Jackie Chan, the iconic action star known for his breathtaking martial arts stunts and global box office success, has opened up about a deeply personal revelation—his father was a spy, and “Chan” is not his original surname.

In an interview with the People magazine, the 71-year-old actor reflected on the moment he first learned the truth about his father, Charles.

Holding up an old family photograph during the interview, Chan said, “That’s my father and my mom. I cannot remember how old I am at the time.”

The truth came out when he was in his forties. “My father was a very handsome guy, and my father was a spy. I got to know my father’s secret when I was 40 something... One day, I was driving my car and my father suddenly said, ‘Son, I'm old. I might sleep and never wake up’... I have a secret to tell you... You are not Chan. Your original name is Fang,” he recalled.

According to Chan, he was initially too stunned to respond. “I was very shocked,” he admitted, saying he needed several hours before he could fully process the revelation. “Then, later on, five hours later, I said, okay. Now I'm ready.”

The actor had previously explored his family's hidden history in the 2003 documentary Traces of the Dragon: Jackie Chan and His Lost Family. The film detailed how Charles worked as a government agent during the Chinese Civil War in the 1940s. It also revealed that Chan’s mother, Lee-lee, once lived a secret life as an opium smuggler and gambler.

His childhood, too, was far from conventional. Recalling his early years, Chan told People, “[As a child, I was] very naughty. Very naughty, I never go to school. All the books in my backpack? I always throw them away,” he said with a laugh. Unable to manage his unruly behaviour, his parents enrolled him in a martial arts academy. It was there that he would pick up the skills that laid the foundation for his future success.

Charles Chan passed away in 2008 at the age of 93, while Lee-lee died in 2002 at 86.

Chan began his entertainment career as a stuntman in his teens before moving up to stunt coordinator and actor across Asia. His breakthrough in Hollywood came in 1995 with ‘Rumble in the Bronx,’ but it was 1998’s ‘Rush Hour,’ where he starred alongside Chris Tucker, that made him a household name globally.

Most recently, he returned to the screen in ‘Karate Kid: Legends,’ directed by Jonathan Entwistle. The film sees Chan reprise his role as Mr. Han, mentoring a new martial arts prodigy alongside Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso.