Jet Li

At 60 years old, Jet Li has this physical status:

Li Lianjie (courtesy name Yangzhong; born 26 April 1963), better known by his stage name Jet Liagu, is a Chinese film actor, film director, martial artist, and retired Wushu champion who was born in Beijing.

He is a naturalized Singaporean citizen and spent three years of Wushu training with renowned Wushu coach Wu Bin, Li, the Beijing Wushu team's first national championship.

After retiring from competitive Wushu at the age of 19, he went on to win acclaim in China as an actor, starring the film Shaolin Temple (1982).

He went on to appear in numerous critically acclaimed martial arts epic films, most notably as the lead in Zhang Yimou's Hero (2002), Fist of Legend (1994), and the first three films in the Once Upon a Time in China series (1991-1993), in which he portrayed folk hero Wong Fei-hung. Li's first appearance in a non-Chinese film was as a villain in Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), and his first major role in a Hollywood film was as Han Sing in Romeo Must Die (2000).

He has appeared in several international action films, including in French cinema with the Luc Besson-produced films Kiss of the Dragon (2001) and Unleashed (2004).

He co-starred in The One (2001) and War (2007) with Jason Statham, The Forbidden Kingdom (2008) with Jackie Chan, all three of The Expendables films starring Sylvester Stallone, and as the title character villain in The Mummy: The Mummy (2008).

Personal life

Li is a practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. Lho Kunsang is his master.

Li married Beijing Wushu Team member and Kids from Shaolin co-star Huang Qiuyan in 1987, and he has two children, Si and Taimi. In 1990, they divorced. Li Li Chi (born Li Zhi), a Shanghai-born, Hong Kong-based actress, married Nina Li Chi (born Li Zhi). Jane (born 2000) and Jada (born 2002).

During the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, he was in the Maldives when a tsunami struck. Despite being widely distributed at the time that he died as a result of the accident, he only sustained a minor foot injury caused by a piece of floating furniture when guiding his 4-year-old daughter Jada and the nanny to a safe place in a soaring sea. When the wave first ashore, the four of them were by the pool and barely above the beach, barely escaping to the hotel's upper floors.

Li was voted as the "Image Ambassador of Wushu" by the Chinese Wushu Association (or IWUF ambassador) at the 2007 World Wushu Championships in Beijing.

Li, who had previously worked in the United States, renounced his US citizenship in 2009. He is alleged to have obtained Singaporean citizenship, but Singaporean authorities did not have any information about this at the time. Li had actually become a Singaporean citizen on July 28, 2009, according to the chairman of One Foundation (the charitable fund of Li). He was said to have chosen Singapore for his two younger daughters' education.

Wuji, the founder of Wuji, began his own fitness program in 2009. The program includes elements of martial arts, yoga, and pilates; Adidas also introduced a separate clothing collection for it that bears the initials of "JL."

Li admitted that he suffers from hyperthyroidism in 2013 and had been dealing with the disorder for the past three years. He said in 2016 that he recovered from his illness and that accepting fewer film offers was due to his charitable work, not because of his health.

In his free time, he likes to play badminton and table tennis, ride his bike, read and meditate. He finds rare Tibetan beads. He claims he is never bored in his free time.

Views on life and martial arts

Li, a Buddhist, believes that the challenges of everyday life can be overcome with the help of religious philosophies. He believes that fame is not something he can influence; therefore, he does not bother about it.

In three of Li's films, everything he has ever wanted to tell the world can be found: Hero's message is that one person's suffering will never be as significant as a nation's; Unleashed shows that violence is never a killer; and Fearless says that the biggest enemy of a person is himself. Li believes that the best weapon is a smile, and that love has the most power.

Wushu said that the essence of martial arts is not fire or speed but inner peace, and that it is a sad realization that today's Wushu championships place more emphasis on form than on the essence of being a martial artist. Wushu now lacks individuality and gamers move like machines, according to him, although Wushu should not be considered a competition in which the fastest athlete wins. He would like to see Wushu as a form of art, where artists have a particular style. Li blames the new competition laws for placing limits on martial artists, according to him.

Wushu is not primarily for self-defense, according to Li, and instead of attempting to act the hero, people should investigate peaceful resolutions of conflicts and call the cop if necessary.

He has also stated that he has never had to use his martial arts talents in a real-life combat, and he does not want to.

Li has been a "philanthropic ambassador" for the Red Cross Society of China since January 2006. He contributed 500,000 yuan (US$62,500) of box office sales from his film Fearless to the Red Cross' psychological sunshine program, which promotes mental stability.

