The Expendables The Movie in East Ridge, TN
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Genre: Action, Adventure
Synopsis:
A mercenary (Sylvester Stallone) and his men learn that their assignment to overthrow a South American dictator is a suicide mission.
Release Date: -0/13/2010
Running Time: 103
Rating: R - Restricted
http://expendablesthemovie.com/
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Cast:
Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren, Giselle Itie, Eric Roberts, David Zayas, Steve Austin, Mickey Rourke, Charisma Carpenter, Gary Daniels, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger
Crew:
Director - Sylvester Stallone, Screenwriter - Sylvester Stallone, Screenwriter - David Callaham, Producer - Avi Lerner, Producer - John Thompson, Producer - Kevin Templeton, Executive Producer - Danny Dimbort, Executive Producer - Trevor Short, Executive Producer - Boaz Davidson, Executive Producer - Les Weldon, Executive Producer - Jon Feltheimer, Executive Producer - Jason Constantine, Executive Producer - Eda Kowan, Executive Producer - Basil Iwanyk, Executive Producer - Guymon Casady, Cinematographer - Jeffrey Kimball, Production Design - Franco-Giacomo Carbone, Film Editor - Ken Blackwell, Film Editor - Paul Harb, Costume Designer - Lizz Wolf, Casting - Deborah Aquila, Casting - Tricia Wood, Original Music - Brian Tyler, Set Decoration - Bob Gould, Supervising Art Direction - Drew Boughton, Supervising Art Direction - Scott Plauche, Art Director - Andy Rhodes
Production Companies:
Nu Image, Millennium Films Inc.
Distributors:
Lions Gate Films
Notes:
- Notes provided by Lionsgate Films - The only life they've known is war. The only loyalty they have is to each other. They are the Expendables: leader and mastermind Barney Ross (Stallone), former SAS blade expert Lee Christmas (Statham), hand-to-hand combat specialist Yin Yang (Li), long barrel weapons specialist Hale Caesar (Crews), demolitions expert Toll Road (Couture), and precision sniper Gunner Jensen (Lundgren). Living life in the fringes of the law, these hardened mercenaries take on what appears to be a routine assignment: a covert, CIA-funded operation to infiltrate the South American country of Vilena and overthrow its ruthless dictator General Garza (David Zayas). But when their job is revealed to be a suicide mission, the men are faced with a deadly choice, one that might redeem their souls...or destroy their brotherhood forever. Co-writer, director and star Sylvester Stallone brings together a powerhouse cast of action superstars - never before seen together in one film - in Lionsgate's hard-hitting action thriller, THE EXPENDABLES. The film stars Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, and Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, David Zayas with Terry Crews and Mickey Rourke. THE EXPENDABLES directed by Sylvester Stallone from a story by David Callaham and screenplay by David Callaham and Sylvester Stallone, and is produced by Avi Lerner, John Thompson and Kevin King Templeton. Lionsgate and Millennium Films present a Nu Image production. ABOUT THE PRODUCTION While some stars might rest comfortably on their laurels after having created not one, but two, global cultural icons - Rocky and Rambo - writer, director and star Sylvester Stallone continues to push the envelope. With the ensemble action epic, THE EXPENDABLES, Stallone has amassed a cast that would make even the most jaded action fan blush, pairing global martial arts superstar Jet Li with internationally known action stalwart Jason Statham, mining the worlds of Mixed Martial Arts and professional wrestling with Randy Couture and Steve Austin, and then doubling the muscle quotient with the addition of Terry Crews and iconic tough guys Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke and Eric Roberts. Under Stallone's detailed direction, THE EXPENDABLES explodes into a gritty, adrenaline-fueled odyssey, harkening back to a time when every punch was real and brute strength and sweat were supplied by the actors themselves, not prosthetics or stuntmen. When it comes to action, these guys will show you how it's done. ``This movie was shot with brains and brawn, not modern technology, says Stallone. ``This is all about real fighting. Mano a mano. Keeping things as real as possible, instead of falling back on CGI. It's the kind of filmmaking I grew up on, and that's the way I direct. Says producer Kevin King Templeton, ``This is a cast of real action guys, guys that look like they're capable of doing what real mercenaries do. No CGI, no green screen, no muscle suits. These are real action guys with weight. Adds producer Avi Lerner, ``There's no other way to