Age: 63
male
Li Lianjie (李连杰, born April 26, 1963), better known by his stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese martial artist, actor, film producer, wushu champion, and international film star who was born in Beijing, China, and who has currently taken up Singapore citizenship. After three years of intensive training with Wu Bin, Li won his first national championship for the Beijing Wushu Team. After retiring from wushu at age 17, he went on to win great acclaim in China as an actor making his debut with the film Shaolin Temple (1982). He went on to star in many critically acclaimed martial arts epic films, most notably the Once Upon A Time In China series, in which he portrayed folk hero Wong Fei-hung. Li's first role in a Hollywood film was as a villain in Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), but his first Hollywood film leading role was in Romeo Must Die (2000). He has gone on to star in many Hollywood action films, most recently starring beside Jackie Chan in The Forbidden Kingdom (2008), and as the title character villain in The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor (2008) opposite Brendan Fraser. Recently, he appeared in the 2010 film The Expendables.
The book tells the story of a young, very rich Chinese man named Kin-Fo, who is very bored with life. When he learns that his significant investments in the United States have failed and that he is in danger of bankruptcy, he decides to commit suicide. However, he refuses to kill himself because he wants to experience some excitement at least once in his life before he dies. He therefore takes out life insurance for two hundred thousand dollars and arranges with his friend, the old philosopher Wang, to murder him before the insurance period expires. Suddenly, however, he receives word that the information about the bankruptcy of the American bank in which he had stored his funds was only a marketing ploy, and that in fact it is even richer than before. He immediately wants to contact Wang and cancel their agreement, but he has already disappeared. Kin-Fo must travel throughout China (accompanied by his loyal but somewhat incompetent servant and two bodyguards from the insurance company) to find Wang and cancel their deal. After a series of adventures, many times threatened with death by Wang's assassins, Kin-Fo is eventually captured and transported blindfolded to his own home to his surprise, where his friends, including Wang, are already waiting for him. He now learns that everything was staged by Wang to learn a lesson in how precious and beautiful life is.
