Jackie Chan

"I am standing in the sky on the roof of a glass and steel office tower in Rotterdam, Holland. Twenty-one floors between me and the concrete pavement below. I'm going to do what I do best. I'm going to jump." - Jackie Chan.
Jackie Chan is a Hong Kong and American actor, stuntman, film director, producer, screenwriter, stunt and fight scene director, singer, philanthropist, and UN Goodwill Ambassador.

The thing about Jackie Chan is that he does all the stunts himself. Always. At the dawn of his cinematic career they tried to make him a second Bruce Lee. But the young actor decided that it was better to be the first in the village than the second in Rome. And he created his own, quite different from Lee, the screen image - a kind of simple Good Guy, who shows the wonders of martial arts in passing, sometimes against the will. And he was the first, but not in the village. Jackie's movies have conquered not only Asia, but America and the world. These are widely known facts about Jackie Chan. But the East, as we know, is a delicate matter. What lies behind the friendly and rustic screen mask of Jackie?

Now Mr. Chan is a clip of the highest paid stars, but few people know that on the day of his birth, April 7, 1954, his life was estimated at only $ 26. The mother of the future celebrity shortly before the birth of health problems began, and she had to do a caesarean section. The relatives did not have the necessary amount of money to pay for the operation (the same $26), so they, without thinking twice, offered to take the doctor's newborn instead of the money. Fortunately, the doctor refused this "profitable" offer and even gave the poor people a couple of dollars. The parents named the boy Kong Sung Chan, which translated means "born in Hong Kong.

Opera in Chinese

After soaking in the most seedy neighborhoods for several years, the family decided to emigrate to Australia, where they could find work. However, the office that organized the move flatly refused to include a six-year-old to the group. And then the parents sent their son to the famous Chinese Opera (Drama Academy). Within the walls of this institution young Chang spent the next ten years of his life. Chinese opera bears little resemblance to its Western counterparts. It bears more resemblance to the ancient Shaolin monastery. Judge for yourself: rise at half past five, physical exercise, breakfast at seven, then kung-fu training, then acrobatic classes, endurance exercises, dancing, an hour-long singing lesson. A break for lunch only. By the way, before enrolling students, their parents signed a paper that read: "We hereby confirm that we will not have any claims if our child is physically injured or dies as a result of an accident during the training.

In 1971, the 17-year-old Chan received a degree in acting and went to his parents in Australia. On the green continent, he got a job first as a dishwasher, then a bricklayer, but after a few months, realized he was not ready for such a life, and returned to Hong Kong, where he quickly began to appear in extras. One day the diligent newcomer was noticed by the director and friend of Bruce Lee John By. After several passing roles Jackie Chan (by the time the credits were listed under this pseudonym) firmly entrenched in the ranks of those who assisted in the shooting himself Bruce. The relationship between the two actors and masters of martial arts is still shrouded in mystery. But it is known that after the mysterious death of Bruce, Jackie was close to leaving the cinema forever.

- John By: "I compared the two of you carefully and made sure that you had completely different techniques. Where he was hitting from above, you're hitting from below. And on the court Bruce was always very serious, and you can't be without jokes. So find your own way."

It was a phrase that made Chan think for a long time. After weighing the pros and cons, Jackie made three rules, from which he does not waver to this day.

1. only take on the roles of heroes who have become such under unforeseen circumstances.

2. The script must be someone weak, in need of help: a girl, a child or an old man.

3. Always remain himself - small, laughing and fidgety.

As soon as he derived this "formula for success," his career skyrocketed. In just a couple of years, Jackie became Asia's No. 1 star.

"If you need some spectacular shot, some special effect, I don't care how much money, time and effort it takes," he admitted in one interview.

-I'll do anything, I might break an arm or a leg, but I don't care about that. At such moments, I become obsessed, even though I'm trembling with fear at times, because I'm not superman. My fans are what give me the strength to do the seemingly impossible. If it weren't for them, I would consider anyone crazy who would suggest that I dive headfirst into a narrow well 20 meters deep or jump off the roof of a high-rise building. And I promise that I will stay that way for as long as I have the strength to do so.