say it. This is a big movie. It's got a testosterone-fueled lineup, big, big sequences, tough action, all starring a lot of actors doing what they do best. When you see explosions, they are real explosions. When you see a Stallone set that gets decimated, it's really decimated. The actors are really there in it. From the beginning, Stallone was inspired by classic action films like THE DIRTY DOZEN, THE WILD BUNCH and DOGS OF WAR - movies defined by hard-hitting action, tough yet sympathetic characters and resonant, populist themes. ``I wanted to tell a story about men who are out of sync with the world but who live their lives by a certain code, he says. ``They don't have families, their personal lives are a train wreck - all they have is each other. Stallone was keenly aware that as a writer and director he was entering uncharted territory with THE EXPENDABLES. Unlike his projects in the RAMBO and ROCKY series, he had to build the mythology of the Expendables team from the ground up. He was also writing for an all-star ensemble cast, taking on the physically and emotionally challenging lead role of Barney Ross, and directing the entire film himself. Producer Avi Lerner views the making of THE EXPENDABLES as yet another formidable challenge for Stallone in a career defined by them. ``Sly is a risk-taker and he always has been, says Lerner. ``The first ROCKY was a risk for him. So was the first RAMBO. And now, to create a new character, to get into the physical condition he's in, to direct and handle this amazing cast and difficult locations - that amounts to a huge risk. His career is full of taking risks and that's what makes him such an icon. He's not afraid. As he developed the story, Stallone found that the heart of the film centered on the theme of redemption. ``These guys are definitely anti-heroes, he explains. ``At one time they had a code that they'd only go after people who deserved it. They killed killers. But then it became all about the money and they lost their way. With Rocky or even Rambo, there was a line they wouldn't cross. Barney and his crew have crossed that line somehow, and they need to get back on the right side of it. By the time Stallone had a shooting script he was happy with, he had written over 100 drafts, completely reworked the direction of the film and either cut or drastically reworked major characters. Says producer Kevin King Templeton, ``For Sly, it's not just blowing something up. The script has to have heart and story. If it doesn't have heart, he doesn't want to be involved in it. Stallone's depth as a writer and director is the primary reason Jet Li, the globally known martial arts superstar, immediately agreed to play the part of Expendable Yin Yang, a role that Stallone wrote with Li in mind. ``I respect him a lot, says Li. ``He's not just a great action man, he's also a great writer. And I think his movies always show you great characters. A close-quarter, stealthy combatant who can attack his opponents virtually undetected, Yin Yang is a Vietnamese-American hoping to live his own version of the American dream; and Li imbues him with a quiet intensity. ``My character is very straight forward, very simple, explains the actor. ``He's single. He doesn't have a family. But in his mind he's always dreaming about the future. He constantly thinks about making money so that he can get married and have kids and save for their education, even though none of it's happened yet. For the role of Lee Christmas, Stallone also had a particular actor in mind: Jason Statham, an international action star in his own right known for films like the TRANSPORTER series, CRANK and THE BANK JOB. ``It's very difficult to execute action in a believable, tough way, and Sly does it better than anyone, says Statham. ``I really loved the concept of a bunch of regular guys with all these insecurities and problems of their own who are put in a situation where they need to focus and kick ass, as they say. As played by Statham, Lee Christmas is a knife-wielding killing machine who wears his heart on his sleeve and struggles as his relationship with his girlfriend Lacey, played by Charisma Carpenter, disintegrates. Explains Statham, ``Lee Christmas is a chap who's very skilled with a knife but not so good with his relationship. He gets dumped and looks to Barney for advice, which becomes a situation that allows for a fair amount of humor between the two chaps. Stallone admits that casting someone considerably younger and of a different nationality in the ``buddy role was a bit of a gamble. ``You never know if the chemistry is going to work, he says. ``But privately, I learned about a side to Jason that had not yet been tapped on film. Like