Jet Li

Li Lianjie (Jet Li) was born on April 26, 1963, in Beijing, into an ordinary working-class family. He has two older sisters and two older brothers. His father died in 1965. In 1971 he attended Changqiao Primary School in Beijing. That same year, coach Wu Bin noticed him and he entered the Beijing Shichahai Sports School to study martial arts, beginning his career as a martial arts athlete. In 1972 he took part in the Chinese Wushu Championships and won an Outstanding Performance Award. That year he also performed martial arts at the opening ceremony of the Pan-Asia-Africa-Latin America Table Tennis Championships; after the performance he was received by Premier Zhou Enlai. In 1974 he won first place in the junior division and the all-around championship at the Chinese Wushu Championships. In May 1975 he competed in the National Games’ wushu routines and won the all-around championship. In 1979 he competed injured in the 4th National Games and won five gold medals, and that same year he withdrew from competitive wushu because of injuries.

Li’s acting career began in 1980, when he accepted director Zhang Xinyan’s invitation to appear in the film Shaolin Temple, playing the monk Jueyuan. The film performed extremely well at the box office in mainland China, setting multiple records, and later also did good business when released in Hong Kong. In 1983 he starred in the martial arts film Shaolin Kid, which performed excellently at the Hong Kong box office and gradually drew the attention of Shaw Brothers Studio. He went on to star in many action and wuxia films, including North and South Shaolin and A Chinese Hero, progressively establishing himself as a martial-arts star.

In 1988 Li went to the United States as a visiting scholar to develop his career, and participated in the documentary Shaolin Master Hai Deng, helping to showcase Chinese martial arts. He also returned to Hong Kong to star in the action film Dragon at the Horizon. In 1991 he starred in Once Upon a Time in China, gaining greater attention in the Hong Kong film world. In 1992 he starred in Once Upon a Time in China II and Swordsman II: The East Is Red, achieving both box-office success and critical acclaim. He then founded Zhengdong Film Company to promote works such as Fong Sai-yuk, The Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre: The Evil Cult Leader, and Tai Chi Master.

Entering the 21st century, Li made a major breakthrough in Hollywood, starring in films such as Lethal Weapon 4, Kiss of the Dragon, and Hero, earning an international reputation. In 2002 he starred in the film Hero as Nameless, receiving domestic and international award nominations and attention. In 2009 he became a Singaporean citizen and received honors such as “Asia Hero.” In addition to his film career, he has devoted himself to philanthropy, founding the One Foundation and actively participating in various charitable activities.

On the family side, Li married Huang Qiuyan in 1987; their daughter Li Si was born in 1988, and they divorced in 1991. In 1999 he married Li Zhi in Los Angeles, and they have daughters Jane and Jada. In recent years he has gradually withdrawn from the screen to focus on charity work and his personal life. In 2025 he announced that he had arranged his affairs and would face the end of his life simply and low-key.