Jackie Chan is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, filmmaker, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer who has appeared in over 100 films. He has received stars on the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars and the Hollywood Walk of Fame and has been referenced in various pop songs, cartoons and video games. Having released 20 albums, he is also a Cantopop and Mandopop star who sang many of the theme songs for his films. In 2008 he performed at the Summer Olympics closing ceremony in Beijing.
Jackie Chan began his adult career in 1971 in the Kung Fu film A Touch of Zen. He worked as a stuntman in the Bruce Lee films Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon and received his first starring role in Little Tiger of Canton in 1973. Jackie Chan's first major breakthrough was the 1978 film Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, the film which established the comedic kung fu genre. He then directed The Fearless Hyena and starred in Drunken Master, which propelled him to mainstream success.
In the 1980s Jackie Chan's films began to reach a larger audience in East Asia, with early successes in the Japanese market including The Young Master (1980) and Dragon Lord (1982). In 1985 Jackie Chan made the first Police Story film, a US-influenced action comedy in which he, as in most of his films, performed his own stunts. It was named the "Best Movie" at the 1986 Hong Kong Film Awards. In 1987 Jakkie Chan played "Asian Hawk", an Indiana Jones-esque character, in the film Armor of God. The film was his biggest domestic box office success to date.
Jackie Chan established a foothold in the North American market in 1995 with a worldwide release of Rumble in the Bronx, attaining a cult following in the United States that was rare for Hong Kong movie stars. The success of Rumble in the Bronx led to a 1996 release of Police Story 3 in the United States under the title Supercop. He then starred in Jackie Chan's First Strike (1997), Mr. Nice Guy (1998) and the buddy cop action comedy trilogy Rush Hour (1998, 2001, 2007) as well as in Shanghai Noon (2000), The Tuxedo (2002), The Medallion (2003), Shanghai Knights (2003) and Around the World in 80 Days (2004). In 2003 he started his own film production company with films including New Police Story (2004), The Myth (2005) and Rob-B-Hood (2006). 2008 and 2009 saw the films The Forbidden Kingdom, Jakkie Chan's first onscreen collaboration with fellow Chinese actor Jet Li, and Shinjuku Incident.
Jackie Chan is a cultural icon, having been referenced in various songs and television shows. He has created his own comic book character in Jackie Chan's Spartan X and has been the inspiration for manga such as Dragon Ball, Tekken and Pokémon and the television cartoon for children Jackie Chan Adventures. A number of video games have featured him, and a series of Japanese Jackie Chan games were released based on several of his films.
Jackie Chan has always wanted to be a role model to children, remaining popular with them due to his good-natured acting style. His greatest regret in life is not having received proper education, inspiring him to fund educational institutions around the world such as the construction of the Jackie Chan Science Centre at the Australian National University and the establishment of schools in poor regions of China. A Jackie Chan museum in Shanghai is due to open in October 2009.
In 2004 Jackie Chan launched his own line of clothing, and he also has a number of other branded businesses including chains of the sushi restaurant Jackie's Kitchen, Jackie Chan's Cafe and Jackie Chan Signature Club gyms. With each of his businesses, a percentage of the profits goes to various charities, including the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation, which, founded in 1988, offers scholarships and active help to Hong Kong's young people and provides medical services and aid to victims of natural disasters or illness. The Dragon's Heart Foundation was founded by Jackie Chan in 2005 to fulfill the desperate needs of children and the elderly in remote areas of China. The foundation has built over a dozen schools, provided books, fees and uniforms, and has raised millions of dollars to give much needed educational opportunities to the poor.
Jackie Chan is a keen philanthropist and a UNICEF/ UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador, having worked tirelessly to champion charitable works and causes. He has campaigned for conservation, against animal abuse and has promoted disaster relief efforts during floods in mainland China and the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. Following the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, he donated RMB ¥10 million to help those in need.
SCHEDULE
Monday, November 9, 2009:
10:00 Dialogue with high school students at the NIST International School in Bangkok (Thailand) (not a public event)
20:00 Keynote speech and dialogue at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand in Bangkok (Thailand) Information and seat reservation:
phone (02) 652-0580-1, fax (02) 652-0582, email info@fccthai.com
Wednesday, November 11, 2009:
10:30 Dialogue with high school students at the International School of Phnom Penh in Phnom Penh (Cambodia) (not a public event)
14:00 Keynote speech and dialogue at the University of Cambodia in Phnom Penh (Cambodia) Information and free seat reservation:
phone (023) 993-274, (023) 993-275, (012) 483-508, fax (023) 993-284, email malis.por@uc.edu.kh,info@uc.edu.kh
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