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Jackie Chan opens up about his father’s secret life as a spy, actor reveals his real name

Hollywood icon Jackie Chan recently revealed that he learned in his forties that his father had been a spy. In a candid interview, the 71-year-old spoke about uncovering his true surname and a documentary that delved into his family's long-hidden secrets.

June 02, 2025 / 21:01 IST
Jackie Chan admitted that he was "very shocked" by the news about his parents and that he was having trouble processing it all at the time.

Jackie Chan, a Hollywood star, recently disclosed that he didn't discover his father was a spy until he was in his forties. In an interview, the 71-year-old talked about this unexpected family secret, the revelation of his real last name, and a documentary that uncovered his family's secret history.

During the interview with People magazine, Jackie Chan showed a family photo and recalled a moment in his forties when his father, Charles, revealed the truth while they were in a car.

In the same conversation, he also revealed his real name and said, “My father was a very handsome guy, and my father was a spy. I got to know my father’s secret when I was 40 something... One day, I was driving my car and my father suddenly said, ‘Son, I'm old. I might sleep and never wake up’... I have a secret to tell you... You are not Chan. Your original name is Fang."

Jackie Chan admitted that he was "very shocked" by the news about his parents and that he was having trouble processing it all at the time. In 2003, he commissioned the documentary Traces of the Dragon: Jackie Chan and His Lost Family, which exposed his father's work as a spy during the Chinese Civil War and his mother's clandestine past as a gambler and opium smuggler.

In a different interview, Jackie Chan claimed that since he has been practicing for the past 64 years, he didn't need any training for his most recent movie, "Karate Kid: Legends."

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He said, "I don’t need to anymore. I’ve been training every day for 64 years. I’ve been fighting, fighting, fighting,” he told entertainment news outlet Variety. The 71-year-old actor admitted he isn’t the same as he was back then, but still continues to execute stunts on his own. "I’m not liked I used to be when I was 20, and could do a triple kick in the sky. Now, I do one kick."

Karate Kid: Legends hit Indian theatres on May 30, spotlighting Kung Fu prodigy Li Fong (played by Wang) as he navigates a new school, forms unlikely friendships, and faces off against a local karate champion in a gripping showdown.

Entertainment desk
first published: Jun 2, 2025 09:00 pm

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