Early Crossings: From Hong Kong to the World Jackie Chan began his film career in Hong Kong, trained in the Peking Opera School, and appeared in dozens of local films in the 1960s and ’70s. His early work was raw and relentless: fight-heavy pieces where he learned the ropes of physical comedy, stunt choreography, and timing. By the late 1970s and early 1980s, Jackie had crystallized a persona that married slapstick and danger: he could be both clown and daredevil, falling from scaffolding one scene and crafting a hilarious facial expression in the next.