Thirty years and more than a hundred films later, Jackie Chan is Asia’s leading man in Hollywood and a cultural icon at home. For the first time the martial arts superstar joins CNN's flagship chat show TALK ASIA and gives a special tour around his private hideaway in Hong Kong which houses the most extensive collection of memorabilia and branded merchandising imaginable. He reveals the man behind the glamorous career and shares his journey to success in a candid conversation with host Anjali Rao.

Chan discusses his role as an ambassador for the much-debated Beijing Olympic Games and TALK ASIA is given exclusive access to him as he shoots his music video for the Olympic theme song on the Great Wall of China. “Olympics is about Olympics and exercise spirit. It’s not about politics. Everybody should support.” As to the recent worldwide protests against China’s human rights issues, Chan commented, “Everybody can see China change all these years. You cannot change in one day. We know the problem, we change slowly. We change. We have 1.4 billion people, not 300 million. There are so many problems in China.”

Growing up poor, Chan’s parents almost sold him to a British doctor for US$100 before eventually reconsidering and instead sent him to the Beijing Opera School to receive strict martial arts training. He recalls the difficult early days, “Five o’clock in the morning get up…run…stand in the same position one foot up for one hour…it’s like being in the army.” but respects the lessons learned that have stuck with him throughout his career: “We have discipline. These days, a lot of children, they don’t have discipline.”

He began his film career as a stuntman including performing with the likes of Bruce Lee. Chan recalls a poignant moment - a connection he had with the legendary figure a few days before his death, “…he tried to say something but didn’t say it. The last thing I remember is the bell jeans and heels, brown color, never forget, then he closed the door. I saw the taxi go away. Then I go back to play bowling, then a few days later he died.” He also touches on the subject of criminal involvement in the Hong Kong film industry and acknowledges there is a problem. “They tried to threaten me…twenty people came with knives…”

Chan’s new film The Forbidden Kingdom, is every fans’ dream with the super action star going toe to toe with long time friend Jet Li for the first time in a much awaited on-screen duel.

Famous for doing all his own stunts, Chan points to all the different injury spots on his body “…my nose is broken, cuts, burns, teeth is gone, shoulder cracked…broken ankle, broken toes…” but he explains, “..that’s my life.” Chan’s name is synonymous with carefully choreographed action stunts but he tells Rao he wants to gain a reputation for being an ‘actor’, “I’m not young anymore. I cannot just do action. Actors like Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro they can act forever. You have to do many things not only action.”

Watch Jackie Chan in Talk Asia on Saturday, April 12th at 8:30 pm and Sunday, April 13th at 6:30 pm on CNN.