63-year-old One of the most adored actors in the world is Jackie Chan. Despite starting his acting career with strict discipline, Chan was initially a recognized youngster. When Chan was seven years old, his parents sent him to the Chinese Drama Academy. Here, he made a lifelong buddy by the name of Yuen Biao. Their friendship began in a sweet way when Chan consoled him after he was singled out by bullies at his academy.

The Rush Hour star Jackie Chan shared a story from the CDA, when he met Yuen Biao, in his autobiography Never Grow Up. Even though Chan was struggling in the academy, he still had the desire to help Biao.

Jackie Chan was the youngest kid in his academy until Yeun Biao came
Although Jackie Chan enjoyed learning dance, drama, and acrobatics, the training process at the academy was strenuous. Moreover, being the youngest kid in the school, he was often bullied by his seniors. Soon, dynamics changed when Yuen Biao joined. Chan explained in his biography that his friend was a fragile kid who wouldn’t stop crying after saying goodbye to his parents. He easily became a target for the bullies, who now left Chan alone.

The Little Jack “felt sorry for him.” So with the intention of comforting him, he went to Biao and introduced himself. Eventually, they became friends. Chan revealed that his fragile friend would often watch him practicing. He and his other mates would urge Biao to join him. When he finally began performing in the academy, Chan noticed Biao was fairly good. He could do clean professional somersaults, and at times was also praised by the teachers in comparison to other senior students.

However, this again made Biao the target of the senior bullies. But Chan would often step up to protect his friend. Although they were smaller in front of their seniors, they had great escaping skills! After graduating from the CDA, Chan, Biao, and another friend Sammo Hung remained friends for life. In fact, when they began working in the industry, they were called ‘The Three Dragons.’ Apart from developing lifelong friendships in CDA, Chan also learned several values regarding relationships and money.

Jackie Chan’s parents gifted him something from all their money
After completing 10 years in the CDA, when Chan was 17 and ready to craft his career, his parents insisted he move with them to Australia. However, he told his parents that he wanted to try his luck in acting. Not just that, he was also head over heels for a senior in his academy and so he did not want to leave Hong Kong.

Luckily, Chan’s father agreed with his acting decision. To comfort his son’s struggles as an actor, Chan’s father gifted him an apartment worth $40,000 Hong Kong dollars, which was $5,000 in the San Po Kong area. Chan realized that the hefty amount was from the lifelong earnings of his parents.

Today, he continues to possess the apartment even after becoming a $400 million worth superstar. Jackie Chan cherishes the place as a memory of his parent’s sacrifices and struggles, to get him into the acting industry and closer to his dreams.