Li established The One Foundation in April 2007, inspired by his life-shaking experience in the Maldives as he was near to death during the 2004 tsunami. The One Foundation funds international disaster relief efforts in collaboration with the Red Cross as well as other initiatives, including mental health education and suicide prevention. Li has been involved in seven disasters, including the 2008 Sichuan earthquake and Typhoon Morakot in Taiwan, since the foundation's establishment. The victims of the 2013 Lushan earthquake in Ya'an, Sichuan, Li, and other entertainment professionals were among the first to request donations of money, equipment, and supplies to assist the victims of the tragedy. Wu Jing was a volunteer with One Foundation and was involved in the campaign.

In an interview with Alliance magazine in December 2009, Li spoke about his commitment to philanthropy, saying that "grassroots non-government groups can support the government in its blind spots." Government relief isn't always detail-oriented. Grassroots NGOs aren't as large as a government initiative, but they do need to be flexible and independent."

He posted online, saying:

Li was also reported in September 2010 that Li will be meeting Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to discuss charity work when Li was attending his wax unveiling ceremony in Hong Kong Madame Tussauds. "I received an email from Gates a few days ago, wishing I could make it because he and Buffett wanted to have a 30-minute talk before dinner about the future we face as human beings," Li said.

Taiji Zen was founded in 2011 by Taiji Zen co-founder Jack Ma and co-founder Executive Chairman Jack Ma. Taiji Zen, a.k.a. Taiji Zen, mixed Taijiquan martial art with Taijiquan's martial art. T'ai Chi Chuan) has developed meditation as a part of their lives. These were divided into several different classes and online programs.

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Early life and martial arts career

Li was born in Beijing, China, and she was the youngest of two boys and two girls. His father died and his family now lived in poverty when he was two years old.

As he began a school summer program, Li was eight years old when his Wushu talent was discovered. He attended a non-sparring wushu festival, followed by joining the Beijing Wushu team, which had a martial art exhibit at the All China Games. Li Junfeng and Wu Bin, two veteran coaches, went to extra efforts to help the talented child grow. Wu Bin also bought food for Li's family in order to raise Li's protein intake. Lilly's younger sister competed against adults and was the national all-around champion from 1975 to 1979.

According to Li, once the Chinese National Wushu Team arrived in the United States to perform for President Richard Nixon, he was asked by Nixon to be his personal bodyguard. Li replied, "I don't want to shield any one." "I want to protect my one billion Chinese countrymen as I grow up."

Li is a master of many styles of wushu, including Chángquán (Northern Longfist Style) and Fnziquán (Tumbling Fist). He has also studied Taijiquan (Supreme Ultimate Fist), Taijiquan (Supreme Fist), Zui Quan (Drunken Fist), Ying Zhao Quan (Praying Mantis Fist), and Tanglangquan (Praying Mantis Fist). He did not learn Nanquan (Southern Fist), because his education was limited to the Northern Shaolin Styles. He has also mastered wushu's most common weapons, including Sanjiegun (Three Section Staff), Gùn, Dao (Broadsword), Jian (Straight Sword).

Li quit competitive wushu at 18 years old due to a knee injury, but he spent a few years as an assistant coach for the Beijing Wushu team. Li's martial arts prowess will continue to contribute to his domestic and international success.

Acting career

The success he gained by his sports wins led to a career as a martial arts film actor, beginning in mainland China and then expanding to Hong Kong. Li learned his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity firm decided that his real name was impossible to pronounce. They likened his career to an aircraft that also "takes-off" as quickly as they did, so they inserted the word Jet Li on the movie posters. Soon, everyone was calling him by this new name, which was also based on the word "Jet" given to him as a youth because of his speed and grace when training with the Beijing Wushu team.

Shaolin Temple, 1982, was his first film appearance. From an estimated 500 million ticket sales, the film broke box office records in China, grossing 161,578,014 RMB (US$85,376,199) at the Chinese box office. Kids From Shaolin was sold for 490 million tickets, making it China's highest-grossing film since 1984.

Here are a few of his most well-known Chinese films:

Li appeared in the 1995 film High Risk, in which Li plays a Captain who becomes disillusioned after his wife is murdered by crime lords. Frankie, a wacky sell-out actor played by Jacky Cheung), meets with him and begins to fight in a string of violent battles in a high-rise building along the way. Die Hard and both their Chinese film titles are similar to those. Director Wong Jing had such traumatic encounter with Jackie Chan in Jing's latest film City Hunter that he made Cheung's character a biting satire of Chan. Li would later apologise to Chan for taking part in it.

In 2011, Li had two wuxia feature films, The Sorcerer and the White Snake and Flying Swords of Dragon Gate; the former was directed by Tsui Hark.

Li appeared in Tai Chi and co-produced the film with Chen Kuo-Fu in 2012 to advertise tai chi. Li portrayed Tai Chi master Yang Luchan.

