Jackie Chan is known even to a small kid interested in martial art movies. He is respected all over the world for his expertise in Kung Fu. He has made a special place in our hearts with his dangerous stunts and comedic stunts. Many actors may come in the future, but none can take his place in the industry. Here are 15 lesser-known, intriguing facts about Jackie Chan – A humble man who touched the pinnacle of success.

1 Jackie Chan’s mother was an opium smuggler and his father was a spy.

Traces of the Dragon: Jackie Chan and his family, a documentary on Jackie Chan revealed a rather colorful past of Jackie Chan’s parents. Jackie Chan’s mother was an opium dealer, a gambler and an important figure in China’s organized crime underworld. His father was a spy for Nationalist government and later become the boss of the gangland (underworld). Chan’s father met his mother when he arrested her for smuggling opium.(source)

2 Jackie Chan’s family was so poor he was almost sold to a wealthy British Couple when he was still a baby.

Jackie Chan’s parents who fled to Honk Kong from mainland China were impoverished. When Jackie Chan was born, his parents were unable to pay the hospital bills. They tried to settle the bills by selling off the newborn Jackie Chan to the wealthy British doctor couple.(source 1, 2)

3 His real name is Kong-sang Chan, Jackie Chan got the name Jackie while working as a construction worker in Canberra, Australia.

Jackie Chan was born as Chan Kong-Sang. When film work dried up in 1970’s Jackie was forced to move in with his parents in Canberra. He took up a job as a construction worker in Canberra and there a fellow builder named Jack took him under his wings. He was soon known as “Little Jack”which was soon shortened to Jackie.(source)

4 Jackie Chan was trained as an opera singer as a child and has released 20 albums with songs in 5 different languages in Asia.

Besides his success as an actor, Jackie Chan is also a singer in Asia, singing in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, and Taiwanese. Jackie studied opera at the Peking Opera School when he was a little boy and trained in singing alongside his Kung Fu. Jackie often sings the theme songs for his movies which play over the closing credits.(source)

5 Jackie Chan and his stunt team are blacklisted by all insurance companies so he has to pay himself whenever somebody in his movies gets hurt.

Jackie’s death-defying stunts are deemed so dangerous that none of the insurance companies are ready to insure him or his stunt team. Jackie has voluntarily agreed to pay for the cost of the treatment for the injuries sustained during a stunt for the entire life of the injured team member.(source)