anyone, he's had some ups and downs and some hurts, and I wanted to bring some of that experience to the character. We see that underneath this impenetrable armor, Lee gets hurt. For Dolph Lundgren, winning the role of Gunner Jensen was a homecoming of sorts. Twenty-five years ago, he ignited the screen as Russian fighter Ivan Drago in ROCKY IV, only to find himself once again going toe-to-toe with Stallone. ``Stallone created my career with the Ivan Drago character, muses Lundgren. ``Now here I am, a little bit older and once again Sly has created a multi-faceted character for me who is larger than life and kind of iconic. A formidable fighter who cannot control his impulses, Jensen exemplifies the toll that the Expendables' violent, wayward lifestyle can take on a man. He's become an emotionally unstable liability, undone by too much combat stress, adrenaline addiction and drug use. ``When we first meet him, he's really out on a limb. He's gone too far, and Barney has to cut him out of the group, explains Lundgren, who found the darker aspects of the character the least challenging to play. ``I don't mind killing people or crying, he laughs, ``but at four in the morning when I'm burned out emotionally, don't ask me to be funny. When casting the role of Toll Road, the brawny intellect of the group, Stallone had trouble finding an actor who could convincingly exhibit sheer brute force. ``I was looking for a mercenary, for a real man, for a guy who can fight, he says. ``Then I realized, 'Why not actually cast the real deal?' Stallone turned to Mixed Martial Arts superstar Randy Couture. ``Randy provided a face and a look that is a roadmap to confrontation, battle, discipline, pain, says Stallone. ``Masculine with a glimpse of sensitivity in the eyes. ``Toll Road is kind of the glue that holds all these dysfunctional guys together, says Couture. ``He's the guy who gets the coffee or the sandwiches and keeps everyone in sync. The least experienced actor in the cast, Couture's skills were put to the test when Stallone wrote a monologue for him about his 'cauliflower ear,' caused by over 20 years of professional wrestling. ``The monologue was in some ways easy for me because I was telling the truth, says Couture. ``Every wrestler I know will be laughing when they see that scene. Terry Crews, best known for his comedic roles in television shows like ``Everybody Hates Chris, remembers the day he got the call from Stallone for a meeting. ``I was floored because I'm the biggest Sylvester Stallone fan of all time, says Crews. ``I love ROCKY. And I love the story of how he made Rocky just as much. I've always looked at him as an example of independent filmmaking. He's the litmus test of whether you're really, really willing to put everything on the line. I was honored. ``Terry is an untapped wealth of talent, muscle and sensitivity, reports Stallone. As long barrel weapons specialist Hale Caesar, Crews brings a tough, street-smart sensibility to the part that's a far cry from his comedic work. ``Hale is from the hood, he says. ``You can tell by the way that he talks and the way he walks that he's been through something. During production, Crews became well acquainted with Hale Caesar's weapon of choice in the film: the AA-12 auto assault 12-gauge shotgun. Designed in 1972 specifically for the military, the AA-12 is capable of delivering 300 rounds per minute and is considered the most powerful weapon in the world by enthusiasts. Crews admits to having been a little intimidated. ``The biggest thing for me was learning how to respect the weapon, he reports. ``You have to be very, very, very careful just loading the bullets. That sucker was total overkill! Stallone then turned to his old friend, Mickey Rourke, to play the small but pivotal role of Tool. Rourke, who made a highly praised comeback in 2008 with an Oscar-nominated turn in THE WRESTLER, plays a weary former Expendable who now runs the business of brokering clandestine missions out of his storefront tattoo shop. Explains Stallone about casting his friend, ``I'm a little older than him, but we sort of grew up in the business together. We've had our ups and downs, know the ins and outs of our lives. He's a very sensitive and unique guy, and I thought if he could bring some of that uniqueness to the character of Tool, it would be off the charts. The last piece of the puzzle was filling the role of Sandra, the woman Barney and Christmas leave behind in Vilena when their reconnaissance mission goes south. Sandra, who unknowingly becomes the catalyst for Barney's change of heart, had to be tough, intelligent, beautiful and able to hold her own in a film dominated by testosterone. Brazilian actress