Jet Li is a Chinese-born Singaporean [1] martial artist, retired wushu champion, film actor, film producer, and philanthropist. His first non-Chinese film role was as a villain in the 1998 buddy cop action film Lethal Weapon 4 with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. His first leading role in a Hollywood film was as Han Sing in the 2000 martial arts action film Romeo Must Die with Aaliyah. He has gone on to star in other international action films, including the Luc Besson-produced French films Kiss of the Dragon (2001) and Unleashed (2005). He co-starred in The One (2001) and War (2007) with Jason Statham, The Forbidden Kingdom (2008) with Jackie Chan, the first three of The Expendables films with Sylvester Stallone (2010-2014), and as the title character villain in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008). In 2020, he portrayed The Emperor of China in the live-action fantasy drama Disney film Mulan .
Year | English Title | Chinese Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1982 | Shaolin Temple | 少林寺 | Jueh Yuan | |
1984 | Kids From Shaolin | 少林小子 | San Lung | |
1986 | Born to Defence | 中華英雄 | Jet | Directorial debut; a.k.a. Born to Defend (Australia) and Born to Defense (U.S.) |
Martial Arts of Shaolin | 南北少林 | Zhi-ming | a.k.a. Shaolin Temple 3: Martial Arts of Shaolin | |
1989 | Dragon Fight | 龍在天涯 | Jimmy Lee | a.k.a. Defector |
1991 | Once Upon a Time in China | 黃飛鴻 | Wong Fei-hung | |
1992 | Once Upon a Time in China II | 黃飛鴻之二男兒當自强 | ||
The Master | 龍行天下 | Jet | Filmed in 1989, but released in 1992 | |
Swordsman II | 笑傲江湖之東方不敗 | Ling-wu Chung | a.k.a. The Legend of the Swordsman (U.S.) | |
1993 | Tai Chi Master | 太極張三豐 | Zhang Sanfeng | Also producer; a.k.a. Twin Warriors (U.S.) |
Fong Sai-yuk | 方世玉 | Fong Sai-yuk | Also producer; a.k.a. The Legend | |
Fong Sai-yuk II | 方世玉續集 | Also producer; a.k.a. The Legend II | ||
Kung Fu Cult Master | 倚天屠龍記之魔教教主 | Cheung Mo-kei | Also producer; a.k.a. The Evil Cult (U.S.), Lord of the Wu Tang and Kung Fu Master | |
Last Hero in China | 黃飛鴻之鐵雞斗蜈蚣 | Wong Fei-hung | Also producer; a.k.a. Claws of Steel and Deadly China Hero | |
Once Upon a Time in China III | 黃飛鴻之三:獅王争霸 | A.k.a. The Invincible Shaolin | ||
1994 | The Bodyguard from Beijing | 中南海保鑣 | Allan Hui Ching-yeung / John Chang | Also producer; a.k.a. The Defender and Zhong Nan Hai bao biao |
Fist of Legend | 精武英雄 | Chen Zhen | Also producer | |
The New Legend of Shaolin | 洪熙官之少林五祖 | Hung Hei-kwun | Also producer; a.k.a. Legend of the Red Dragon | |
1995 | High Risk | 鼠胆龍威 | Kit Li | A.k.a. Meltdown |
My Father Is a Hero | 給爸爸的信 | Kung Wei | A.k.a. The Enforcer and Letter to Daddy | |
1996 | Black Mask | 黑俠 | Michael / Simon / Tsui Chik / Black Mask | Released in 1999 in the U.S. |
Dr. Wai in "The Scripture with No Words" | 冒險王 | Chow Si-Kit | A.k.a. Adventure King and The Scripture With No Words | |
1997 | Once Upon a Time in China and America | 黃飛鴻之西域雄獅 | Wong Fei-hung | A.k.a. Once Upon a Time in China IV |
1998 | Hitman | 殺手之王 | Fu | A.k.a. The Hitman and The Contract Killer |
Lethal Weapon 4 | 致命武器4 | Wah Sing-ku | ||
2000 | Romeo Must Die | 致命羅密歐 | Han Sing | |
2001 | The One | 最後一強 | Gabe Law / Gabriel Yulaw / Lawless | |
Kiss of the Dragon | 龍之吻 | Inspector Liu 'Johnny' Jian | Also associate producer | |
2002 | Hero | 英雄 | Nameless | Released in 2004 in the U.S. |
2003 | Cradle 2 the Grave | 同盜一擊 | Duncan Su | |
2005 | Unleashed | 不死狗 (鬪犬) | Danny | Also producer; a.k.a. Danny the Dog |
2006 | Fearless | 霍元甲 | Huo Yuanjia | Also producer and presenter; a.k.a. Legend of a Fighter (Hong Kong) |
2007 | The Warlords | 投名狀 | Pang Qingyun | |
War | 玩命對戰 | Rogue / Victor Shaw / Tom Lone | a.k.a. Rogue Assassin and Rogue | |
2008 | The Forbidden Kingdom | 功夫之王 | Sun Wukong / Silent Monk | |
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor | 盜墓迷城3 | Emperor Han | ||
2009 | The Founding of a Republic | 建國大業 | Chen Shaokuan | A.k.a. Jian Guo Da Ye, Founding of the Nation and Lofty Ambitions of Nation Building |
2010 | Ocean Heaven | 海洋天堂 | Sam Wong | |
The Expendables | 浴血任務 | Yin Yang | ||
2011 | The Sorcerer and the White Snake | 白蛇傳說之法海 | Reverend Fahai | |
Flying Swords of Dragon Gate | 龍門飛甲 | Chow Wai-on | ||
