roles.

Unlike Bruce Lee, however, Jackie had a mischievous spirit and silliness that kept him from being worshipped as a tough guy icon. Using his natural character and borrowing riffs from greats like Buster Keaton and Fred Astaire, Jackie quickly became a worldwide phenomenon.

Having starred in, written, directed, or stunt coordinated some 60-odd films, Jackie has finally achieved some status in America, the last world market to succumb to "Chan-mania." While most of the Jackie Chan movies released in the U.S. have been 3 to 8 years old his latest film, Mr. Nice Guy, was filmed as recently as 1996! It's directed by Samo Hung, a fellow Peking Opera School alumni and quite a formidable martial artist in his own right!

Jackie Chan is perhaps most famous for the fact that he does his own death-defying stuntwork - and he's got the calcium deposits, surgical screws, and prosthetic plates to prove it! In a day and age where stars use stunt doubles for something as simple as walking across a wet floor, Jackie's daring is especially admirable.

-- Trent Haaga