Jackie Chan is one of the most well-known action stars in the world. He has a stronghold in both the Chinese film industry as well as Hollywood and is known for his fantastical action sequences. For his contributions, Chan was awarded the Academy Honorary Award in 2016.
Chan has often mentioned how wreckless and how much of a spendthrift he was in his early 20s. He has revealed in his memoirs about his mistakes as a young star who saw success early. He once mentioned how he used to spend millions in cash when he was 20, without ever putting the money in a bank.
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Why Did Jackie Chan Spend Millions When He Was In His Twenties?
Jackie Chan became a huge star when he featured in the martial arts action films Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow and Drunken Master. His signature blend of slapstick comedy and martial arts became a trademark of the actor, which he is still known for. He also broke into the Hollywood market with films such as the Rush Hour franchise.
Jackie Chan mentioned in 2016 that he saw success quite early in his life and that he was a millionaire by the age of twenty. In a speech at the Sidney Opera House in 2016, the actor spoke about how much of a spendthrift and show-off he was in his 20s. He said,
“When I was 20, I was a millionaire. Suddenly [one day I had] $5, then the next day I had one million. I didn’t know how to put the money in the bank. I didn’t know how to sign, I always carried cash, walking around with my JC team. I pay in cash and buy seven diamond watches on the same day.”
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The actor then mentioned the existential reasoning behind his behavior,
“In the old days, our dream was, ‘Am I surviving today?’ Because [sometimes], we had to jump from the second floor [with no protection]. We might die. We see people die, we see them paralyzed. I might be coming today so I have money. So I spent it.”
Chan has faced multiple injuries over the years for the incredible and dangerous stunts he has performed.
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Jackie Chan Faced Many Injuries In His Career
With the amount of injuries Jackie Chan has faced in his career, it is not a surprise that the actor had such a thought process when he was younger. The actor has over six decades of experience as an action movie star and has met with several injuries during his tenure, mostly due to a lack of sufficient protection during his death-defying stunts.
Jackie Chan has broken his foot, crushed his leg, had an eye injury, sustained burns, and has reportedly even gone into a coma. The actor notedly fractured his skull while filming for the adventure film Armour of God. He fell from a great height and through several branches and hurt his head.
The actor mentioned how the conditions were for him during the old days when he was doing stunts,
“Today, everyone is so lucky. Even my JC team and other stuntmen…We have shoulder pads, elbow pads, knee pads, fake ground, and wire. In the old days, we had nothing. We used to go ‘boom’ again and again. If we say, ‘Ah, I’m hurt’, tomorrow we are out. Now, if we get hurt, the companies pay insurance and we can survive.”
The actor also mentioned that he tries to take care of his actors and stuntmen now that he is a star because he used to face a lot of abuse from other stars when he was younger.
