Born in Beijing, Li began studying the art of Wushu (the general Chinese term for martial arts) and was enrolled in the Beijing Amateur Sports School at the age of 8. After three years of extensive training, Li won his first national championship for the Beijing Wushu Team. As part of a world tour in 1974, he had the honor of performing a two-man fight for President Nixon on the White House lawn. For the next five years, he remained the All-Around National Wushu Champion of China.

Shortly after retiring from the sport at the age of 17, he was offered many starring roles and subsequently began on his film career with director Chang Hsin Yen for Shaolin Temple. Upon its release, Li was propelled into instant movie stardom and the film was an enormous success that spawned two sequels. This led to Li completing 25 successful Asian films before coming to America.

Since his first English language film appearance as the villain in Lethal Weapon 4 opposite Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Rene Russo and Chris Rock, Li went on to star in the highly acclaimed Romeo Must Die, a film that blended hip-hop with martial arts and also marked Aaliyah Haughton's first starring role in a film.

During production on Romeo Must Die Li announced his upcoming marriage to his long-time girlfriend, Nina Li. The couple married in September of 1999. After Romeo Must Die, Li went on to star in Kiss of the Dragon opposite Bridget Fonda and Tcheky Karyo, and The One directed by James Wong and co-starring Delroy Lindo and Jason Statham.

Following completion of The One, Li returned to his film roots in China to work with renowned director Zhang Yi Mou on Hero, a film which has gone on to achieve significant critical acclaim and international distinction.

After Hero Li continued with projects such as Cradle 2 the Grave with DMX and Danny the Dog co-starring Morgan Freeman and Bob Hoskins. In 2005 Li began work on what he deemed to be the culmination of his life-long experience with martial arts. Fearless, helmed by Ronny Yu, is Jet Li's last wushu film and has received considerable box office and critical success both in Asia and around the world, incluing a "Best Actor" award from the Hong Kong Film Critics Association.

Since the release of Fearless, Li returned to the West to work on Rogue with Jason Statham, which is scheduled for a spring 2007 release. Li is currently working on the Chinese language film Ci Ma with Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro.

Filmography

• The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)
• The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)
• The Warlords (2007)
• War (2007)
• Huo Yuan Jia (2006)
• Danny the Dog (2005)
• Rise to Honor (2003)
• Cradle 2 the Grave (2003)
• Ying xiong (2002)
• The One (2001)
• Kiss of the Dragon (2001)
• Romeo Must Die (2000)
• Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)
• Sat sau ji wong (1998)
• Wong Fei-hung chi saiwik hung si (1997)
• Hak hap (1996)
• Mo him wong (1996)
• Gei ba ba de xin (1995)
• Shu dan long wei (1995)
• Jing wu ying xiong (1994)
• Hong Xiguan zhi Shaolin wu zu (1994)
• Zhong Nan Hai bao biao (1994)
• Tai ji zhang san feng (1993)
• Fong Sai Yuk (1993)
• Fong Sai Yuk juk jaap (1993)
• Wong Fei-hung chi tit gai dau neung gung (1993)
• Wong Fei Hung ji saam: Si wong jaang ba (1993)
• Yi tian tu long ji zhi mo jiao jiao zhu (1993)
• Xiao ao jiang hu zhi Dong Fang Bu Bai (1992)
• Wong Fei Hung ji yi: Naam yi dong ji keung (1992)
• Wong Fei Hung (1991)
• Long xing tian xia (1989)
• Long zai tian ya (1989)
• Shao Lin Hai Deng da shi (1988)
• Nan bei Shao Lin (1986)
• Zhong hua ying xiong (1986)
• Zhong hua wu shu (1984)
• Shao Lin xiao zi (1983)
• Shao Lin tzu (1982)

Awards

• Special Golden Horse Award for a Mainlander 1995