Summary
Jackie Chan and Jet Li have had multiple turns at playingWong Fei-hungin their kung fu movies. For the most part, the paths of the two kung fu legends have only converged once on the big screen, which was the timeJackie Chan and Jet Li starred together inThe Forbidden Kingdom. However, their history with real-life kung fu master Wong Fei-hung marks gives them another connection.
Along with Bruce Lee, the two are widely regarded as the biggest stars in the history ofkung fu movies. Chan and Li have all led separate, thriving careers as leading actors, each playing a long list of characters over the decades. Due to the number of projects both have all been involved in, it may not necessarily come as a surprise that there’s been some overlap with their roles. What is out of the ordinary, though, is the fact that there’s one character that both actors have played - not once, but twice.
Jackie Chan & Jet Li Played Wong Fei-hung A Combined 6 Times
Combined, the two stars have had a total of six opportunities to bring Wong Fei-hung to life. Of the two, the first to play the martial artist was Chan, who portrayed him in Yuen Woo-ping’sDrunken Master, the 1978 movie that helped launch the actor to stardom to Hong Kong. More than a decade later, Jet Li was cast as Wong inOnce Upon a Timein China, which offered a completely different, less comedic take on the martial artist’s life, so much thatit’s easy to forget thatDrunken Master’shero andOnce Upon a Time’sprotagonist are the same person.
Once Upon a Time in China’ssuccess led to it quickly becoming a franchise, one that called for Li to reprise the role in two direct sequels, plus a spinoff titledLast Hero in China. His last stint as the character came with 1993’sOnce Upon a Timein China III, which didn’t end theOnce Upon a Time in Chinaseriesbut did create a break in Li’s time as the character, who was recast with Vincent Zhao. During this time,Drunken Master IIbrought back Chan to play his version of Wong 16 years later. Three years later, Li also returned to the Wong role, playing him one final time inOnce Upon a Time in China and America.
1978
1991
1992
1993
1994
Once Upon a Time in China and America
1997
Who Wong Fei-hung Was In Real Life
As for the real Wong Fei-hung, historical records provide a great deal of information about his life, thoughmuch of what’s said about him is built on folklore and lacks in concrete proof. Born in 1847, Wong lived in China during the Qing dynasty and learned Hung Gar martial arts from his father (as depicted in both aforementioned movie franchises.) He also trained under several other famed martial artists as well, which helped him master all sorts of kung fu tecniques and styles, the most famous of which being the Shadowless Kick.
In addition to his expertise in kung fu, Wong was also proficient in medicine. Using these skills,Wong spent much of his time working as a physician. This contributed greatly to the respect and goodwill he achieved in the era. He also taught what he had learned as a martial artist in schools he had opened, spreading his knowledge and increasing his fame further. The positive impression he left on people seemingly impacted Chinese legends, which often characterize him as a hero who defended others from oppressive forces like the Imperial Japanese Army.
Why Wong Fei-hung Is The Main Character In So Many Kung Fu Movies
As Jackie Chan and Jet Li’s repeated appearances as the character proves, Wong Fei-hung is a popular choice among filmmakers when it comes to choosing a protagonist for a kung fu film. This is largely due to his prominence in Chinese folklore. He’s easily one of the most well-known martial artists in real life, whose exploits in the 19th century were fodder for martial arts movies likeOnce Upon a Time in ChinaandChan’sDrunken Mastermovies, even if they were both fictional accounts of his journey.
There are a lot of holes in Wong Fei-hung’s recorded history, especially since he was a civilian and not a military or political official.But that aspect of his life hasn’t exactly been a deterrent for filmmakers when it comes to telling Wong Fei-hung’s story; rather, it’s opened the door for movies to offer their own interpretations of Wong’s adventures, likehowDrunken Mastercentered on drunken fist kung fu, which Wong supposedly practiced. Because of this detail, not every Wong Fei-hung film has to feel like a remake of the same movie. As the differences betweenDrunken MasterandOnce Upon a Time in Chinashow, they can go in wildly different directions.
Other Famous Actors Who Have Played Wong Fei-hung
True to Wong Fei-hung’s legendary status in China, his importance to kung fu cinema extends well beyond Jackie Chan and Jet Li. They’re the biggest names to play him, but not the only ones, nor were they first. That distinction goes to Kwan Tak-hing, who played Wong in dozens of lesser-known Hong Kong movies, beginning in the 1940s.
Wong Fei-hung began to become a bit more mainstream in 1973 when Shaw Brothers, the top studio in the martial arts film industry, started incorporating him into their1970s kung fu movies. An early instance of this was 1973’sThe Master of Kung Fu, which put Ku Feng in the role of Wong. Three years later,Gordon Liu starred as Wong inChallenge of the Masters,two years before Chanplayed him inDrunken Master. Similar to how Li and Chan didn’t stop with just one Wong Fei-hung movie; Liu played the character again in 1981’sMartial Club, another Shaw Brothers film.
One of Shaw Brothers' biggest stars in the 1970s and 1980s, Gordon Liu is known for several martial arts classics, includingThe 36th Chamber of Shaolin.
Sammo Hung, another icon in Hong Kong martial arts movies had a noteworthy cameo asWong Fei-hungin Jackie Chan’sAround the World in 80 Days.His role in the film had a special meaning: by including him,Around the World in 80 Dayswas able to reunite Chan with a frequent collaborator and co-star. What’s more, it allowed Chan to interact with a character he himself had played twice in his career, not to mention the role that helped make him famous in the first place.
Drunken Master
Cast
Drunken Master is a martial arts film featuring Jackie Chan as a mischievous young man who is sent to train under a rigorously unorthodox old beggar. Released in 1978, it follows his journey to mastering the Drunken Fist fighting style amidst comedic and action-packed encounters.
