Jet Li biography, net worth, age, wife, children, ethnicity, now 2025

Jet Li Biography

Jet Li is a legendary Chinese and Singaporean actor, film producer, martial arts master, and the youngest wushu champion in the world. His most famous films include "Kiss of the Dragon" (2001), "Hero" (2002), "Unleashed" (2005), and "The Expendables" (2010).

Childhood

Jet Li (birth name: Li Lianjie) was born on April 26, 1963, in Beijing into a large family with two older brothers and two older sisters. His father, Li Qingquan, died when Li wasn't even two years old. The actor doesn't even remember what he looked like. Hard times fell on the family.

After losing her husband, Zhang Feng Lan became overprotective of her youngest son. Li was forbidden from everything that made up a normal Chinese boy's childhood in those days: bicycles, swimming, skating—basically anything with even a hint of danger. His childhood passed under a constant barrage of his mother's warnings: "Don't touch!", "Don't eat!", "Don't you dare!". While all his peers played outside, Li watched them from the window. He even started school later than everyone else—at eight years old.

Teachers quickly grew fond of the newcomer because he was extremely honest, never caused trouble, and carefully completed his homework. He had top marks in every subject except music, since Li had no ear for it. And the PE teacher let the little guy stand next to him during the big break (after the second period, Chinese schools have an exercise break) and count: "One, two, three, four..."

Discovering Wushu

Li started practicing wushu thanks to a lucky break. When he finished first grade, all elementary students from Beijing were sent to a sports camp so the troublemakers wouldn't run wild all summer. All the kids were divided into four groups: soccer, swimming, gymnastics, and wushu. Li lucked out and landed in the last one.

The boy had no idea what wushu was, but being an obedient student, he diligently followed the coach's instructions. All summer, he and about a thousand other kids practiced martial arts for two and a half hours a day. Everyone enjoyed it—it beat hanging around the streets.

When the new school year started, the coach told everyone to go home. Everyone except twenty kids, including Jet Li, who was the youngest student—his teammates were in 5th and 6th grade. The instructor even bought food for Jet's family, as they couldn't afford meat, which was essential for proper muscle development.

Training got tougher and tougher. Every day after school, Li waited for the older kids and went with them to the sports school. In winter, the old building was impossible to train in, so students were kicked outside. The boys froze anyway, and every movement hurt.

Li's mom already disapproved of her son's interests, but when she found out her 9-year-old was going to compete in a neighboring province, she threw a fit. But the boy made the biggest decision of his life and went to the competition anyway. He outperformed everyone, even though renowned athletes had gathered for the event. He didn't get any trophies, medals, or money—the main prize was the title of "Excellence."

Path to Mastery

From then on, Li attended only half his regular classes, but his training intensified. At the time, China—isolated from the Western world for years—was preparing for a major event: the World Table Tennis Championship. The event was so important to Chinese authorities that the opening ceremony would showcase everything the country was famous for: opera, folk dances, and wushu.

Li performed in three routines that he'd practiced countless times. After demonstrating wushu techniques at Beijing's largest stadium, the young fighters were invited to meet Premier (and de facto head of state) Zhou Enlai. China's top leader praised the boys. For nine-year-old Li, it was an incredible honor.

After this success, Li was completely excused from regular school. He moved to the wushu academy and only visited his family home on weekends. Besides him, twelve others studied wushu. They all lived by one strict schedule.

At 6 a.m., everyone woke to a loud bell. Within ninety seconds, students had to be standing on the training ground in their uniforms. They'd spend about an hour warming up, then brush their teeth, wash up, and eat breakfast. At 8:30, training resumed and continued until noon. Then came lunch and, if they were lucky, a nap—but usually foreign delegations would visit the school, and the boys would perform for them. At 7:30 p.m., the final training session began. Three more hours, and they could finally relax and go to bed. Every day, Li trained for at least eight hours.