Giselle Itié (pronounced ``Eet-she), who had studied boxing and jiu jitsu but had never done an action film, won the role after a worldwide casting call. For the all-important supporting roles, Stallone called on the versatility of actor Eric Roberts for rogue ex-CIA agent Monroe, and on former pro wrestler Steve Austin for the role of Monroe's sidekick and henchman, Paine. With THE EXPENDABLES cast finally taking shape, Stallone began tailoring each role to fit the particular skills and talents of each actor. Explains Stallone, ``Each of them are stars in their own right and needed to be served equally. But I have to say they all came to the table and put their egos aside. Everyone was on board to give 100 to their role. They made my job easy. Lundgren applauds Stallone for his willingness to collaborate. ``When I first got the script, Gunner was a totally different guy, recalls the actor. ``But after meeting with Sly a couple of times, we came up with other ideas. Sly is an instinctive writer, so as soon as he sees something he'll say, 'Okay, maybe in the next scene you should be doing this because of what's happening here.' It's a pleasure to work so organically. That hard work culminated in a thrilling moment on set, when the Expendables - Stallone, Li, Statham, Couture, Lundgren and Crews - arrived on set fully armed and dressed in SWAT gear to shoot their first scene together. ``I felt like I'd been invited into the League of Super Heroes, laughs Crews. ``I think everyone in the cast was a little star struck, including myself, says Lundgren. ``When you see us on screen together, you can feel the extra electricity. Those guys are all big. They're all just as deadly in real life as on film. Sly really gathered these imposing, big personalities and formed them into one incredible team. As if that weren't enough, Stallone had his eye on uniting two more titans of action cinema for a special cameo appearance in one key scene: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis. ``It was one of those ridiculous pipedreams, says Stallone. ``They're old friends. But Arnold's the governor and Bruce is a multi-million dollar actor. But I said 'Well, why not? Let me just try.' Both actors were willing, but it took nearly six months after shooting was over to find a window when Governor Schwarzenegger had time off that matched up with Willis' schedule. ``We did it at like four o'clock on a Saturday morning in a church and nobody knew it was there. Everyone brought their own clothes. It was like stealth, remembers Stallone. ``And by seven, we didn't exist. Boom, gone! They were fantastic. ``It's probably one of the best scenes in the movie, adds Templeton. ``The crew couldn't believe it. The wattage in that room was unbelievable. You can tell why each one in their own right became stars. When you see the three of them together it's just mesmerizing. The cast and crew spent the first month of production on location in Brazil, which provided the perfect backdrop for the fictitious island of Vilena. ``The architecture, the landscape with the fishing villages and jungles and the uniqueness of the people provided us a look we couldn't find anywhere else, reports executive producer Les Weldon. Brazil also provided production designer Franco Carbone with a facade that matched Stallone's vision of General Garza's palace. Carbone scouted hundreds of locations looking for a majestic piece of architecture before he settled on the 1920s, chateau-style mansion that serves as the centerpiece for Parque Lage, a public park situated at the base of the Corcovado, the mountain where the statue of Christ stands. This beautiful park, with its English-style gardens and little lakes, provided the perfect backdrop for Garza, the villainous dictator played by David Zayas. While it was aesthetically ideal, Brazil did pose some challenges to the production, whether it was the delays caused by a less efficient filmmaking infrastructure, the logistically difficult locations, communication and language problems or assimilating with local crew members. Then there was the weather. Temperatures often topped 110 degrees with high humidity and monsoon-like downpours pummeled the set without notice, causing further production delays. ``I have never seen it rain like that in my life, recalls Templeton. ``There were golf balls coming down. It was like seven inches per minute and it went on for hours. After a month of shooting in Brazil and a two week hiatus, the company moved to New Orleans where filming commenced at the Louisiana Film Studios in Harahan. As with Brazil, a majority of filming in New Orleans required practical locations and weather was once again a factor. While shooting