Jet Li Biography Quotes 24 Report mistakes

Early Life
Jet Li, born Li Lianjie on April 26, 1963, in Beijing, grew up in modest circumstances and found his path through the state-run wushu program. After losing his father at a young age, he entered the Beijing Wushu Team as a child, where coach Wu Bin recognized his promise and pushed him through a demanding regimen that emphasized discipline, conditioning, and technical refinement. Li rapidly emerged as one of Chinas most gifted practitioners, winning multiple national titles and traveling with exhibition teams. International demonstrations exposed him to audiences beyond China and hinted at a future that would link traditional martial arts with modern storytelling.

From Champion to Screen Presence
Li retired from formal competition while still very young and transitioned to film, initially bringing the grace and explosiveness of competitive wushu to the screen. His breakthrough came with The Shaolin Temple, a mainland production that introduced his athletic precision to mass audiences and ignited popular interest in temple-era martial arts lore. Follow-up features cemented his bankability and marked him as a performer who could marry speed and clarity of movement with a sincere, stoic screen persona. He even directed early in his career, signaling a curiosity about the craft beyond performing.

Hong Kong Stardom
Seeking greater creative and technical resources, Li moved into the vibrant Hong Kong industry at its early-1990s peak. The collaboration that defined this phase was with director-producer Tsui Hark on the Once Upon a Time in China series, in which Li portrayed the folk hero Wong Fei-hung. Paired frequently with Rosamund Kwan and, memorably, matched against Donnie Yen, he helped refresh a legendary character for contemporary audiences. Projects with action stylists Corey Yuen and Yuen Woo-ping, including Fong Sai-yuk, Tai Chi Master, and Fist of Legend, showcased varied tones: comedy and warmth in one, austere philosophy and crisp technique in another. These films set a new bar for timing, rhythm, and full-body choreography, and they spread Li's reputation across Asia.

Breakthrough in Hollywood
Li's international profile expanded further when he appeared as the principal villain in Lethal Weapon 4, opposite Mel Gibson and Danny Glover under director Richard Donner. The role introduced his speed and presence to mainstream American audiences. He soon led English-language vehicles such as Romeo Must Die with Aaliyah and DMX, and The One, opposite Jason Statham. His partnership with producer-writer Luc Besson yielded Kiss of the Dragon with Bridget Fonda and the more character-driven Unleashed (also known as Danny the Dog), where Li played against type alongside Bob Hoskins and Morgan Freeman. Cradle 2 the Grave reunited him with DMX and further demonstrated his ability to anchor studio action films while preserving a distinctly Chinese martial arts identity.

Prestige Projects and Range
As his career matured, Li sought material that blended spectacle with reflection. He headlined Zhang Yimou's Hero, sharing the screen with Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi, and Donnie Yen in a visually rigorous meditation on sacrifice and nationhood. In Fearless, directed by Ronny Yu, he explored the rise and transformation of Huo Yuanjia, linking physical mastery with moral reckoning. Peter Chan's The Warlords placed Li opposite Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro in a dark, large-scale historical drama; the role earned Li the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor and broadened critical recognition of his dramatic capacity. He continued to experiment with tone in Ocean Heaven, a gentle contemporary drama, and returned to grand adventure in projects like Flying Swords of Dragon Gate with Tsui Hark and The Sorcerer and the White Snake.

Global Collaborations and Later Work
Li also embraced crossovers that bridged industries and generations. The Forbidden Kingdom finally paired him with Jackie Chan in a playful East-meets-West fable. He stepped into a major franchise with The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor opposite Brendan Fraser and Michelle Yeoh. With Sylvester Stallone's ensemble The Expendables, alongside Jason Statham and other action veterans, Li entered a nostalgic yet high-energy cycle that acknowledged his status as a global action icon. After a period of reduced on-screen activity, he returned to a large audience as the Emperor in Disney's Mulan, joining Liu Yifei, Donnie Yen, and Gong Li in a lavish retelling of a classic legend.

Philanthropy and Public Voice
A close encounter with the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami sharpened Li's focus on public service. In 2007 he founded the One Foundation to support disaster relief and long-term community resilience, initially cooperating with established charities and later operating as an independent public fundraising foundation in China. The One Foundation became a prominent platform during major emergencies, including earthquakes and floods, and promoted volunteerism and transparency in the evolving nonprofit sector. Li also collaborated with entrepreneur Jack Ma on Taiji Zen, an initiative linking wellness, traditional culture, and contemporary business, reflecting his belief that inner balance and social responsibility are mutually reinforcing.

Personal Life and Health
Li's personal life has often remained private, though he has acknowledged the early influence of coach Wu Bin as pivotal to his values. He married actress Huang Qiuyan early in his career and later married actress Nina Li Chi; he has four daughters from these relationships. He settled in Singapore and became a Singaporean citizen in 2009. Over the years he has spoken candidly about health challenges, including hyperthyroidism and spinal concerns that limited strenuous action work for periods of time. His public comments often reference Buddhist study and the search for equanimity, framing physical training as part of a broader pursuit of compassion and clarity.

Legacy
Jet Li's legacy is defined by the fusion of elite athletic technique with cinematic storytelling, the careful calibration of speed, intention, and character. He helped modernize the image of wushu on film, working with stylists such as Tsui Hark, Yuen Woo-ping, and Corey Yuen to make movement legible and emotionally grounded. Collaborations with figures like Zhang Yimou and Peter Chan placed him at the center of prestige cinema, while partnerships with Luc Besson, Jason Statham, and Sylvester Stallone affirmed his global appeal. Equally consequential is his example off-screen: building philanthropic infrastructure through the One Foundation and using his platform to argue that discipline learned in the training hall can serve communities in crisis. For audiences across cultures, he stands as both martial artist and humanist, a performer whose impact extends well beyond the frame.

Our collection contains 24 quotes who is written by Jet, under the main topics: Ethics & Morality - Truth - Art - Friendship - Love.

Other people realated to Jet: Gong Li (Actress), Rob Cohen (American), Ziyi Zhang (Actress), Devon Aoki (Model), Andy Lau (Actor)