Jet Li: A Biography »

Jet Li is part of a crew of new Asian stars taking Hollywood by storm. Along with Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Jackie Chan, and Maggie Cheung, Jet Li has kicked and punched his way out of the cult-film underground and into mainstream superstardom. With his performance in The One, Li becomes the first to prove his power as the top-billed draw. Jet Li, the first book published in English about the thirty-eight year-old “Gene Kelly of the action film,” follows him from his days in Hong Kong as an extraordinarily successful actor in classics like Once Upon a Time in China and his overlooked work as a director and producer. Special attention is given to his Hollywood debut alongside Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon 4; his recent star turns in the gangland fable Romeo Must Die and the sci-fi blockbuster The One. Jet Li looks at the actor’s fiercely protected private life and explains the broad appeal of Hollywood’s new Bruce Lee to fans of all ages—from Hong Kong chop-socky cultists to Blockbuster families, to the new Hollywood that has eagerly embraced him. A complete filmography of Jet Li's screen work in Hollywood and Asia as well as 30 never before published color and black-and-white photographs are included.

Publishers Weekly

Once a fledgling Hong Kong actor and now a martial arts Hollywood superstar, Jet Li has been called the new Bruce Lee. Parish (Gus Van Sant) delves into the 39-year-old's life and career in this biography, analyzing his films from the little-known The Shaolin Temple to blockbusters like Lethal Weapon 4 and Romeo Must Die. Li was born in Beijing with the birth name Li Lian-jie. He began studying wushu (martial arts) at age eight and still adheres closely to traditional Chinese customs, which dictate complete respect for the martial arts school and its master. The book includes dozens of color and b&w photos. (Aug.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.