Hong Kong’s iconic action star Jet Li is one of the most financially successful Asian performers of the contemporary era, having starred in a string of box office successes.
Li’s high net worth is due in large part to his many brand sponsorships and the fact that he has worked with some of the greatest names in action cinema.
A $250,000,000 fortune is predicted for Jet Li as of September 2022.
Net Worth
It’s estimated that Jet Li is worth $250 million dollars. The Chinese star is multitalented, having also won a championship in Wushu and being an accomplished martial artist. He is famous for his accomplished career in both China and the West.
Jackie Chan is a 400-million-dollar actor who was born in Hong Kong. Over the course of a lengthy career spanning several decades, his name has become virtually inseparable from that of Kung Fu, martial arts, and action movies.
It is common knowledge that Jackie Chan performs all of his own stunts in his films.
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History of His Life and Martial Arts Training
Jet Li, whose real name is Li Lianjie, was born on April 26, 1963, in Beijing, China. Two girls and two sons preceded him in the family, and he was the youngest. His dad died when he was only two, leaving him and his mom to fend for themselves in a poor neighborhood.
At the age of eight, his Wushu skills were recognized during a school-sponsored summer program. After that, he signed up with the Beijing Wushu Team and trained under master instructors Li Junfeng and Wu Bin.
Because Li’s family was poor, Wu Bin would even go out of his way to buy groceries for them. He competed as an adult in the Chinese Wushu Championships and won sixteen medals (15 gold, 1 silver) before he was even a teenager.
Mastering multiple Wushu techniques, Li is an expert in Chángquán (Northern Longfist Style) and Fnziquán (Eight Trigrams Style) (Tumbling Fist).
He is also well-versed in Taijiquan (Supreme Ultimate Fist), Baguazhang (Eight Trigram Palm), Xing Yi Quan (Shape Intent Fist), Zui Quan (Drunken Fist), Ying Zhao Quan (Eagle Claw Fist), and Tanglangquan (Tang Style Long Sword) (Praying Mantis Fist).
A profession in the Theater
Li’s prowess in martial arts helped launch his career as a film star in China, where he became a household name. “Shaolin Temple,” a Hong Kong–Chinese film, marked his acting debut that year (1982).
This was the first film of its genre to be shot in mainland of China, as all previous martial arts movies had been shot in Hong Kong.
The Chinese box office for “Shaolin Temple” was a smashing success, with an estimated 300 million tickets sold, or about US$85 million in revenue.
The film also helped launch Li’s career as the first mainland Chinese actor to become a major star in Hong Kong and, later, Hollywood.
It was so successful that it generated not one but two sequels, both of which starred Li: “Shaolin Temple 2: Kids from Shaolin” (1984) and “Shaolin Temple 3: Martial Arts of Shaolin” (1988). (1986).
His “Once Upon a Time in China” series, which follows the life of the renowned Chinese folk hero Master Wong Fei Hung, is another well-known Chinese production of his.
Between 1991 and 1997, a total of six films and a television series were released in this franchise, albeit Li only appeared in the first three and the last.
In addition, he has been in the films “Fong Sai-yuk” (1993) and “Fong Sai-yuk II” (1994), as well as the remake “Fist of Legend” (1994) of Bruce Lee’s “Fist of Fury” (1972). (1993).
In the 1998 film “Lethal Weapon 4,” Li made his debut in the American film industry. His prior Chinese film roles had all featured him as the film’s protagonist, therefore this was his first time playing the villain.
Li’s performance was lauded despite the fact that he spoke just a limited amount of English at the time. The producer’s assurance that he would play the lead in his next picture was what convinced him to return for “Lethal Weapon 4.”
Like this, Li co-starred with the late Aaliyah in the cult classic “Romeo Must Die” (2000). During this time, he also had roles in American films like “The One” (2001) and “Kiss of the Dragon” (2001).
In 2002, Li made his triumphant return to the Chinese market with the period martial arts epic “Hero.” At the time, it was the highest-grossing film in Chinese cinema history, earning $177.4 million globally.
Since then, he has worked on a variety of American and Chinese productions, including: “The Expendables” (2010), “The Expendables 2” (2012), “The Expendables 3” (2014), and the live-action remake of “Mulan” (2020).
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In the role of the Hero
Li’s following film, Unleashed, saw him return to the big screen in a more secure role (2005). His character was a captured hit guy for a criminal organization. When the collar was taken off, the character was instructed to become aggressive.
I consulted an acting coach in order to perfect her performance. We observed stray canines at the shelter to determine the correlation between hunger and aggression.
Li told Muscle & Fitness, “I spent a few days on set, at night, with just bread and water, so I could feel it. Upon its release, the picture performed well at the box office, ranking third.
Later, in the 2006 film Fearless, Li portrayed the legendary Chinese martial artist Huo Yuanjia.
The film is based on the true tale of Yuanjia, who has a near-death experience, loses his family, and then goes on to win a martial arts competition against competitors from other countries.
“Emotionally intense and visually spectacular,” wrote critic Leonard Maltin. The film’s passionate fan base contributed to its second-place opening weekend performance at the box office.
Next, Li starred in War as the lethal assassin Rogue (2007). Li’s character in the film is being chased by the FBI agent he killed a colleague.
Reviewers were not kind, and the movie barely made $22 million at the box office. Peter Chan’s The Warlords, starring Li, was released in China that same year.
Li co-starred with Jackie Chan in 2008’s The Forbidden Kingdom, which featured both of them in martial arts scenes. In spite of this, the movie was a letdown.
In his review for the San Francisco Chronicle, Peter Hartlaub said, “The picture also provides a good answer to the question of why Chan and Li have yet to create a feature together in their 55-year career.”
Chan is a far more talented performer. It’s a draw between the fights and the film in terms of quality.
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