Jackie Chan is best known for his death-defying stunts, flawless martial arts, and on-screen charisma. But beneath the action hero’s worldwide superstardom lies an intriguing past and family secrets, secrets even he wasn’t aware of until much later in life. During a recent interview with People magazine, the 71-year-old actor revealed a very intimate revelation about his father, Charles Chan. Holding up a family photo, Chan explained how things changed for him the moment the incident occurred. “That’s my dad and my mom,” he explained in the video while pointing at the photo, adding that he couldn’t recall exactly how old he was when the photo was taken.
Jackie Chan Opens Up On His Family Secrets
Then followed a confession that totally surprised him. “One day I was driving my car and my father suddenly said, ‘Son, I’m old. I might sleep and never wake up, I have something to tell you in secret.” Jackie Chan hesitated and then went on, “You are not Chan. Your true name is Fang. The news shocked him. Jackie Chan has lived his whole life with the last name “Chan,” but learned that his true surname is “Fang.” Even more astonishing, he found out that his father was a spy in the Chinese Civil War. “I was very surprised,” Chan confessed, stating he couldn’t even hear the rest of the story then.
The history of Chan’s parents, his father a Nationalist operative, and his mother previously in the business of smuggling opium—was subsequently immortalized in the 2003 documentary Traces of the Dragon: Jackie Chan and His Lost Family. The movie reconstructed Chan’s complicated, frequently agonizing family history that had been concealed from the star for decades. Although Jackie Chan’s life itself might be as exciting as any of his action movies, his career is equally compelling and influential. He initially became a Hollywood presence in the mid-1990s with Rumble in the Bronx, but 1998’s Rush Hour really shot him to global fame.
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Now Chan returns to the limelight with Karate Kid: Legends, which was released in India on May 30. The movie brings him together with Ralph Macchio as they instruct a new generation of martial artists. The trailer promises old Chan energy, flying kicks, paternal mentorship, and a voice-over that asks a question that has haunted us all: “Is it worth fighting for or not?”
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