#SHOWBIZ: Jackie Chan recalls moment his father revealed spy past

New Straits Times

2 days ago

HONG KONG: Jackie Chan, 71, recently recounted the surprising discovery he made about his father, Charles.
In an interview with People magazine, Chan revealed that his father had once confessed to being a spy for China's then-Kuomintang government in the 1940s.
Chan recalled: "I was in my forties then, and my father stunned me into silence with this shocking revelation. He said, 'Son, I'm old. I might sleep and never wake up,' before telling me that he was a spy. At first, I was unable to accept this, but five hours later I was ready."
This revelation prompted Chan to commission the 2003 documentary, Traces Of The Dragon: Jackie Chan And His Lost Family.
The film explored his father's work as a government spy during the Chinese Civil War in the 1940s.
It also uncovered his mother, Lee-Lee's, secret past as an opium smuggler and gambler.
Charles passed away in 2008 at the age of 93, and Lee-Lee died in 2002 at the age of 86.
"As a child, my father sent me to a martial arts school as I was very naughty," Chan explained.
"But this move turned out to be the catalyst for a long and fruitful career."
Chan is currently starring alongside Ralph Macchio in Karate Kid: Legends, part of the long-running Karate Kid film franchise.