Jackie Chan

As an energetic child, Jackie Chan started acting in small roles at the age of 5. Chan enrolled in the China Drama Academy at the age of 10, where he would spend the next decade learning martial arts, singing, and acting for a career in the Peking Opera. Despite this, Jackie Chan rose to popularity, first as a stuntman, then as a leading role, in martial arts movies from his slapstick fighting style and comic timing. Starring in over 150 films, Jackie Chan is one of the most recognized actors of all time, partly due to his penchant for performing his own, often creative, stunts. In addition to his work in the film industry, Chan is a trained vocalist and had a successful musical career, including singing the theme songs for many of the movies he starred in. He has been listed as one of the most charitable celebrities, donating money for conservation efforts, disaster relief, the elderly, and childrens foundations, in addition to pledging half of his assets to charities when he dies. Chan’s lasting legacy is firmly bringing martial arts and Asian cultures into Hollywood; he is often described as the heir to the comedy of Charlie Chaplin/Buster Keaton and Bruce Lee’s initial work for breaking Asian stereotypes.