Jet Li

Among a group of Asian actors who have moved from cult cinema into Hollywood's mainstream are Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Jackie Chan, and Maggie Cheung, and this book focuses on Jet Li within that circle. It traces his rise from Hong Kong, where he became a hugely successful screen actor in films such as Once Upon a Time in China, to his less-noticed work behind the camera as a director and producer.

The book gives particular attention to Li's English-language breakthrough, including his debut opposite Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon 4 and his lead roles in the gangland drama Romeo Must Die and the science fiction film The One. With The One, he became the first to demonstrate that he could draw audiences as the top-billed star. It also looks at the private life Li keeps closely guarded and at why his action films appeal to viewers of all ages, from devoted Hong Kong genre fans to mainstream family audiences.

Described as the first book published in English about Li, who was thirty-eight at the time, it includes a complete filmography of his work in Hollywood and Asia, along with 30 photographs, in color and black and white, that had never been published before.