at Fort McComb, a series of catacombs built in the early 1800s, a three-day torrential downpour flooded the location, resulting in the loss of several shooting days. But in the end, New Orleans delivered what it promised: character and color. Every day on set, cast and crew had to be prepared to keep up with Stallone's fast pace and flexible shooting style - in the other words, they had to be ready for anything. ``Sly is a visionary, states producer John Thompson. ``He doesn't use shot lists. He decides what he wants to do on the day, which makes it a very fluid, organic process. I have never seen somebody work with that level of detail. Working closely with director of photography Jeffrey Kimball, Stallone often used as many as five cameras and a steady-cam to capture the scope of the action sequences. ``We were constantly juggling to ensure everyone was ready, adds Thompson. ``It was a huge challenge, but it paid off. ``There was a week where we had four separate units running at once and Sly was running every one of them, recalls Templeton. ``I think he's one of the top action directors in Hollywood right now. There are very few people that shoot action like he shoots. The special nature of this action film is because of Sly's directing. For Stallone, acting and directing simultaneously on set posed its own unique problems, but he welcomed the challenge. ``I wear a lot of hats because I never know when it's going to be my last film, he says candidly. ``Because of that, I just want to put my imprint on it and try to do my best. I really recommend it. I wish every actor would try it. And either they'll excel or they'll be a lot more pleasant to deal with. When the director says, 'Get your ass on the set,' you say, 'Okay, I get it. I know how hard it is.' To choreograph and implement the complex and often dangerous stunts, Sly brought in supervising stunt coordinator Chad Stahelski, who had to recruit stunt specialists from all over the United States to facilitate Stallone's vision. ``Sly is very creative on the day and very collaborative, explains Stahelski, ``so we tried to show him what was possible while still keeping safety in mind. Then he would choose the direction he wanted to go in. While many of the stunts in the film could have been faked using CGI, Stallone called upon his actors to perform the lion's share themselves. In the scene in which Barney and Christmas flee for their lives in an Albatross seaplane, Stallone was inspired to push the envelope once more. ``I suggested instead of just a fuel drop that we put Jason in the nose of the plane, says Stallone, ``and the room fell silent. Statham, however, loved the idea. ``Sly does all of his stunts and he really bashes himself senseless and bashes everybody around in a realistic, believable way, avows Statham. ``Unless it comes across that way, he doesn't want to put it in the film. And that's music to my ears. Once the plane's mechanical and logistical capabilities were assessed and safety issues were fully accounted for, Statham was safe-tied into the nose of the seaplane, flying a hundred feet in the air through billowing smoke and flames. ``He was sensational, beams Stallone. ``I know he will underplay what he did but it was dangerous and he was very, very game. An admitted adrenaline junkie, Stallone managed to save a bit of the action for himself. As Christmas gets the plane airborne, Barney, pursued by Garza's army, has no choice but to dive off a floating dock onto the ascending aircraft. With the plane throwing gusts of 30-40 mph, Stallone was literally blown into a horizontal position. ``I didn't plan on it being quite as intense, he admits. ``It turned into a very dangerous stunt. Not one to sit back and let the guys do all the work, Giselle Itié insisted on performing the disturbingly realistic water-boarding scene herself. ``I researched how it feels for the person being tortured because I wanted to understand the sensation of suffocating and choking, she explains. ``It was a very exciting challenge. On the day it was shot, Itié spent hours lying prone on a board with a sponge and a towel over her mouth while water was poured down her throat. ``She's a purist, says Stallone. ``She definitely has her heart in action. Now that production is over and THE EXPENDABLES is completed, Stallone believes that the extra hard work he asked of his cast and crew has paid off. ``I set out to make one of those films that comes along once in a while by taking an old formula and making it contemporary, says the actor/writer/director. ``It's the kind of movie I would love, and it's what I believe in. These characters are not superhuman. They have abilities, but everything they can do