Who Is Joan Lin? The Complete Story of Jackie Chan’s Wife and Taiwan’s Golden Horse-Winning Star
Joan Lin is a Taiwanese former actress who won the Golden Horse Award for Best Leading Actress in 1979 and later became known around the world as the wife of Jackie Chan. She made more than 70 films in about ten years, left the screen after her 1982 marriage, and has lived privately ever since. Many readers find her through her husband, but her own career helped define Taiwanese cinema in the 1970s. This guide covers her early life, her film work, her award, her family, and the questions people ask most.
Joan Lin Biography at a Glance
Joan Lin, born Lin Feng-jiao on June 30, 1953, is a Taiwanese actress who worked in film from 1972 to 1982.
The table below collects the key facts from Wikipedia, the Hong Kong Movie Database, and Taiwanese news reports.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Joan Lin Feng-jiao |
| Chinese name | 林鳳嬌 (traditional), 林凤娇 (simplified) |
| Date of birth | June 30, 1953 |
| Age | 73 (as of October 2026) |
| Birthplace | Taipei, Taiwan |
| Nationality | Taiwanese |
| Occupation | Former actress |
| Years active | 1972 to 1982, plus a 2012 cameo |
| Film credits | More than 70 films |
| Best-known award | Best Leading Actress, 16th Golden Horse Awards (1979) |
| Best-known film | The Story of a Small Town (1979) |
| Screen group | “Two Chins, Two Lins,” with Charlie Chin, Chin Han and Brigitte Lin |
| Spouse | Jackie Chan (married 1982) |
| Child | Jaycee Chan (born December 3, 1982) |
| Current status | Retired from acting, living privately |
Some websites list 1952 as her birth year. Wikipedia and most biographical profiles give 1953, so this article uses that date.
English sources spell her Chinese name in several ways, including Lin Feng-jiao, Lin Fengjiao, and Feng Chiao Lin.
Early Life and Family Background
Joan Lin grew up in Taipei as the second of five children in a family with little money.
Biographies agree that poverty shaped her childhood. She left school early to help support her household, although sources disagree on her age. One profile says she dropped out at 12, while MyDramaList says she began working at 14, before she finished junior high school.
Her parents’ names and jobs do not appear in reliable public records, and Lin has rarely discussed her upbringing in interviews. Careful writers should leave that gap open instead of filling it with guesses.
Her background still matters to her story. Critics later linked her screen image to modesty, patience, and quiet strength, and audiences responded to those qualities.
How Joan Lin Started Her Acting Career
Joan Lin made her film debut in 1972, at age 19, in the kung fu movie The Hero of Chiu Chow.
Wikipedia lists the film under that title and notes an alternate name, Hero of Waterfront. MyDramaList gives the same Chinese title, 潮州怒漢, with the English name The Angry Young Man.
She did not stay in action films for long. She moved into romance and family dramas, and director Li Hsing became the most important figure in her career.
NOWnews reports that Li Hsing’s film Wu Tu Wu Min (吾土吾民) gave her a major breakthrough. She then led his last three adaptations of novels by Chiung Yao, including Bi Yun Tian (碧雲天).
Some English profiles describe her as a Chiung Yao heroine above all. Taiwanese reporting offers a more careful view: she made only a few of those films, and her strongest work came in Li Hsing’s realist dramas.
The “Two Chins, Two Lins” Era
Taiwanese and Hong Kong media grouped Joan Lin, Brigitte Lin, Charlie Chin, and Chin Han under the nickname “Two Chins, Two Lins.”
Wikipedia calls the four the biggest names in Taiwanese and Hong Kong cinema during the 1970s. They starred in several box-office hits, and fans followed their screen pairings closely.
Within that group, Joan Lin held a distinct place. Brigitte Lin later became famous for dramatic and swordplay roles. Joan Lin played women who seemed gentle, loyal, and traditional.
That contrast helped both actresses. Studios could cast them in very different stories, and audiences could tell their images apart.
The Story of a Small Town and the 1979 Golden Horse Win
Joan Lin won Best Leading Actress at the 16th Golden Horse Awards in 1979 for The Story of a Small Town.
She had earned a nomination in the same category a year earlier for He Never Gives Up, so the win followed a period of steady recognition.
Li Hsing directed the film. It follows an ex-convict who moves to Sanyi in Miaoli to learn woodcarving and grows close to his master’s mute daughter. Lin played that silent heroine.
The Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute says the film also won Best Feature Film, Best Child Star, and Best Original Screenplay at the same ceremony. Teresa Teng sang the theme song, which has stayed popular in Chinese-speaking communities for decades.
SETN reports that a digitally restored version had its world premiere at the Far East Film Festival in Italy in 2025, 46 years after the original release.
Notable Joan Lin Films
Joan Lin’s best-known films run from her kung fu debut in 1972 to a short cameo in 2012.
The list below uses titles and roles from Wikipedia and the Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute.
- The Hero of Chiu Chow (1972): her film debut.
- He Never Gives Up (1978): earned her first Golden Horse nomination.
- The Story of a Small Town (1979): won her the Golden Horse for Best Leading Actress.
- My Native Land (1980): a biographical drama in which she played Chung Tai-mei.
- Spring in Autumn (1980): she played Ho Li-wen.
- The Battle for the Republic of China (1981): she played Peng Yu-shih.
- CZ12 (2012): a cameo as Jackie Chan’s wife.
My Native Land tells the life story of the writer Chung Li-ho. UDN notes that critics praised it, although it did not draw large crowds.
How Joan Lin Met Jackie Chan
Joan Lin met Jackie Chan in January 1981, and the two began a relationship soon afterward.
