Jet Li, born Li Lianjie on April 26, 1963, in Beijing. The boy started school at the age of eight and was the oldest student in his class. Li was liked by his teachers, and not because he often helped lead physical education lessons—he was a model and exemplary student. After finishing each grade, Jet Li's parents sent him to a sports camp for the summer, where he began to seriously study wushu.

Jet Li entered the Asian film industry at the age of 18, thanks to his impressive achievements in sports. At wushu competitions, the athlete was noticed by directors and offered film roles, promising to make him the next Bruce Lee. Jet Li played his first major and notable role in director Cheng Hsin's film "Shaolin Temple" in 1982. The film was a huge success, and on that wave two more sequels were made—in 1983 "Shaolin Temple 2: Kids from Shaolin" and in 1986 "Shaolin Temple 3: North and South Shaolin." These three installments were considered the best films about Shaolin. After the Shaolin trilogy, the novice actor and famous athlete received the nickname "Jet," which means "jet-propelled."

After the release of the trilogy, the actor took the pseudonym Jet Li, becoming a legend of China. During the filming of "Shaolin Martial Arts," Li had some acting disagreements with the director, after which Jet Li decided to take up filmmaking himself and play leading roles. However, his first and last film "Born to Defend," about the adventures of a young soldier during World War II, flopped loudly at the box office and for a long time discouraged the actor from pursuing something that was not his calling. To add to all the setbacks, there was also a back injury the actor sustained while performing a difficult stunt. For the next two years, Jet Li tried to obtain U.S. citizenship, but the idea of moving to the West also failed.

In 1998, having already gained great popularity in Asia, Europe, and America, Jet Li once again accepted an invitation from Hollywood. Jet Li filmed with legendary director Richard Donner in the role of the villainous Chinese uncle Sing Ku in the blockbuster "Lethal Weapon 4." It was then that the actor first appeared on screen as a negative character. It was both a stunning acting performance and a film that was gripping by every cinematic measure.