Li Lianjie, better known by his stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese martial artist (Kung Fu), actor, Wushu champion, and international film star. After three years of intensive training, Li won his first national championship for the Beijing Wushu Team. After retiring at age 17, he went on to win great acclaim in China as an actor making his debut with the film Shaolin Temple (1982). He went on to star in many critically acclaimed martial arts epic films, most notably the Once Upon a Time in China series, in which he portrayed folk hero Wong Fei Hung. His first role in a Hollywood film was as a villain in Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), but his first Hollywood film leading role was in Romeo Must Die (2000).Personal life
Li is a practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism.
In 1987, Li married Beijing Wushu Team member and Shaolin Temple series co-star Huang Qiuyan, with whom he had two children. They divorced in 1990, Since 1999, he has been married to Nina Li Chi (born Li Zhi), a Shanghai-born, Hong Kong-based actress. He has two children with her as well, Jane (born 2000) and Jada (born 2002).
Li was in the Maldives when the tsunami hit during the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Although it was widely reported at the time that he had died during the disaster, he only suffered a minor foot injury, caused by a piece of floating furniture, while he was guiding his daughter to safety. The two were in the lobby of their hotel when the wave came ashore.
According to Li, once, as a child, when the Chinese National Wushu Team went to perform for President Richard Nixon in the United States, he was asked by Nixon to be his personal bodyguard. Li replied, "I don't want to protect any individual. When I grow up, I want to defend my one billion Chinese countrymen!" which earned him much respect in his homeland
Philanthropy
Li has been a "philanthropic ambassador" of the Red Cross Society of China since January 2006. He contributed 500,000 yuan ($62,500 USD) of box office revenues from his film Fearless to the Red Cross' psychological sunshine project, which promotes mental health.
In April of 2007, touched by his near-death experience in the Maldives during the 2004 tsunami, Li formed his own nonprofit foundation called The One Foundation. The One Foundation supports international disaster relief efforts in conjunction with the Red Cross as well as other efforts, including mental health awareness and suicide prevention.
Quick Fact
Chinese name 李連杰 (Traditional) , 李连杰 (Simplified)
Pinyin Lǐ Liánjié (Mandarin)
Born April 26, 1963 , Beijing, China
Spouse(s) Huang Qiuyan (1987-1990), Nina Li Chi (1997-)
Official site http://www.jetli.com
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