2012 | The Expendables 2 | 敢死队2 | Yin Yang | |
2013 | Badges of Fury | 不二神探 | Huang Feihong | |
2014 | The Expendables 3 | 敢死队3 | Yin Yang | |
2016 | League of Gods | 封神榜 | Jiang Ziya | |
2017 | Gong Shou Dao | 功守道 | Old Servant | Also producer |
2020 | Mulan | 花木蘭 | The Emperor of China [2] | |
TBA | Biao Ren | 镖人 | [3] | |
Year | Documentary title | Chinese title | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1983 | This is Kung Fu | 中華武術 | Biographic role |
1988 | Dragons of the Orient | 東方巨龍 | |
Abbot Hai Teng | 少林海燈大師 | ||
1992 | Lucky Way | 大八掛 | |
1994 | Shaolin Kung Fu | 少林真功夫 | |
1999 | Li-Thal Weapon | ||
Year | Title | Artist(s) |
---|---|---|
2000 | "Try Again" | Aaliyah featuring Timbaland |
Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2004 | Jet Li: Rise to Honor | Kit Yun (voice and motion capture actor) | Released in 2004 in the United States |
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a 2000 martial arts film directed by Ang Lee and written for the screen by Wang Hui-ling, James Schamus, and Tsai Kuo-jung. The film stars Chow Yun-fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, and Chang Chen. It is based on the Chinese novel of the same name, serialized between 1941 and 1942 by Wang Dulu, the fourth part of his Crane-Iron_Series.
Li Lianjie, better known by his stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese-born Singaporean martial artist and actor. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Horse Award, a Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award, a Hong Kong Film Award, and a Shanghai Film Critics Award. Li is widely regarded as one of the most iconic Chinese film stars and one of the most renowned martial arts stars of his generation.
Bruce Lee was a Hong Kong-American martial artist and actor. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy drawing from different combat disciplines. Credited with helping popularize martial arts films in the 1970s, Lee is considered by some commentators and martial artists to be the most influential martial artist of all time and a pop culture icon of the 20th century, who bridged the gap between East and West. He is credited with promoting Hong Kong action cinema and helping to change the way Chinese people were presented in American films.
Hua Mulan is a legendary Chinese folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era of Chinese history. Scholars generally consider Mulan to be a fictional character. Hua Mulan is depicted in the Wu Shuang Pu by Jin Guliang.
Mulan is a 1998 American animated musical coming-of-age action-adventure film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation for Walt Disney Pictures. Based on the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, the film was directed by Barry Cook and Tony Bancroft and produced by Pam Coats, from a screenplay by Rita Hsiao, Chris Sanders, Philip LaZebnik, and the writing team of Raymond Singer and Eugenia Bostwick-Singer, and a story by Robert D. San Souci. Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy, Miguel Ferrer, and BD Wong star in the English version as Mulan, Mushu, Shan Yu, and Captain Li Shang, respectively, while Jackie Chan provided the voice of Li Shang for the Chinese dubs of the film. The film's plot takes place in China during an unspecified Imperial dynasty, where Fa Mulan, daughter of aged warrior Fa Zhou, impersonates a man to take her father's place during a general conscription to counter a Hun invasion.
Tsui Hark, born Tsui Man-kong, is a Hong Kong filmmaker. Tsui has directed several influential Hong Kong films such as Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain (1983), the Once Upon a Time in China film series (1991–1997) and The Blade (1995). Tsui also has been a prolific writer and producer; his productions include A Better Tomorrow (1986), A Better Tomorrow II (1987), A Chinese Ghost Story (1987), The Killer (1989), The Legend of the Swordsman (1992), The Wicked City (1992), Iron Monkey (1993) and Black Mask (1996). He is viewed as a major figure in the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema and is regarded by critics as "one of the masters of Asian cinematography".
