Jet Li facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jet Li
Li in 2006
Born	Li Lianjie (1963-04-26) 26 April 1963 (age 62) Beijing, China
Citizenship	China (until 1997) US (1997–2009) Singapore (from 2009)
Occupation	Martial artist actor philanthropist film producer director
Years active	1982–present
Height	1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Spouse(s)	Huang Qiuyan ​ ​ (m. 1987; div. 1990)​ Nina Li Chi ​ (m. 1999)​
Children	4
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	李連杰
Simplified Chinese	李连杰
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Lǐ Liánjié Wade–Giles Li Lien-chieh IPA [lì li̯ɛ̌n.tɕi̯ě] Yue: Cantonese IPA [le̬i lɪ̏ŋkìt] Jyutping Lei5 Lin4 Git6 Hong Kong Romanisation Lee Lin Kit
Li Yangzhong
Traditional Chinese	李陽中 s2=李阳中
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Lǐ Yángzhōng Wade–Giles Li Yang-chung IPA [lì i̯ǎŋʈʂʊ́ŋ] Yue: Cantonese IPA [le̬i jœ̏ŋtsʊ́ŋ] Jyutping Lei5 Joeng4 Zung1 Hong Kong Romanisation Lee Yeung Chong

Li Lianjie (born April 26, 1963), known worldwide by his stage name Jet Li, is a famous martial artist, actor, and philanthropist. He was born in China and is now a citizen of Singapore. For over forty years, he has starred in movies and is considered one of the greatest martial arts stars in film history.

Before becoming an actor, Li was a martial arts champion. He started training in wushu, a Chinese martial art, when he was a boy. He won his first national championship for the Beijing Wushu Team in 1974 and went on to win the title five times.

After retiring from sports, he became a huge movie star. His first film, Shaolin Temple (1982), made him famous across Asia. He became even more popular for playing the Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung in the Once Upon a Time in China movies.

Li later moved to Hollywood, where he starred in his first American movie, Lethal Weapon 4, in 1998. He also starred in films like Romeo Must Die (2000), The Forbidden Kingdom with Jackie Chan, and The Expendables series. In 2007, he started the One Foundation, a charity that helps people after natural disasters.

Early Life and Martial Arts Stardom

Li was born in Beijing, China. He was the youngest of five children. His father died when he was only two years old, and his family grew up poor.

When Li was eight, a coach noticed his talent for wushu during a summer program. He joined the Beijing Wushu Team, where his coaches, Li Junfeng and Wu Bin, helped him become a great athlete. Coach Wu even bought food for Li's family to make sure he was getting enough to eat.

Li was so good that he competed against adults and won the national championship five years in a row, from 1975 to 1979.

My winning first place caused quite a sensation because I was so young. I was 12 years old, and the other two medalists were in their mid- to late twenties. During the awards ceremony, as I stood on the top step of the podium, I was still shorter than the 2nd and 3rd place medalists.

In 1974, Li traveled to the United States with the Chinese National Wushu Team. They performed for President Richard Nixon. Li later said that Nixon asked him to be his personal bodyguard. Li replied, "I don't want to protect any individual. When I grow up, I want to defend my one billion Chinese countrymen!"

Li is a master of many wushu styles, including changquan (long fist) and fanziquan (tumbling fist). He also mastered several weapons, like the three-section staff and the sword. He retired from competing at age 18 because of a knee injury but his skills helped him become a world-famous movie star.

A Career in Movies

Li's hand print and autograph at the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong

Li's success in martial arts led him to a career in movies, first in China and then in Hong Kong. He got his stage name, Jet Li, in 1982. A company in the Philippines thought his real name was too hard to say. They compared his fast career to a jet plane taking off.

Success in Asian Films

Li's first movie was Shaolin Temple in 1982. The movie was a massive hit and is credited with helping to revive the real Shaolin Temple in China.

Some of his most famous Chinese films include:

• The Shaolin Temple series, which made the real temple famous again.
• The Once Upon a Time in China series, where he played the legendary hero Master Wong Fei-hung.
• Fist of Legend, a remake of a Bruce Lee movie.
• The Fong Sai Yuk films, about another Chinese folk hero.

In 2006, Li starred in Fearless, which he said was his last wushu martial arts film. He played Huo Yuanjia, a real-life martial arts master.

Becoming an International Star

In 1998, Li made his first American movie, Lethal Weapon 4, where he played a villain for the first time. The producer, Joel Silver, then gave him the lead role in Romeo Must Die (2000), which was a box office hit.

Li turned down the role of Seraph in The Matrix trilogy. He felt the role didn't need his skills and that the movies were already amazing without him.

He starred in many other international films, including The One with Jason Statham and Kiss of the Dragon. In 2002, his film Hero was a huge success in China and around the world.

In 2008, he finally starred in a movie with fellow martial arts legend Jackie Chan. The film, The Forbidden Kingdom, was based on the Chinese story of the Monkey King. He also played the main villain in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.

Later, he joined an all-star cast including Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham in The Expendables and its sequels. In 2020, he played the Emperor of China in the live-action Disney movie Mulan.

Personal Life and Beliefs

Li was married to Huang Qiuyan, a fellow martial artist, from 1987 to 1990. They have two daughters. In 1999, he married actress Nina Li Chi, and they also have two daughters. Li became a citizen of Singapore in 2009.

In 2013, Li shared that he has hyperthyroidism, a health condition. He said he has recovered and now takes fewer film roles to focus on his charity work. In his free time, he enjoys playing badminton, reading, and meditating.

Views on Life and Martial Arts

As a Buddhist, Li believes that life's challenges can be overcome with positive thinking. He doesn't care about fame because he feels it's something he can't control.

I never say to myself I'm the best fighter in the world. If someone learns martial arts solely to pick fights... that person, in my opinion, cannot be considered a true martial artist.

Li believes his most important messages can be found in three of his films:

• Hero shows that a nation's suffering is more important than one person's.
• Unleashed teaches that violence is never the answer.
• Fearless explains that your biggest enemy is yourself.

He thinks the greatest weapon is a smile, and the greatest power is love. He also believes that martial arts are not just for fighting. He says people should try to solve problems peacefully and call the police for help if needed.

Charity Work

Li speaks at the World Economic Forum in Tianjin, China, in 2008

Li is very active in charity work. In 2004, he survived the Indian Ocean tsunami while on vacation in the Maldives. This experience inspired him to help others.

In 2007, he started the One Foundation, a charity that helps with disaster relief around the world. The foundation has helped people after major events like the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.

In 2010, the International Red Cross named him its first Goodwill Ambassador. Li said he was honored and would do his best to help the world. He has also met with other philanthropists like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to discuss how to make a bigger impact.

Awards and Recognition

See also

In Spanish: Jet Li para niños

• Cinema of China
• Cinema of Hong Kong