Chan was then an emerging action star, while Lin already had a Golden Horse on her record. Their personalities differed sharply.
SETN reported in 2025 that Chan’s autobiography describes his first impression of her as pure and stunning. He also describes himself as someone who loved lively company, while she preferred a quiet, elegant life.
Famous People reports that Lin became pregnant and that Chan then asked her to marry him.
They wed in a secret ceremony in Los Angeles in 1982. Their son, Jaycee, was born the day after the wedding, according to Wikipedia.
Marriage, Retirement, and Raising Jaycee Chan
Joan Lin retired from film after her marriage and focused on her family.
MyDramaList reports that she withdrew from public life at Jackie Chan’s request. She has stayed out of the spotlight since, apart from one short film appearance in 2012.
Her son Jaycee moved to Hong Kong in 2003 and released his debut Mandopop album in 2004. He later starred with his father in Double Trouble, which premiered in 2012.
In August 2014, Beijing police arrested Jaycee on a drug charge. According to Wikipedia, he admitted to using drugs for eight years, and Jackie Chan apologized publicly. Jaycee left jail on February 13, 2015.
Famous People reports that Lin felt shocked by the news and that Jaycee wrote his mother a three-page letter of remorse.
The 1999 Scandal and How Joan Lin Responded
In 1999, news broke that Jackie Chan had an affair with Elaine Ng Yi-Lei, the 1990 Miss Asia winner, and that the affair produced a daughter.
Etta Ng Chok Lam was born on January 18, 1999. Chan has said little about her in public, and reports describe the two as estranged.
Chan addressed the scandal in his memoir Never Grow Up. He wrote that he wanted to phone Joan but did not know what to say, and he called her “stronger than I am in many ways.”
Lin chose to stay in the marriage. Public reports indicate the couple remain married, and Lin has kept a low profile throughout.
Joan Lin’s Screen Image and Legacy
Joan Lin left a lasting mark on Taiwanese cinema through her award-winning work with Li Hsing and her gentle screen presence.
NOWnews says audiences remembered her for roles that showed warmth, patience, and traditional virtue. Period and rural stories suited her better than the modern heroines of many Chiung Yao romances.
Her best films with Li Hsing, including The Story of a Small Town and My Native Land, still appear in retrospectives and restoration projects. The 2025 restoration shows that new audiences still want to see her work.
She also left the industry soon after her biggest win. That early exit keeps her filmography short, and it explains why her name now appears alongside her husband’s more often than her own films.
Conclusion
Joan Lin built a real film career before she became known as Jackie Chan’s wife. She won a Golden Horse in 1979, appeared in more than 70 films, and chose a private life after 1982. Her marriage, her son, and her response to a public scandal added to her story, but her work with Li Hsing remains the strongest part of her legacy.
Frequently Asked Questions About Joan Lin
1. Who is Joan Lin?
Joan Lin, whose Chinese name is Lin Feng-jiao, is a Taiwanese former actress born on June 30, 1953, in Taipei. She starred in more than 70 films between 1972 and 1982, won a Golden Horse Award in 1979, and later married Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan.
2. How old is Joan Lin?
Joan Lin is 73 years old as of October 2026. She was born on June 30, 1953, in Taipei, Taiwan. Some websites list 1952 as her birth year, but Wikipedia and most biographical sources give 1953, which this article uses throughout.
3. Is Joan Lin still married to Jackie Chan?
Yes, public reports indicate they remain married. Joan Lin and Jackie Chan wed in Los Angeles in 1982. Their marriage survived a 1999 scandal after Chan admitted an affair that produced a daughter. Chan later wrote that his wife stood by him.
4. Did Joan Lin win a Golden Horse Award?
Yes. Joan Lin won Best Leading Actress at the 16th Golden Horse Awards in 1979 for The Story of a Small Town, directed by Li Hsing. She had earned a nomination in the same category a year earlier for He Never Gives Up.
5. How many films did Joan Lin make?
Wikipedia says Joan Lin appeared in more than 70 films during a career that lasted roughly ten years, from 1972 to 1982. Other biography sites give figures between 60 and 80. The exact total varies by source, so writers usually describe it as more than 70 films.
6. Who is Joan Lin’s son?
Joan Lin’s only child is Jaycee Chan, born on December 3, 1982, in Los Angeles. His father is Jackie Chan. Jaycee works as a singer, actor and songwriter. He moved to Hong Kong in 2003 and released his debut Mandopop album in 2004.
7. Did Joan Lin forgive Jackie Chan’s affair?
Public accounts say she did. After news of Chan’s 1999 affair with Elaine Ng Yi-Lei became public, Lin stayed in the marriage. Chan wrote in his memoir Never Grow Up that he wanted to call her but did not know what to say. Lin has kept a low public profile since.
8. Did Joan Lin act again after she retired?
Wikipedia lists one screen credit after her retirement: a 2012 role as Jackie Chan’s wife in the film CZ12 (Chinese Zodiac). She otherwise stayed out of film after her 1982 marriage. MyDramaList reports she withdrew from public life at Chan’s request.
9. What was Joan Lin known for in the 1970s?
Joan Lin became known for gentle, traditional heroine roles in Taiwanese romance and drama films. Media grouped her with Charlie Chin, Chin Han and Brigitte Lin as the “Two Chins, Two Lins.” Many of those films adapted novels by Chiung Yao, though Lin’s best-known award work came from director Li Hsing’s dramas.
10. What is Joan Lin’s net worth?
No reliable source confirms Joan Lin’s net worth. Some biography sites estimate more than $1 million for her earnings as an actress, but they cite no financial records. Readers should treat those numbers as guesses, because she has lived privately since her 1982 retirement.