Fang Shilong, known professionally as Jackie Chan, is a Hong Kong actor, director, writer, producer, martial artist, and stuntman known for his slapstick acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, and innovative stunts, which he typically performs himself. Before entering the film industry, he was one of the Seven Little Fortunes from the China Drama Academy at the Peking Opera School, where he studied acrobatics, martial arts, and acting. Chan has been acting since the 1960s, performing in more than 150 films. He holds the Guinness World Record for "Most Stunts by a Living Actor", and is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential martial artists in the history of cinema.
Jason Scott Lee is an American actor and martial artist. He played Mowgli in Disney's 1994 live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book and Bruce Lee in the 1993 martial arts film Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story.
Yuen Woo-ping is a Hong Kong martial arts choreographer and film director who worked in Hong Kong action cinema and later Hollywood films. He is one of the inductees on the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong. Yuen is also a son of Yuen Siu-tien, a martial arts film actor. He attended the China Drama Academy for one year as a day student of Master Yu Jim-yuen as well.
Corey Yuen Kwai was a Hong Kong film director, film producer, action choreographer, and actor. Yuen attended the China Drama Academy and was one of the Seven Little Fortunes. In Hong Kong, he worked on several films such as Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury (1972), Hwang Jang-lee's Snuff Bottle Connection, Secret Rivals 2, The Invincible Armour, Dance of the Drunk Mantis (1979), Ninja in the Dragon's Den (1982), Millionaire's Express (1986), and Jet Li's Fong Sai-yuk II (1993), The New Legend of Shaolin (1994), High Risk, and My Father Is a Hero.
Yeung Sze, better known as Bolo Yeung, is a Hong Kong former competitive bodybuilder, martial artist, and martial arts film actor. Primarily cast as the villain in the movies he stars in, Sze is globally known for portraying Bolo in Enter the Dragon (1973), starring Bruce Lee, and for his collaborations with Jean-Claude Van Damme in Bloodsport (1988) and Double Impact (1991), as well as other numerous appearances and a long career in Hong Kong martial arts films.
Donnie Yen Chi-tan is a Chinese actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and action director best known for his martial arts films. He is the recipient of various accolades, including three Golden Horse Awards and five Hong Kong Film Awards. He is one of the highest paid actors in Asia.
Bruceploitation is an exploitation film subgenre that emerged after the death of martial arts film star Bruce Lee in 1973, during which time filmmakers from Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea cast Bruce Lee look-alike actors ("Lee-alikes") to star in imitation martial arts films, in order to exploit Lee's sudden international popularity. Bruce Lee look-alike characters also commonly appear in other media, including anime, comic books, manga, and video games.
The Shaolin Temple (少林寺) is a 1982 Chinese–Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Chang Hsin Yen and starring Jet Li in his debut role along with Ding Lan and Yu Hai in supporting roles. The film is based on the Shaolin Monastery in China and depicts Shaolin Kung Fu. The film was among the first major co-productions between Hong Kong and mainland China, and the first to be filmed in mainland China with a mostly mainland cast. The film's plot has an episodic storytelling structure while combining action, comedy and romance elements.
Tzi Ma is a Hong Kong-American actor. He has appeared in television shows including The Man in the High Castle and 24, and films including Dante's Peak, Rush Hour, Rush Hour 3, Arrival, The Farewell, Tigertail, and Mulan. From 2021 to 2023, he starred in the American martial arts television series Kung Fu on The CW.
Dr. Wai in "The Scripture with No Words" is a 1996 Hong Kong action film directed by Ching Siu-tung and starring Jet Li.
Andy On is an American actor and martial artist.
Hung Yan-yan is a Hong Kong martial artist, actor, stuntman and action director originally from Liuzhou, Guangxi, China. He was the stunt double for martial arts superstar Jet Li.
Mulan is a 2020 American fantasy action drama film produced by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Niki Caro from a screenplay by Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Lauren Hynek, and Elizabeth Martin, it is a live-action adaptation of Disney's 1998 animated film Mulan, itself based on the Chinese folklore story Ballad of Mulan. The film stars Yifei Liu in the title role, alongside Donnie Yen, Tzi Ma, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An, Ron Yuan, Gong Li, and Jet Li in supporting roles. It was also Cheng Pei-pei's final film before her death in 2024. In the film, Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, masquerades as a man to take her ailing father's place during a general conscription to counter the Rouran army in Imperial China.
Wu Jing, also known as Jacky Wu, is a Chinese actor, director and martial artist best known for his roles in various martial arts films such as Tai Chi Boxer, Fatal Contact, the Sha Po Lang films, and as Leng Feng in Wolf Warrior, its sequel Wolf Warrior 2, and most recently The Battle at Lake Changjin. Wu Jing is one of the most profitable actors in China and his movies are often the highest grossed films in China. Wu ranked first on the Forbes China Celebrity 100 list in 2019 and 23rd in 2020.