Jackie Chan's Greatest Hits

Jackie Chan, the international martial arts mega-superstar, has appeared in over 150 films. He’s famous for his innovative stunt-work, which in the pre-CGI-era, was both jaw-dropping and extremely dangerous, and his epic catalog of mishaps includes breaking almost every kind of bone in his body.

Here are a few of Chan’s major injuries:

Had a tooth kicked out by actor Hwang Jang Lee during a fight in Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow.
Had his nose broken his nose at least three times–on The Young Master, Project A, and, Mr. Nice Guy.
In Crime Story his legs were crushed between two cars.
In Drunken Master II, Chan suffered an injury to the bone above his eye, an accident that nearly blinded him.
In Police Story, he slid four stories down a metal pole then smashed through a wide pane of glass, earning him second-degree burns, a back injury (he nearly broke the seventh and eighth spinal vertebrae), and a dislocated pelvis.
While making Armour of God, he dropped from a tree and received a life-threatening skull-fracture that almost killed him, and required him to have emergency brain surgery.
For Armour of God II (also called Operation Condor), he dislocated his breastbone, a wire pierced his leg, and he received numerous wounds during a single scene in which he was kicked in chest 43 times.

Jackie Chan breaks himself for art in Police Story

And while it’s well-known that he’s a more resilient than a steel safe filled with Silly Putty, were you aware that he’s also a trained vocalist who has released several albums? He’s the perfect blend of tough and sensitive.

Next time you’re watching one of his films, know that he risks life and limb for your entertainment. His reputation as a guy who sweats to get it all on film is a deserved one, and his trophy shelf is creaking under the weight of all the awards he’s won.

But what really matters is that he’s a world-class humanitarian: Chan has fought against animal abuse, and is a huge supporter of Save China’s Tigers, an organization that seeks to preserve populations of the endangered South China tiger. He has promoted regularly been involved with disaster relief, and gave RMB ¥10 million to needy victims of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. And after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami disaster that hit Japan, Chan and joined other celebrities in a charity concert to raise more than $3 million.

Now that’s truly kicking ass.