Back then, even Beijing regularly experienced power outages. Each district was cut off from the grid one evening a week. The school where Li studied wushu was traditionally blacked out on Fridays. Students would celebrate—it meant the evening training session in the gym was canceled. At first, that's how it worked, but soon the coach started gathering everyone in the gym despite the darkness. His flashlight was the only source of light in the room. Students trained in the dark, giving it their all, since no one could predict when the flashlight beam would land on them.

Jet Li became the youngest wushu champion in the world

During one of these "dark" training sessions, Li twisted his ankle and felt pain. But he didn't dare tell his teacher for two days, afraid he'd be ordered to do even more exercises. His leg swelled so badly that the coach noticed and sent Li for an X-ray. Fracture. The doctor put a thick cast on his leg, but that didn't save the boy from training. Li was carried to the gym, where he'd stand leaning against a wall and practice hand strikes.

When Jet was 11, China decided to select the best wushu practitioners from across the entire country. The boy made it into the top thirty. These chosen athletes earned the right to represent China at demonstration competitions in the USA. This was critically important for the PRC, as relations with the West were becoming extremely tense. The athletes were taught Western etiquette: how to eat with a knife and fork, how to conduct themselves with the press, how to use electrical appliances. The kids were also briefed on what they could say abroad and what they shouldn't.

A trip to the USA changed the young athlete's outlook

They spent six months learning the basics of Western culture. And still, Li ended up in an awkward situation that nearly turned into a scandal. At the American airport, he spotted a plane with "Chinese Airlines" written on it and shouted, "Look, a plane from China!" But the aircraft belonged to Taiwan, with which China had a territorial dispute. The boys mastered dining etiquette perfectly, though, and were quite surprised when they saw their bodyguards eating chicken with their hands. Turns out, they'd been trained in table manners according to the strict rules of Buckingham Palace.

The trip to the US shook Li's faith in the ideology that Chinese authorities had drilled into him and his peers. He'd been taught that everything Chinese was good, and anything from the West brought harm. But here, Li saw just how different life under communism and capitalism really was. He was especially blown away by the backyard pools at every American home. Most importantly, the myth of "evil Americans" crumbled. Everyone around him turned out to be regular, friendly people—and if they were strict, like their security detail, it was only to keep them safe.

Jet Li's Performance

At the final performance in Washington, Jet Li met President Richard Nixon. Nixon praised the boy's skills and offered him a job as his bodyguard. Li turned him down: "I don't want to protect one person. I want to protect my fellow countrymen." Newspapers ran with the story, marveling at the level of patriotism in China. From the trip, Li brought back a Swiss watch he'd bought with the pocket money they'd been given in America and gave it to his mom.

In 1972, Li was recruited to Beijing's wushu team, representing the capital at the National Games of the People's Republic of China. "It's like the Olympics, but Chinese," Jet Li later explained. He'd already won the National Youth Championships, beating competitors pushing 18. Now he'd face athletes aged 20 to 30.

Before the main competition came qualifying tournaments. At his first demonstration, Li accidentally cut his head with his own sword. Everyone around him screamed in fear, but the boy didn't even notice—years of training had taught him to ignore pain and push forward to victory. Training with a broken leg had hurt way more. When he finished and bowed, the girls on his team were crying. They stitched him up and told him not to move until the competition. He wasn't worried about whether he could compete—he was worried about whether his mom would find out.

Over the Next 4 Years He Traveled Half the World

Li competed with fresh stitches and took first place. On the podium, he stood higher than everyone—second and third place went to men in their mid-twenties to thirties. The athlete never forgot that feeling. He'd never experienced anything like it.

At the awards ceremony, I stood on the top step of the podium and was still shorter than the 2nd and 3rd place medalists.

In 1977, the young man became a leader in dao broadsword competitions. Li went on to master several wushu styles, studied other forms of Chinese martial arts, and learned the main wushu weapons. Between 1975 and 1979, he became China's wushu champion five times.

Jet Li at the 1978 Wushu Competition

Acting Career

At the turn of the '70s and '80s, Li wrapped up his athletic career due to a serious knee injury and decided to focus on film work.

