Jet Li
Another Chinese film legend who eventually received a role in American cinema was Jet Li. Li was given the chance to play the unstoppable villain in Lethal Weapon 4 opposite Mel Gibson and Danny Glover after years of acting in movies in his native China. After astonishing viewers in the blockbuster, Jet Li went on to have instantaneous success in a number of American martial arts movies, where he played both the hero and the bad guy. He has a strong background in martial arts, is a master of several types of wushu, and won numerous gold medals in Chinese national contests before the age of majority.
Jet Li
Bruce Lee
The legend of Bruce Lee goes far beyond the movie screen, but thanks to the medium, the world was able to know the martial arts master. For those who absolutely love the sub-genre of martial arts flicks, you can offer your continuous gratitude to Bruce Lee. No doubt martial arts films would have been made, but would they have been popular or profitable without the founder of Jeet Kune Do? Bruce Lee studied Wing Chun under the legendary Yip Man. Unlike many on this list, Bruce didn’t start training as a toddler or child, rather as an adolescent who was getting his butt kicked by rival gangs.
Bruce Lee