is possible, so they're real. And in the end there's a moral message that the greatest sacrifice is that of your life for a stranger, for an ideal. And that comes at a great cost. I think you're going to see a real kick-ass film with soul. ABOUT THE CAST SYLVESTER STALLONE (Barney Ross) has established worldwide recognition as an actor, writer and director since he played the title role in his own screenplay of ROCKY, which won the Academy Award(R) in 1976 for Best Picture. Since that seminal motion picture, ROCKY grew to a franchise of five sequels and in 2006, Stallone concluded the series with ROCKY BALBOA, a critical and audience success which resolutely confirmed both Stallone and ROCKY as iconic cultural symbols. In addition, to commemorate a character which has become as real as any living person to film-going audiences around the world, a statue of Rocky Balboa was placed at the foot of the now-famous steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum at a dedication ceremony presided over by the Mayor. In 2008, Stallone wrote, directed and starred in RAMBO, which continued the saga of Vietnam vet John Rambo twenty-five years after the debut of RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD. For this latest installment, Stallone took the company on location to the inner jungles of Burma basing the compelling story in a country where crimes against humanity, civil war and genocide have existed for over 60 years - and no one is doing anything about it. Born in New York City, Stallone attended school in suburban Philadelphia where he first started acting and also became a star football player. He then spent two years instructing at the American College of Switzerland in Geneva. Returning to the United States, he enrolled as a drama major at the University of Miami and also began to write. Stallone left college to pursue an acting career in New York City, but the jobs did not come easily. By 1973, Stallone had auditioned for almost every casting agent in New York and had gone on thousands of acting calls, with little success. During this period, he turned more and more to writing, churning out numerous screenplays while waiting for his acting break. The opportunity first came in 1974 when he was cast as one of the leads in THE LORDS OF FLATBUSH. He also received his first writing credit for ``additional dialogue on this film. With the money earned from that film, Stallone left New York for Hollywood. He again began to make the rounds of studios and casting agents, managing to get a few small roles in television and movies. He also continued to pursue writing. Prize fighter Rocky Balboa was born and given life in a script Stallone wrote in longhand. Several producers offered to buy the screenplay, wanting to cast a name star in the title role, which Stallone insisted on playing himself. Although his bank balance was barely $100, Stallone held fast with his perseverance finally paying off in a big way. In addition to ROCKY BALBOA and RAMBO, Stallone's credits as actor/writer/director are ROCKY II and PARADISE ALLEY. As actor and co-writer, Stallone filmed F.I.S.T., FIRST BLOOD, RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II, RHINESTONE and RAMBO III. He co-wrote, directed and produced STAYING ALIVE and starred in NIGHTHAWKS, VICTORY, TANGO & CASH and LOCK UP. ROCKY V, starring and written by Stallone and directed by John Avildsen, opened in 1990. He also starred in DEMOLITION MAN, which set box-office records for its fall 1993 release and in the films THE SPECIALIST, ASSASSINS and DAYLIGHT. Stallone starred in the challenging and unique role of 'Freddy Heflin,' in the Miramax feature film COPLAND, which has garnered him further international critical and audience acclaim. He had the starring role in GET CARTER for Warner Brothers co-starring Michael Caine, which opened in the fall of 2000. Stallone wrote and starred in the number one box office race-car thriller DRIVEN, co-starring Burt Reynolds and Christian de la Fuente. In addition, he filmed AVENGING ANGELO, co-starring Madeline Stowe. Both films were for the Warner Bros. Studios Stallone also starred in the role of 'The Toymaker' for director Robert Rodriguez in the hit film SPY KIDS 3, the final installment of that successful film franchise. In addition, he was associated with ``The Contender, a powerful and action-packed unscripted series which aired for the first season on the NBC Television Network and which now airs on ESPN. Stallone is one of the founding partners in Planet Hollywood, the internationally famous chain of entertainment complexes which includes the Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort and Casino. In 2002 Stallone was