Jackie Chan’s Hong Kong action films, like Police Story (1985), are legendary for their gutsy stunts. In one scene, he slid down a 70-foot pole covered in live Christmas lights, suffering burns, a broken spine, and a dislocated pelvis. Chan often did multiple takes of death-defying stunts, with minimal safety gear.
The film went on to acquire a legendary status. "Since its release, Police Story has been frequently listed as one of the greatest action films of all time. It is also considered one of the best martial arts movies of all time," says a Wikipedia entry.
But the above instance is not considered his worst brush with death. Jackie Chan experienced a harrowing accident in 1986 while filming the movie Armour of God. "During a relatively routine stunt where he jumped from a ledge to a tree branch, the branch he grabbed snapped. This caused him to fall approximately 5 meters (about 15 feet) and land headfirst on a rock. Chan had to undergo an emergency surgery due to a skull fracture and a piece of bone getting lodged in his brain," a biographer revealed.
