How Jackie Chan also became a restaurant tycoon
By Reed Tucker
August 29, 2015 | 3:51pm
Jackie Chan stars in the new film “Dragon Blade,” an historical epic about an exiled Chinese general (Chan) who teams with a rogue Roman commander (John Cusack) to fight a corrupt consul (Adrien Brody). Photo: Lionsgate Premiere
In his movie career, he’s broken his jaw, three fingers and nearly lost an eye. He once fell while leaping onto a tree branch and tumbled 40 feet, smashing his skull on a rock below.
So it probably comes as no surprise that Jackie Chan is looking to take it a little easier.
Jackie Chan Photo: Splash News
The Hong Kong-born star, now 61, is still making movies — most of which are released in Asia — but nonstop action isn’t necessarily his thing anymore.
“All those years ago I was jumping off tall buildings and leaping off moving buses. So stupid,” Chan tells The Post.
“So, I’ve had to change. It’s not about getting older.”
Nowadays, his films fall in many different genres.
“When you look at my previous films, I was fighting from the opening credits to the closing credits,” he says.
“But now [audiences] care about the plot, so I’ve had to adjust my style. And I’ve realized that with a strong story, even a single punch can make the audience cheer.”
His latest plot-driven endeavor is “Dragon Blade,” a sweeping, historical epic about an exiled Chinese general (Chan) who teams with a rogue Roman commander (John Cusack) to fight a corrupt consul (Adrien Brody).
The film, opening Friday throughout the US, contains its share of battle scenes and swordplay, but it’s not exactly chopsocky.
“I don’t consider myself an action star anymore,” Chan says.
“I’ve been trying to broaden my range, including my role in ‘Dragon Blade.’ I hope that people consider me an actor who does action rather than just an action star. You can expect to see me in many different roles in my forthcoming films.”
Beyond broadening his range, “Dragon Blade” reportedly broadened the actor’s bank account. The film has raked in a whopping $120 million in China already, some $10 million of which Chan reportedly pocketed as the star and producer.
“In his movie career, he’s broken his jaw, three fingers and nearly lost an eye.”
What most Americans — who predominantly know Chan for the “Rush Hour” films — may not realize is that the actor is among the more well-known and influential figures in China, with a sprawling business empire and a sizeable fortune.
Chan, who is married with an adult son, is worth some $350 million, according to Forbes. The film mogul earned $50 million last year, putting him ahead of every other actor outside of Robert Downey Jr.
In the early 2000s, Chan hired a consultant to help him make money off his name, hoping to change his luck after the actor lost “several million, then millions again” in the 1980s investing in car repair shops, gift shops and restaurants. Chan was soon hawking a branded line of chocolates and oatcakes, and had satellite California Fitnesses in Asia named for him.
He now owns a fast-growing chain of movie theaters, Jackie Chan Cinema, that has 213 screens across China. The first location, which opened in Beijing in 2010, claims to be the country’s largest, with 17 screens and 3,500 seats.
Photo: Lionsgate Premiere
His Jackie Chan Design sells shirts, hats, accessories and other clothing emblazoned with a red-and-black logo.
He launched a chain of coffee shops in 2006 and once had a sushi chain, the now-shuttered Jackie’s Kitchen. He even opened a Segway dealership in Hong Kong. The venture was designed to bring clean technology to Asia.
Chan also has a second career as a singer and has released more than 20 albums.
The future star was born in Hong Kong, and at age 7, began studying at the Chinese Opera Institute. There, Chan learned both music and martial arts, often rising at 5 a.m. and practicing until midnight.
When he’s not singing or acting, Chan says he likes to focus on charity work.
“Life is too short,” he says. “With every injury, I came to cherish life more. I know that I am blessed, so I try to help the poor and people in need.”
He’s been an advocate for animals and has recorded anti-poaching PSAs.
“I actually like to watch documentaries on television, especially on Discovery Channel and National Geographic,” says the nature-loving Chan.
“They sometimes inspire me and my work.”
Like fellow rich guys Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, Chan has pledged to donate half of his fortune to charity after his death.
He also holds a seat on the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, a diverse board of some 2,000 prominent citizens that advises the country’s legislature.
A movie star in politics? China really is so foreign.
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