His first screen experience came with the "Shaolin Temple" trilogy (1982, 1984, and 1985), which told the story of a former slave who escaped his tormentors and found refuge in a monastery. The monks trained him in martial arts, and now he's out for revenge against his parents' killer. All three films were massive hits with audiences in Hong Kong and China.

The future actor picked up his stage name "Jet Li" in 1982 in the Philippines, when a marketing company declared his real name too difficult to pronounce. PR folks came to the rescue, comparing Li's successful career to a plane soaring skyward. The poster for the athlete's debut film "Shaolin Temple" in 1982 featured the name "Jet Li."

Jet Lee – Shaolin Temple

Jet's most famous early films include the action movies "Once Upon a Time in China" (1991), "The Legend" (1993), and "Fist of Legend" (1994), plus a remake of Bruce Lee's "Fist of Fury" (1972).

In 1998, Jet made his American debut in "Lethal Weapon 4" alongside Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, and Joe Pesci. What's notable is that this marked the first time the actor played a villain.

Two years later, producer Joel Silver tapped Li for the lead in "Romeo Must Die," which featured the now-late singer Aaliyah. The film became a genuine box office hit, and Jet scored a $2.4 million payday. Even though Li's English was still pretty rough, his role as a Chinese mobster earned high marks from critics and audiences alike.

A shot from "Romeo Must Die" featuring Jet Li

In 2000, Li had to pass on a role in Ang Lee's Chinese action film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" because he'd promised his wife he wouldn't work during her pregnancy. Chow Yun-fat took the role meant for Jet, and the film became the highest-grossing non-English language film in American box office history.

Li also could have played Seraph, the Oracle's bodyguard, in "The Matrix" trilogy, but the actor said the role wouldn't require his athletic skills, so they should find someone else!

Li went on to star in several other landmark films. In 2001, he appeared in the big-budget action movies "The One" (his first collaboration with Jason Statham) and "Kiss of the Dragon" with Bridget Fonda. One of the most memorable roles in Li's filmography came in Zhang Yimou's fantasy drama "Hero," where he played the royal assassin Nameless.

In 2001, Jet Li starred in "Kiss of the Dragon"

In 2003, the actor reunited with Joel Silver for the action film "Cradle 2 the Grave," starring alongside rapper DMX and martial arts master Mark Dacascos. In 2004, Li lent his name and likeness to the PlayStation 2 video game "Jet Li: Rise to Honor."

Jet Li has his own game on PlayStation 2

In 2005, Li took on a serious dramatic role in "Unleashed" (also known as "Danny the Dog"), portraying a man raised in brutal conditions. While the film showcased Jet's fighting skills, this project stood apart from his other work with its dramatic depth.

In 2006, Ronny Yu's drama "Fearless" was released with Jet in the lead, and at the end of 2007, Li returned home to star in the Chinese-Hong Kong film "The Warlords." The film emphasized dramatic performance over martial arts – and this work earned Jet the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor.

Jet won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor

In 2008, Li appeared on screen for the first time with martial arts veteran Jackie Chan in Rob Minkoff's adventure film "The Forbidden Kingdom." Soon after, Jet played the main villain in the fantasy action movie "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" with Maria Bello and Brendan Fraser.

Jet's return to the film industry after a year-long break came with the action film "The Expendables," which brought together stars like Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, and Mickey Rourke. In 2012-2014, Li reprised his role in the sequels "The Expendables 2" and "The Expendables 3."

Jet Li vs Dolph Lundgren in the movie The Expendables

Li was originally set to appear alongside Vin Diesel in the action adventure "xXx: Return of Xander Cage" (2017), but Jet was ultimately replaced by Donnie Yen.

In November 2017, the short film "Gong Shou Dao" (Guardians of Martial Arts) was released, featuring a story where the main character battles representatives of different martial arts. Besides Jet Li, the film starred Jack Ma, "Shaolin Temple" actor Wu Jing, and "Fearless" and "The Warlords" star Jackie Heung.

In 2020, Disney released a live-action version of their beloved classic "Mulan", with Jet Li playing the Emperor. The actor initially turned down the role, but his daughters – huge fans of the animated film – convinced him to accept. It was an unusual part for the martial arts master, featuring none of the action sequences he's known for.

