One of the most popular stars of Hong Kong films of the early 1990s, the compact, charismatic Jet Li was at one time considered the heir to the late Bruce Lee. A child prodigy in martial arts, he excelled in the high-kicking “wu shu” style, winning several national championships and traveling around the world (including a 1974 US visit to the Nixon White House). Before turning 20, Jet Li made his film debut as a fighting priest in “Shaolin Temple” (1982), which was banned in Taiwan but proved popular throughout Asia. After two sequels, “Shaolin Temple II: Kids From Shaolin” (1984) and “Shaolin Temple III: Martial Arts of Shaolin” (1986), both of which showcased his talents, Jet made his directorial debut with the unsuccessful “Born to Defend” (also 1986).

Since he had only been earning a limited salary, Jet Li obtained a two-year exit permit and settled in San Francisco with a Chinese actress who would briefly become his wife. “The Master” (filmed in San Francisco in 1989 but not released until 1992) was a minor modern-day kung fu thriller, more notable as the first time Jet Li worked with director Tsui Hark. Instead of returning to China in 1990, the actor settled in Hong Kong, where he attempted to rejuvenate his sagging career by signing with Golden Harvest. His breakthrough screen role came in 1990 when Tsui Hark cast him as real-life folk hero Wong Fei Hung in “Once Upon a Time in China”. Despite critical carping over Jet Li’s relative youth and his training in another martial arts discipline, the period piece offered the performer a strong role and he more than met the challenges exhibiting the requisite stoic aura. …Read the entire entry