He made his international film debut in Lethal Weapon 4, the first time he had ever played a villain in a film. After producer Joel Silver promised to have him play in his next film, Romeo Must Die (2000), with late singer Aaliyah, he decided to do Lethal Weapon 4. The film became a box office hit. Despite the fact that Li spoke little English at the time of recording, his success as Chinese mafia hitman Wah Sing Ku was lauded.

Li refused to film Chow Yun-fat's role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) because he told his wife that he would not make any films during her pregnancy. He also rejected Seraph's role in The Matrix trilogy due to his conviction that the job was not one that required his expertise and that the films were both iconic and stunning enough without adding his name to the cast list. When the film was still in production in 2000, Li was also cast as Kato in The Green Hornet. In 2001, the corporation was relocated to a new studio. Kato's role was reprised and introduced in 2011 by Jay Chou.

In 2001, he appeared in two more films: The One, the first of his films with Jason Statham, and Kiss of the Dragon opposite Bridget Fonda, which did moderately well at the box office. Li decided to produce and star in an action film directed by Jackie Chan in July 2001 but no further details about their collaboration appeared until 2006. The period martial arts epic film Hero was released in China in 2002. This film was both a commercial and critical hit, and it became the top-grossing motion picture in Chinese cinema at the time. He reunited with producer Joel Silver for the action thriller film Cradle 2 the Grave in 2003, where he appeared alongside rapper DMX and fellow martial artist Mark Dacascos. Li lent his likeness, voice, and motion capture for Jet Li: Rise to Honor in 2004.

In 2002, Li was presented the Visionary Award by East West Players, the country's oldest Asian American theatre, by contemporary John Woo. "Artists who have raised the profile of the Asian Pacific American community by theater, film, and television" have been lauded for their contributions to the Asian Pacific American community. He delivered his acceptance address in Mandarin, China's native language.

Li played a more prominent part in the 2005 film Unleashed (a.k.a.). Danny the Dog (in the film "The Dog"), where he portrayed an adult with the mentality of a child raised as an animal. Although his martial arts abilities were extensive, it was still a somber film with more depth than had been seen in Li's films, as well as co-starred dramatic actors Bob Hoskins and Morgan Freeman.

Fearless, the martial arts film epic, was released around the world in 2006. Although he will continue to make martial arts films, Fearless is his last wushu epic. He played Huo Yuanjia, the true founder of Chin Woo Athletic Association, who reportedly defeated foreign boxers and Japanese martial artists in publicised performances at a time when China's influence was seen as eroding. Chen Jun, the Huo Yuanjia's student and avenger, has been portrayed by Li as the protagonist and avenger of the film Fist of Legend. Fok Yun Gap, as well as Huo Yuanjia himself, are among Huo Yuanjia's favorite characters. Fearless was launched in Hong Kong on January 26, 2006, and it was released in the United States on September 22, 2006, where it reached second place in the country's first weekend.

In an interview with Shenzhen Daily newspaper, Li has said that this will be his last martial arts epic, which is also mentioned in the film's television advertisements. However, he intends to continue his film career in other genres. Specifically, he wants to continue acting in epic action and martial arts films that are increasingly concerned with religious and philosophical topics.

War, Li's 2007 Hollywood film, was released in August of that year, re-teamed actor Jason Statham, who previously appeared in The One and Action choreographer Corey Yuen. War raked in a disappointing US$23 million at the box office, becoming one of Li's lowest grossers; however, it was a hit on video, with nearly US$52 million in rental income doubling its box office take. With the exception of Romeo Must Die and Hero's worldwide distribution, the bulk of Li's American/Western films, like Kiss of the Dragon, The One, Unleashed, Cradle 2 the Grave, and Fearless' worldwide premiere were minor hits.

Li returned to China in late 2007 to film The Warlords, a period war film starring Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro. Li was given the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor for this film, rather than martial arts for dramatics.

Li and fellow martial arts veteran Jackie Chan appeared onscreen for the first time in The Forbidden Kingdom, which began filming in May 2007 and was released to critical and commercial success on April 18, 2008. The film was based on the Monkey King's legend from the Chinese folk novel Journey to the West. In the fantasy action film The Mummy: The Mummy's Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Li also starred as the lead villain Emperor Han, starring Brendan Fraser, Isabella Leong, and Michelle Yeoh.

Li returned to acting in 2010, portraying a mercenary opposite Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts, Terry Crews, and Randy Couture, following a one-year absence from filmmaking. It was his third time he had collaborated with Statham. In 2012, he reprised his role in the sequel The Expendables 2 for a short time and returned to the third film The Expendables 3 in 2014. Li was originally expected to be seen with Vin Diesel in XXX: Return to Xander Cage, but Donnie Yen took over Li.

For the 2020 live action film Mulan, Li was portrayed as the Emperor of China.

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