Jet Li in Chinese emperor costume, still from the film Mulan — Jet Li in Mulan

The following years passed relatively quietly. In November 2023, Jet Li made his first public appearance in several years at a press conference in Taiwan, promoting his autobiography "Beyond Life and Death: Jet Li's Search for Jet Li." The 60-year-old actor greeted the audience with humor: "Rumors in China still say I'm dead. For ten years now," he joked.

This book marked his first literary work and explored his spiritual quest for life's meaning. In the autobiography, Li candidly described the extreme diets of the late 1980s, when preparing for films like "Dragon Fight", he spent six weeks straight eating only unsalted porridge, boiled chicken breast, and fish, running five kilometers daily and training with weights for four hours. The result? He looked great on screen but felt completely exhausted.

Jet Li's Personal Life

In 1987, Jet married Huang Qiuyan, a member of Beijing's wushu team. They had two daughters together, Si and Taimi. The couple separated in 1990.

Since 1999, the actor has been married to Nina Li Chi, a Shanghai-born actress from Hong Kong. Nina gave Jet two daughters – Jane (born 2000) and Jada (born 2003).

In September 2020, he revealed that he'd handed over control of his 2 billion yuan fortune to his beloved wife. And shared his feelings about Nina:

When I was young, I thought I loved one girl. But when I met Nina, I knew for certain: this is love. The kind of love I'd give up fame and fortune for, the kind I'd die for.

In 2004, Jet Li was in the Maldives when the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami hit. Though media reports actively circulated news that Li had died, the actor only suffered a minor leg injury.

In 2009, Jet Li renounced his American citizenship. That July, the actor became a citizen of Singapore. Jet chose this country for its quality education system, which his younger daughters needed.

In 2009, the martial arts master launched his own fitness program called "Wuji," which combines elements of wushu, yoga, and Pilates. Soon after, Adidas launched a clothing line for the program, decorated with the initials "JL."

Li practices Tibetan Buddhism. In his free time, Jet plays badminton and table tennis, rides his bike, reads, and meditates. Since 2006, Li has served as a "philanthropy ambassador" for the Red Cross Society of China. He donated 500,000 yuan ($62,500) from the box office proceeds of "Fearless" (2006). In spring 2007, Li launched his own nonprofit, the One Foundation, which supports international disaster relief efforts and suicide prevention initiatives.

Li has been a philanthropy ambassador since 2006

In 2011, Li teamed up with Chinese entrepreneur Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group (which includes the well-known sites AliExpress and Taobao), to establish the lifestyle company Taiji Zen. Its core mission: "health and happiness for all."

Jet Li Today

These days, Jet Li rarely appears in films. "Money isn't everything. Your health is your life," the master believes.

Jet Li wearing a cap and sunglasses dining at a restaurant — Jet Li in 2024

Fans got a pleasant surprise in 2023 when rumors of Li's return to the big screen were confirmed: he joined the cast of "Blades of the Guardians," an adaptation of the Chinese manhua "Biao Ren." Filming kicked off in Xinjiang and Beijing on July 26, 2024, and wrapped on November 27, with the film now in post-production.

For the 62-year-old Jet Li, this marks his first leading role in an action film since "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" back in 2011.

Barbara Lewis

Oh I liked very much how Jet Li played in Romeo Must Die, cool movie

2021-05-16 09:39:59
Jesus Palmer

Of course people started to take him in the movies because of his martial arts and it`s almost the only reason he was playing in movies but now I can call him an actor for sure.

2021-05-02 11:39:55
Wesley Stewart

I remember Li in The Shaolin Temple but there he was a little boy and they took him mostly because of his martial arts

2021-04-21 09:20:43
Kathryn White

Jet Li is a cool actor but it`s possible to mistake him with a Jackie Chan haha :) because he is fighting same good

2021-04-11 10:29:11
Jim Anderson

The fact that he was playing in The Expendables I know but other works of him I can`t remember.

2021-02-19 12:56:44

Photos: Jet Li