SKIP TO CONTENTHarvard Business Review LogoBoban JamesBefore Li was born, his grandmother predicted that he would bring fortune to their family—and as a teenager he did, earning Chinese state sponsorship for his martial-arts career and winning five consecutive national championships. In his twenties he became an action movie star, popular with fans across Asia and then around the world. After surviving the 2004 tsunami in the Maldives, he launched one of China’s first charitable foundations and deepened his study of Buddhism. His new memoir is Beyond Life and Death. A version of this article appeared in the May–June 2026 issue of Harvard Business Review.Partner Center
Life’s Work: An Interview with Jet Li
In this interview, martial arts and movie star Jet Li reflects on a life shaped by discipline, curiosity, and an evolving sense of purpose. He describes growing up poor and then finding structure, opportunity, and confidence in sport before transitioing to a career in action films, first in Hong Kong then in the United States. He also explains how spirituality and a brush with the 2004 tsunami shaped his philanthropic and creative efforts in the past two decades.
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