Jet Li starred in a martial arts film.
Fist of Legend is a 1994 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Gordon Chan , featuring action choreography by Yuen Woo-ping , and produced by Jet Li , who also starred in the lead role . Jet Li . After retiring from Wushu at age 19 , he went on to win great acclaim in China as an actor making his debut with the film Shaolin Temple ( 1982 ) . He went on to star in many critically acclaimed martial arts epic films , most notably as the lead in director Zhang Yimou 's 2002 Hero , Fist of Legend which is the best acclaimed Li movie by Rotten Tomatoes , and the Once Upon a Time in China series , in which he portrayed folk hero Wong Fei-hung . Wong Fei-hung or Huang Feihong ( 9 July 1847 -- 25 March 1924 ) was a Chinese martial artist , physician , and folk hero , who has become the subject of numerous martial arts films and television series .