Joan Lin is a former Taiwanese actress and businesswoman. While she has an established career of her own, she is also famous for being the estranged wife of movie legend, Jackie Chan.
Many might think being the wife of Jackie Chan is a bed of roses, but it is the opposite. The energy Chan puts into his movies is reportedly not the same energy he showed during his marriage with Lin. Hence, Lin had a rocky marriage.
So, how did Joan Lin “manoeuvre” her with Jackie Chan, to the point of becoming his heir?
Joan Lin biography
Lin Feng-Jiao, also known as Joan Lin, is a renowned Taiwanese actress who rose to fame for her captivating performance in the romantic drama film, The Story of a Small Town.
Born in 1953 in Taipei, Taiwan, Lin was one of five siblings in a family which struggled with financial hardship. Her childhood was marked by difficult circumstances due to their dire monetary situation. At the age of 12, Lin was forced to leave school and work on a farm under challenging conditions.
As she grew into a woman, she became determined to pursue a career in acting. She landed her first acting gig at the age of 19. Her performance was lauded, which led to multiple film offers. Thanks to her dedication and hard work, Lin soon became a popular figure in Taiwan’s entertainment industry.
In the early 1980s, Lin met and married actor Jackie Chan, leading her to retire from acting and focus entirely on their family.
Joan Lin career
Born into a family plagued by poverty, Lin faced a tough life during her early years. However, the determined young girl refused to let her circumstances hold her back and began looking for acting opportunities as she blossomed into a stunning teenager.
She eventually made her cinematic debut in 1973 with the kung fu film, The Hero of Chiu Chow. It did not take her long to establish herself as a prominent actress in the industry, appearing in various films throughout the 1970s and portraying diverse roles.
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Her career reached its pinnacle in 1979 when she played the role of a mute young woman in The Story of a Small Town. Her emotionally-charged performance earned her critical acclaim and won the “Best Leading Actress” award at the 16th Golden Horse Awards.
That same year, she also starred in the film, Wang yang zhong de yi tiao chuan. By the late 1970s, Lin had become one of the most prominent Taiwanese actresses of the time.
She retired from acting in the early 1980s after getting married and wanting to spend more time with her family.
Joan Lin movies
The movies in which Lin has starred include:
- Chinese Dragon (1973)
- The Two Tigers (1973)
- Chinese Kung Fu (1973)
- Hero of Chiu Chow (1973)
- The Furious Monk from Shaolin (1974)
- The Guy!! The Guy!! (1974)
- First Come First Love (1974)
- Our Land Our People (1975)
- Pained Waves of Love (1976)
- Posterity and Perplexity (1976)
- The Valley of Butterfly (1976)
- Melody From Heaven (1977)
- Love Rings a Bell (1977)
- The Sang Sisters (1977)
- Flower Under Rains of Love (1977)
- It’s Dunset Again (1978)
- A Different Story (1978)
- He Never Gives Up (1979)
- Touch if Fairlady (1979)
- The Story of a Small Town (1980)
- Good Morning Taipei (1979)
- My Native Land (1980)
- The Battle for the Republic of China (1981)
- Devil Returns (1982)
- Wang yang zhong de yi tiao chuan (1985)
- Armour of God 3: Chinese Zodiac (2012)
Joan Lin’s net worth
According to online reports, Lin’s net worth is estimated to be $5 million. She lives a luxurious lifestyle not just because she is the wife of one of the richest Asian actors in the world, but because she is also a businesswoman, actress, and investor.
According to a report by Today: “It’s said that Fengjiao shops at the place twice a year, and each time, she spends NT$500,000 (S$24,000) on underwear and pays for it with a black card. This means she racks up a NT$1mil (S$49,000) bill there annually, which has unsurprisingly made her into the store’s VIP.”
This is just one of the many ways she flaunts her wealth in her charming way.
Joan Lin family
Lin’s determination and drive to succeed led her to become a successful Taiwanese actress and it was during this process she met the love of her life.
Today, Lin has a family with world entertainer Jackie Chan.
Chan Kong-sang, also known as Jackie Chan, is a world-renowned Hong Kong martial artist, actor, producer, film director, singer, and stuntman. Jackie Chan is a household name across all age groups due to his appearances in various films for all audiences.
