HONG KONG—Kung-fu daredevil, Hollywood star and Guinness world-record holder, and now Hong Kong-born actor Jackie Chan is set to be a torchbearer in the lead-up to Wednesday’s opening ceremony of the Paralympics in Paris.
The 70-year-old commands a huge following in France and beyond, his signature blend of comedy and martial arts transcending language barriers.
Born in British colonial Hong Kong in 1954, Chan Kong-sang started his film career as a child actor and worked as a stunt double in the 1972 Bruce Lee film “Fist of Fury”.
His brand of thrilling fights interjected with slapstick humour — showcased in films such as “Drunken Master” and “Police Story” — made him a household name in Hong Kong and across Asia.
But his stunt work also led to frequent injuries, and the outtakes of scenes gone wrong were typically shown at the end of his films in blooper reels alongside the credits.
Guinness World Records recognised him in 2012 for “Most stunts by a living actor”.
Chan’s Hollywood breakthrough came with “Rumble in the Bronx” in 1996 and the subsequent “Rush Hour” trilogy where he starred opposite American comedian Chris Tucker.
The third instalment of the Rush Hour movies, filmed in France, had a pivotal fight scene at the Eiffel Tower, with Chan somersaulting and rolling off the iron beams of the Paris icon to evade his opponent.
“I did all my stunts, even the scene full of fighting and acrobatics on top of the Eiffel Tower,” he told reporters in 2007 during the premiere.
“I can tell my grandchildren, ‘This is your grandfather. This is me. That’s not a double flying around the Eiffel Tower in 100 mile-per-hour winds’,” Chan said.
On Wednesday he is expected to take over the ceremonial torch in the afternoon. This will not be his first time carrying the Olympic flame.
In 2008 he was among several other Chinese personalities — including Zhang Ziyi of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” fame — to carry the Olympic torch ahead of the Games in Beijing.
Oscar recognition
Despite a late start to his international film career Chan has been listed multiple times in the past decade as being among the best-paid actors in the world.
He has also starred in big-budget action blockbusters such as “Shanghai Noon”, “The Karate Kid” and the “Kung Fu Panda” series of animated films.
Chan was awarded the Honorary Oscar Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016, saying, “After 56 years in the film industry, making more than 200 films — I broke so many bones — finally this is mine!”
Back in Hong Kong, his star has waned somewhat over the years as Chan’s pro-Beijing stance rankled some fans, and his decision to join China’s top political advisory body made headlines in 2013.
A video emerged in 2021 of him saying he wanted to be a card-carrying Chinese Communist Party member.
“I’m honoured to be a Chinese person. But I’m also very envious that you are a party member. I think the Communist Party is just too great… I want to be a party member!” he said.
Chan sits at the head of a sprawling business empire encompassing a clothing line, cinemas and restaurants.
His net worth was estimated at $350 million in 2015, according to Forbes.
Speaking to reporters at the premiere of Rush Hour 3, the then-53-year-old said he sometimes forgets his age.
“You just keep moving,” he said. “I’ll do it until my body will tell me stop. I don’t think about retirement,” he said.
