Action star Jackie Chan is famed for combining humor with martial arts.His new film "The Forbidden Kingdom" is first pairing with kung fu star Jet Li. Chan holds the Guinness World Record for "Most Stunts By A Living Actor"
Chan holds the Guinness World Record for "Most Stunts By A Living Actor."
He also holds the record for the most number of takes for a single shot in a film, having shot over 2900 retakes for a complex scene involving a badminton game in "Dragon Lord."
Unsurprisingly, Chan has suffered a litany of injuries in the course of his film career. Over the years, he has dislocated his pelvis and broken his fingers, toes, nose, both cheekbones, hips, sternum, neck and ribs on numerous occasions.
When filming "Police Story" in 1985, he suffered second-degree burns to his hands and palms after sliding 100ft down a pole festooned in Christmas lights.
Many of the injuries have appeared, in eyewatering viewing, as outtakes or bloopers during the closing credits of his films.
But in 1986, he came close to death while filming "Armor of God," when he fell 45 feet from a tree and fractured his skull, leaving a permanent hole in his head.
Chan explained to CNN's TalkAsia host, Anjali Rao that he never insists on doing his own stunts. It's just the way things are done in Hong Kong.
"Making a film in Hong Kong in the old days was not like Hollywood," he says.
"We didn't have protection like elbow pads and we didn't have the knowledge about safety. I had to risk my life jumping from building to building."
Chan is a one-man movie-making machine. He has his own production and distribution company -- Jackie Chan Emperor Movies -- and controls all aspect of the movie-making process, from casting to directing, producing, screenwriting, choreographing and stunt coordinating. He even has his own stunt team and casting agency.
His director on the Rush Hour series, Brett Ratner told CNN's The Screening Room that Chan's versatility gives him the edge over other martial arts stars like Bruce Lee and Jet Li.
"Jackie is the most gifted actor of the three because he has the most range. Bruce Lee is a legendary performer and martial artist but I don't think he is as funny as Jackie Chan.
"Jackie can be funny, he can be dramatic, he can do the action and the stunts, he can direct, edit, shoot. He is also a stunt coordinator so he is everything wrapped into one."