Jackie Chan recently opened up about a surprising secret his father revealed to him later in life, a truth that reshaped his understanding of his family’s past.

At 71, the legendary action star shared with PEOPLE how, when he was in his forties, his father Charles quietly confided, “I have a secret to tell you.” It happened during a car ride, when Charles said, “Son, I’m old. I might sleep and never wake up.”

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Then came the revelation: Charles had been a spy.

“That was shocking,” Jackie admitted. At first, he found it hard to process, but after some time, he was ready to hear the full story. Charles’ life was far more complex than Jackie had ever imagined.

This hidden history inspired Jackie Chan to produce the 2003 documentary ‘Traces of the Dragon: Jackie Chan and His Lost Family’. The film dives into Charles’ role as a government spy during the turbulent 1940s Chinese Civil War. But the secrets didn’t stop there. Jackie’s mother, Lee-lee, also had a shadowy past, linked to opium smuggling and gambling.

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Jackie reminisced about his childhood with PEOPLE, painting a picture of a mischievous kid who rarely went to school and preferred throwing away books over reading them. His parents struggled to keep him in line and eventually sent him to a martial arts school to learn discipline and skills. That decision proved pivotal, launching a career that would span decades.

From those early days as a stuntman, Jackie’s journey took him through stunt coordination, acting, and directing in Asia. Hollywood noticed him in 1995 with ‘Rumble in the Bronx’, but it was 1998’s ‘Rush Hour’, starring alongside Chris Tucker, that made him a global superstar.

Now, with his latest film ‘Karate Kid: Legends’ hitting theaters, Jackie is revisiting another iconic franchise. He first appeared in the 2010 remake of ‘The Karate Kid’ alongside Jaden Smith, and this new installment holds a special place in his heart.