Jet Li is one of the most courageous and influential figures in Asian cinema. He became unforgettable for international audiences with his commanding performance in Hero, and is widely regarded as one of the most successful Asian actors to bridge Eastern cinema and Hollywood.

Jet Li was born on April 26, 1963, in Beijing, China. He grew up with two brothers and two sisters and was raised by his mother after his father passed away when Li was only two years old. He began training in traditional Chinese martial arts at an early age and was accepted into the Beijing Amateur Sports School at the age of eight. After three years of intensive training, he won his first National Wushu Championship.

In 1974, during a world tour, Li received an honorary award after performing a paired martial arts demonstration at the White House for U.S. President Richard Nixon. He continued to dominate national competitions for the following five years, remaining undefeated.

After graduating from school at the age of seventeen, Jet Li began appearing in major film productions. His professional film career officially started in 1982 with Shaolin Temple, directed by Chang Hsin-yen. The enormous success of the film launched him into stardom and led to appearances in more than twenty-five successful Asian films before his introduction to Hollywood.

In 1991, Li gained legendary status with his portrayal of the Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung in Once Upon a Time in China. This role established him as the definitive on-screen symbol of honor, courage, and martial virtue. He reprised similar heroic roles throughout the 1990s, becoming the most recognizable face of modern wuxia cinema.

His Hollywood debut came with his first English-language film Lethal Weapon 4, in which he starred alongside Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. With this role, he proved his ability to convincingly portray both heroic and villainous characters. This success was followed by Romeo Must Die (2000), The One (2001), and Kiss of the Dragon (2001).

After returning to Chinese cinema, Jet Li starred in Hero (2002), directed by Zhang Yimou, one of the most acclaimed masterpieces of Asian cinema. He later reunited with audiences in Fearless (2006), further solidifying his legacy as a cultural ambassador of Asian cinema in Hollywood.

Marriages:
First wife: Huang Qiuyan (1987–1990)
Second wife: Actress Nina Li Chi (married in 1999)

Filmography and Television Work

Actor:
1982 – Shaolin Temple (Jue Yuan) (Feature Film)
1983 – Kids from Shaolin (San Lung) (Feature Film)
1986 – Born to Defend (Jet) (Feature Film)
1986 – Martial Arts of Shaolin (Zhi Ming) (Feature Film)
1989 – Dragon Fight (Jimmy Lee) (Feature Film)
1989 – The Master (Jet) (Feature Film)
1991 – Once Upon a Time in China (Wong Fei-hung) (Feature Film)
1992 – Once Upon a Time in China II (Wong Fei-hung) (Feature Film)
1992 – Swordsman II (Linghu Chong) (Feature Film)
1993 – Tai Chi Master (Zhang Sanfeng) (Feature Film)
1993 – Fong Sai-yuk (Fong Sai-yuk) (Feature Film)
1993 – Fong Sai-yuk II (Fong Sai-yuk) (Feature Film)
1993 – Kung Fu Cult Master (Zhang Wuji) (Feature Film)
1993 – Last Hero in China (Wong Fei-hung) (Feature Film)
1993 – Once Upon a Time in China III (Wong Fei-hung) (Feature Film)
1994 – The Bodyguard from Beijing (John Chang) (Feature Film)
1994 – Fist of Legend (Chen Zhen) (Feature Film)
1994 – The New Legend of Shaolin (Hung Hei-kwun) (Feature Film)
1995 – High Risk (Kit Li) (Feature Film)
1995 – My Father Is a Hero / The Enforcer (Kung Wei) (Feature Film)
1996 – Black Mask (Michael) (Feature Film)
1996 – Dr. Wai in the Scripture with No Words (Chow Si-kit) (Feature Film)
1997 – Once Upon a Time in China and America (Wong Fei-hung) (Feature Film)
1998 – Hitman (Fu) (Feature Film)
1998 – Lethal Weapon 4 (Wah Sing Ku) (Feature Film)
2000 – Romeo Must Die (Han Sing) (Feature Film)
2001 – The One (Gabe Law / Lawless) (Feature Film)
2001 – Kiss of the Dragon (Liu Jian) (Feature Film)
2002 – Hero (Nameless) (Feature Film)
2003 – Cradle 2 the Grave (Su) (Feature Film)
2005 – Unleashed / Danny the Dog (Danny) (Feature Film)
2006 – Fearless (Huo Yuanjia) (Feature Film)
2007 – The Warlords (Pang Qingyun) (Feature Film)
2007 – War / Rogue Assassin (Victor Shaw) (Feature Film)
2008 – The Forbidden Kingdom (Sun Wukong / Monkey King & Silent Monk) (Feature Film)
2008 – The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (Emperor Han) (Feature Film)
2009 – The Founding of a Republic (Chen Shaokuan) (Feature Film)
2010 – Ocean Heaven (Sam Wong) (Feature Film)
2010 – The Expendables (Yin Yang) (Feature Film)
2011 – The Sorcerer and the White Snake (Abbot Fahai) (Feature Film)
2011 – Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (Zhao Huai’an) (Feature Film)
2012 – The Expendables 2 (Yin Yang) (Feature Film)
2013 – Badges of Fury (Huang Feihong) (Feature Film)
2014 – The Expendables 3 (Yin Yang) (Feature Film)
2015 – League of Gods / Fengshen Bang (Jiang Ziya) (Feature Film)
2020 – Mulan (The Emperor of China) (Feature Film)

Source: Biyografiler.com