Today, He is Famous Worldwide! 54 Years Ago, This Action Movie Star Took His First Steps in Cinema. Did You Recognize Him?

Before becoming a true icon of martial arts cinema, this legendary actor made his debut in a classic film led by Bruce Lee!

Before becoming one of the biggest action stars in the world, Jackie Chan started his career at a very young age as a stuntman. This is how he managed to gain recognition and climb the ranks of Hong Kong cinema.

A First Role with Bruce Lee

However, it was in The Fury of the Dragon, featuring Bruce Lee, that Jackie Chan made his first real appearance in cinema. It was 1972, and the actor was just 17 years old! He was part of the Jing Wu school and fought against a blue-clad opponent (around 30 minutes into the film).

Golden Harvest

He also appears at the end of the feature film. Indeed, Jackie Chan served as a stunt double for the character Hiroshi Suzuki (Riki Hashimoto). During the famous kick by Bruce Lee that sends the villain flying across the room, it is Jackie who performs the stunt.

In the brief sequence where he trains against the woman in blue, he is easily recognizable, but you mustn't blink. Fans of Jackie Chan will recognize his unique way of moving, his elegance, and his lightning-fast dexterity, which would make him one of the most adored action stars in the world.

But before that, Jackie collaborated again with the maestro Bruce Lee in Operation Dragon (1973), before taking flight and becoming the headliner of his own martial arts films.

An Iconic Work

For the record, The Fury of the Dragon takes us to Shanghai in the early 20th century. Chen Zhen (Bruce Lee) returns to his martial arts school to attend the funeral of his beloved master, Huo Yuanjia. Refusing to believe in a natural death, he conducts his own investigation and discovers that his master was poisoned.

As tensions between Chinese and Japanese escalate, Chen confronts a rival Japanese school that multiplies provocations and humiliations. Determined to restore the honor of his master and his country, he faces his enemies alone in an increasingly violent spiral of vengeance.

His research leads him to uncover a plot involving traitors and Japanese officials. But as he gets closer to the truth, Chen himself becomes a hunted man.

Driven by Bruce Lee's charisma and intensity, The Fury of the Dragon blends revenge film, patriotic drama, and spectacular martial arts demonstration. It's no wonder Jackie Chan is part of this major work of the seventh art, which has since become a classic of the genre.

Fun fact: The actor would star in his own version of Bruce Lee's film: The New Fury of the Dragon, in 1976. The plot is more or less the same, but Jackie takes on the lead role this time as Ah Lung.

The Chong Wu martial arts school is threatened by the Japanese, who are determined to take control of Chinese establishments. The disappearance of Chen Chu only worsens the situation.

Soon, the school is ransacked, and several of its students are massacred. Among the survivors, a few disciples refuse to succumb to fear and organize to resist, hoping to rebuild their school and preserve their master's legacy.