honored by the Video Dealers Software Association when he was presented with the ``Action Star of the Millennium Award at the Organization's 21st Annual Convention. JASON STATHAM (Lee Christmas) was plucked from obscurity by Guy Ritchie who was looking to cast an unknown in the film LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS. Statham went on to work with Ritchie again in SNATCH, starring opposite Brad Pitt and Benicio Del Toro and REVOLVER with Mark Strong. In 2002, Luc Besson cast Statham in the title role of 'Frank Martin' in THE TRANSPORTER. The film was an international success that continued to grow in popularity with the sequels TRANSPORTER 2 and the 2009 TRANSPORTER 3. In 2003 Statham starred in the summer blockbuster THE ITALIAN JOB opposite Charlize Theron and Mark Wahlberg. Statham went on to solidify himself as an action star in the massive underground cult film CRANK where he plays the adrenaline-compromised action hero. Statham gained critical acclaim in the 2008 Roger Donaldson film THE BANK JOB, a true story of the 1971 Baker Street bank robbery. Statham other film credits include THE ONE, CELLULAR, WAR, LONDON, the remake of DEATH RACE directed by Paul WS Anderson and CRANK: HIGH VOLTAGE. He is currently filming opposite Clive Owen the action thriller THE KILLER ELITE, based on Sir Ranulph Fiennes' best-selling novel. Born in Beijing, JET LI (Ying Yang) began practicing Wushu (Chinese martial arts) at age eight. Three years later he won his first national championship as a member of the Beijing Wushu Team and remained the All-Around National Champion from 1974 to 1979. Jet made history with his 1974 two-man fight performance at the White House for President Nixon, shortly after American diplomatic relations reopened with China. During this time he also represented China through martial arts demonstrations in over 45 nations. At the pinnacle of the sport at age seventeen, he decided to begin a film career. His first film, SHAOLIN TEMPLE, remains one of the most beloved films in China and around the world. The success of the film propelled Jet to a full-fledged Chinese movie star and national hero. The box office popularity of his subsequent 25 films secured his stardom in Asia. In 1998 Li moved on to Hollywood with the blockbuster LETHAL WEAPON 4 opposite Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, directed by Richard Donner. 2008 saw Jet Li as the villain in the Universal feature THE MUMMY: THE TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR, the third installment of the hugely successful THE MUMMY franchise with co-star Brendan Frasier. Rob Cohen directed the feature which was filmed on location in China and Montreal. The family film THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM, in which Li plays an ancient Chinese martial arts warrior with fellow martial arts expert Jackie Chan, also proved a huge hit with audiences worldwide. 2007 saw the release of Lionsgate's action-packed thriller WAR, alongside co-star Jason Statham. THE EXPENDABLES will mark their third time working together. In 2006 he starred in the Focus Features biopic FEARLESS, directed by Ronni Yu. Li played Chinese Martial Arts legend Huo Yuanjia, who became the most famous fighter in all of China at the turn of the 20th Century. An international celebrity, Li is a box office phenomenon on both sides of the Pacific. Recent Chinese-language films include acclaimed Chinese director Zhang Yimou's HERO (also starring Zhang Ziyi, Maggie Cheung, and Tony Leung and grossing $175 million worldwide) and Peter Chan's THE WARLORDS, for which Li won for Best Actor at the 2008 Hong Kong Film Awards. This was the first time in the awards' history that a martial arts actor had received the award. In 2004, while on vacation with his family in Maldives, Jet survived the Southeast Asian Tsunami. His survival gave Jet the courage to take the first step towards philanthropy and charity. Today Jet comes before us as a philanthropist and an NGO leader. Since establishing the Jet Li One Foundation in 2007 and putting all movie projects on hold for 2008, he has devoted his time and thought to creating a 21st century philanthropic business model centered around professionalism, transparency, impact, and sustainability in order to raise awareness for philanthropy and to promote individual social responsibility around the world. His achievements have been widely recognized by government, NGOs, and the business community within China and in the international community. The Jet Li One Foundation believes that 1 person + 1 dollar +1 month = 1 big family. Says Li, ``If each person donates one dollar each month, our individual donations will be transfor
