Mr Jet Li

1963-

Actor

As a young boy, actor Jet Li was a five-time winner of China’s national martial arts competitions. In 1982, he was discovered by director Cheung Yam Yim to play the leading role in The Shaolin Temple (1982) and became an overnight sensation. The film spurred a series of action titles set in the Shaolin Temple, including Kids from Shaolin (1984) and Martial Arts of Shaolin (1986). In 1991, Li was cast as kung fu legend Master Wong Fei Hung in Tsui Hark’s Once Upon a Time in China (1991). Li and Tsui collaborated on two more Wong Fei Hung films as well as Swordsman II (1992). In 1998, Li headed for Hollywood, where he appeared in Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), Romeo Must Die (2000), Kiss of the Dragon (2001), The One (2001) and Cradle 2 the Grave (2003) among other titles. These projects elevated him to global stardom. In 2002, Li starred in Zhang Yimou’s Hero. In 2008, he scooped Best Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards for his performance in Peter Chan Ho Sun’s The Warlords (2007). Li’s recent works include Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (2011) and “The Expendables” series in Hollywood.