Jackie Chan Chinese 成龍 born 7 April 1954 Chan Kongsang is a Hong Kong actor action choreographer filmmaker comedian producer martial artist screenwriter entrepreneur singer and stunt performer In his movies he is known for his acrobatic fighting style comic timing use of improvised weapons and innovative stunts Jackie Chan has been acting since the 1970s and has appeared in over 100 films Chan has received stars on the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars and the Hollywood Walk of Fame As a cultural icon Chan has been referenced in various pop songs cartoons and video games Chan is also a Cantopop and Mandopop star having released a number of albums and sung many of the theme songs for the films in which he has starred Chan was born on April 7 1954 in Victoria Peak in the former Crown colony of Hong Kong as Chan Kongsang meaning born in Hong Kong to Charles and LeeLee Chan refugees from the Chinese Civil War He was nicknamed Paopao Chinese 炮炮 literally meaning Cannonball because he was such a big baby weighing 12 pounds or about 54 kgs Since his parents worked for the French Consul to Hong Kong Chan spent his formative years within the grounds of the consuls residence in the Victoria Peak district Chan attended the NahHwa Primary School on Hong Kong Island where he failed his first year after which his parents withdrew him from the school In 1960 his father immigrated to Canberra Australia to work as the head cook for the American embassy and Chan was sent to the China Drama Academy a Peking Opera School run by Master Yu Jimyuen Chan trained rigorously for the next decade excelling in martial arts and acrobatics He eventually became part of the Seven Little Fortunes a performance group made up of the schools best students gaining the stage name Yuen Lo in homage to his master Chan became close friends with fellow group members Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao the three of them later to be known as the Three Brothers or Three Dragons At the age of 17 he worked as a stuntman in the Bruce Lee films Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon under the stage name Chan Yuen Lung He received his first starring role later that year in Little Tiger of Canton which had a limited release in Hong Kong in 1973