The extreme movie stunt that almost killed Jackie Chan
Having initially built his career as a stuntman and filmmaker in Hong Kong, Jackie Chan has evolved into a globally cherished movie star. His collaborations in Western cinema with notable figures such as Steve Coogan, Owen Wilson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and John Cleese have contributed to his international success. However, Chan remains widely recognised on a global scale for his early action movies, distinguishing him as one of the few film stars with a truly international impact.
Motivated by the remarkable global triumph of Bruce Lee, Chan entered the entertainment industry, initially securing minor roles alongside the martial artist and actor in the 1972 film Fist of Fury and the 1973 classic Enter the Dragon. Gradually, Chan’s popularity soared, and he achieved significant success with the release of Drunken Master in 1978. This film marked the beginning of one of the star’s most celebrated franchises.
However, Chan’s career-long insistence on performing his own stunts backfired during the making of the 1985 action film Police Story. In fact, the injuries he sustained from one scene in particular very nearly killed the movie star. Chan has previously experienced numerous fractures in his hands, back, nose, and neck, but these incidents appear almost trivial when compared to this harrowing injury.
In the film, Chan assumed the role of a Hong Kong police inspector. During the film’s climax, Chan pursues the villains through a shopping mall. In a daring move, he throws himself off a balcony, aiming to land on a pole decorated with Christmas lightbulbs. The intention was to create a visually stunning effect as Chan slid down the pole, shattering the lights.
The risky stunt also involved Chan dropping onto a glass roof, all without the aid of safety wires or padding. Complicating matters, Chan had no opportunity to rehearse the stunt due to tight filming schedules at the mall location. Unfortunately, the pole reached an exceedingly high temperature due to the lights, and as Chan descended the pole, he suffered second-degree burns on his hands.
Additionally, he broke a finger, sustained severe cuts to his forearm, experienced electric shock, injured his pelvic bone, and suffered injuries to two vertebrae. Fortunately, Chan persevered through the pain, possibly fueled by adrenaline: he safely reached the bottom and even managed to film scenes for Heart of Dragon that same day.
This one infamous stunt wasn’t the only impressive spectacle in Police Story, either — there’s also a notable incident in which Chan is seen pursuing a number of skiers down a mountain. Chasing them on a snowboard, as Chan approaches a cliff edge, a helicopter rises out of nowhere, with the actor leaping and clutching hold of its landing gear. Leaping from the vehicle afterwards, Chan lands into the ice-cold water and somehow ends up escaping the feud unharmed.