One of Jackie Chan’s most notable features that sets him apart from other Hollywood actors is his acrobatic fighting style. He incorporates improvised weapons and innovative stunts into his performances, impressing audiences worldwide.
Additionally, Jackie Chan’s impeccable comic timing leaves fans eagerly anticipating his next project.
With over five decades of experience in the film industry, it is no surprise that Jackie Chan has appeared in more than 150 films.
He has become a brand and a force to be reckoned with in the acting world.
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Some of his most iconic films include Rush Hour, Police Story, Drunken Master, Supercop, Project A, Mr Nice Guy, Rumble in the Bronx, and The Forbidden Kingdom.
Lin and Jackie Chan have a son together named Jaycee Chan. Lin’s son, Jaycee, has followed in his parents’ footsteps in the entertainment industry, as he is an American singer and actor.
Joan Lin and Jackie Chan
Joan Lin and Jackie Chan are two names that are synonymous with the Hong Kong film industry. They have been a part of some of the most successful movies in the industry and have won the hearts of millions of fans around the world.
But beyond the big screen, there is a love story that has captured the hearts of many as to how these two met and have stood the test of time for over four decades.
Lin and Chan met in the 1980s and that was where their love story started. According to Chan’s autobiography, entitled: Never Grow Up, the actor revealed that he met Lin during an appointment with the editor of Cineart Magazine Annie Wong.
Lin’s husband revealed that he instantly liked her from their first meeting and he was able to know more about her through their mutual friend, Charlie Chin.
After that meeting, Chan had another meeting with the Taiwanese actress as he told her over the phone, “You told me you’d take me out to dinner if I was ever in town.”
Lin obliged and came to the dinner meeting with her little sister, while Chan came with his entire stunt team. From that moment Lin and China started seeing each other more often.
Irrespective of the language barrier present, “not once did she correct my pronunciation, grammar, or manners”, Jackie Chan wrote in his autobiography.
“She appreciated me as a person, not because I was a movie star,” he added.
One time during their dinner date, Lin asked Chan, who was not just an actor but a stuntman who had choreographed several action scenes, to assist her with an action scene that she had to shoot in her ongoing movie. The next day, the entire Jackie Chan stunt team turned up on Joan Lin’s set to give her some pointers.
Their relationship was, however, not always smooth sailing. In the early years, Jackie Chan was known for being a playboy and had a reputation for dating multiple women at the same time.
But Lin saw something in him that others did not. She saw his potential and his drive to succeed. With her support and encouragement, Chan began to focus on his career and started to become the successful actor known today.
In 1981, Lin became pregnant and they decided to keep the pregnancy private. To keep the news away from the media, Lin travelled to the United States of America, where she stayed.
During her pregnancy, Jackie Chan was busy filming on set. Hence, Lin was left alone in a foreign land with no one beside her.
In 1982, Lin and Jackie Chan took their relationship to the next level and got married in December of that year. The next day, their son Jaycee Joming Chan was born.
As a married couple, Jackie Chan was climbing up the success ladder in the movie industry and was making a lot of money, but he was tight-fisted when it came to giving Lin money.
In his autobiography, he wrote: “I never gave Joan access to my bank accounts and made sure that, if we were to divorce, she wouldn’t receive a dime.” But it is amazing how Lin still stayed with him despite all this.”
Their love story has not been without its challenges. In 1999, Chan was involved in a scandal as it was revealed that he had an affair with Elaine Ng Yi-lei, a former beauty queen and Hong Kong actress, which resulted in the birth of a daughter, Etta Ng.
Hearing the news of Chan’s extramarital affair, Lin was devastated by the news but chose to forgive her husband and work through their issues together. Seeing how he had disappointed his wife and son, Jackie Chan came to the realisation that instead of divorcing him, Lin stood by him.
The Taiwanese actress might be the wife of one of the richest and most popular Hong Kong actors but she has had to contend with his career for his attention and love.
Her patience and persistence over the years enabled her to overcome every obstacle on her path and today she and her husband are still standing strong.
They have been through thick and thin, and their relationship has stood the test of time.
Joan Lin age
Joan Lin was born on June 30, 1953. She is 69 years old and will be 70 years in 2023.
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