Even though it comprises an entire trilogy of films, the Lucky Stars series amounts to a lesser-known phase in the career of Jackie Chan. The vast majority of Jackie Chan’s kung fu movies are standalone films, but some have grown into full-blown franchises, such as Rush Hour and Police Story, with movies like Drunken Master and Armour of God also earning sequels.

Given that they were all successful enough to justify continuations, most are high-profile Jackie Chan movies with enduring reputations. That’s not necessarily the case when it comes to Winners and Sinners, which is more of a hidden gem in Jackie Chan’s filmography. Yet, it still managed to secure two more installments with Chan’s involvement, not to mention a slew of entries that came after his departure.

Jackie Chan’s Role In Winners & Sinners Explained

Jackie Chan Played Cop #7086 In Winners & Sinners

In 1983, Jackie Chan held a supporting role in Winners & Sinners, a Hong Kong martial arts comedy film that starred Sammo Hung. Sammo Hung, one of Jackie Chan’s most frequent collaborators, designed Winners & Sinners to be a story about a group of men who meet in prison and become friends later, forming the Five Stars Cleaning Company.

Winners & Sinners becomes a story laced with martial arts action and slapstick comedy. Much of the humor revolves around the shenanigans that unfold during the time “the Five Stars” spend living together and trying to make romantic advancements on one member of the group’s sister.

There’s action too, of course, as a suitcase full of counterfeit money accidentally winds up in their possession. This is where Jackie Chan’s character enters the picture; rather than play one of the five main characters, Chan portrays “Cop #7086,” a police officer who briefly gets entangled in the pursuit of the suitcase.

Given that Chan isn’t a major character, nor is he even relevant to the action-packed finale, Winners & Sinners is considerably different from what was normally expected of Chan, who was already a major star in the 1980s. But as a cop with exceptional skills in martial arts and clumsy tendencies, his role can still carry a great deal of appeal to Jackie Chan fans.

Jackie Chan Received Bigger Roles in Winners & Sinners’ Two Sequels

Jackie Chan Played Muscles In My Lucky Stars & Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars

Winners & Sinners was followed up with two sequels, the first of which was My Lucky Stars. Drawing on the name of the five characters’ cleaning company, the film provided the moniker that would later be used to brand the franchise as a whole. The franchise’s central friend group has since been referred to collectively as the Lucky Stars.

Jackie Chan’s connection to the Lucky Stars grew in the 1985 sequel, but he never became an official member. Rather, he was treated as an outside ally. My Lucky Stars reintroduced Jackie Chan as Muscles, a martial artist and police officer who has an existing friendship with the Lucky Stars.

While My Lucky Stars continues to keep Chan out of the limelight, it does at least give him a more significant role, allowing him to be the character who sets the story in motion and also a key player in the action that takes place at the end. My Lucky Stars clearly understands Chan’s surging popularity in 1985 and utilizes him accordingly, but does so in a way that doesn’t overshadow its main characters.

The third film in the series, Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars, repeats this strategy. Once again, Jackie Chan plays Muscles, and joins forces with the Lucky Stars to battle the movie’s villains. He gets his fair share of standout scenes and action sequences, but similar to his role in My Lucky Stars, it never becomes a true Jackie Chan movie.

The Lucky Stars Had 4 More Installments After Jackie Chan’s Exit

The Lucky Stars Franchise Lasted Between 1983 & 1996

Although the three Lucky Stars films Jackie Chan appeared in are typically regarded as a trilogy, that wasn’t technically the end of the series. The Lucky Stars franchise persisted for years, with its creator, martial arts star Sammo Hung, remaining its lead star for the remainder of its run. But its direction did change significantly after the trilogy, as Hung remained involved but was no longer holding the reins of the series.

The adventures of the Lucky Stars continued in Lucky Stars Go Places, which acted as a crossover film that merged the Lucky Stars cast with that of the Aces Go Places franchise, another popular Hong Kong comedy series at the time.

The series returned to a more traditional formula with Return of the Lucky Stars in 1989, which was also present in its last two installments, Lucky Stars Ghost Encounter and How to Meet the Lucky Stars. Released in 1996, How to Meet the Lucky Stars served as the official end of Sammo Hung’s series.

The Lucky Stars Series Has A Great Ensemble Cast Full Of Recognizable Actors

Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh, and Andy Lau Have All Made Guest Appearances

As one might expect from a seven-movie series that spans 16 years, the Lucky Stars franchise features an evolving cast of actors. It begins with Sammo Hung, John Shum, Richard Ng, Stanley Fung, and Charlie Chin as the franchise’s тιтular group. John Shum was replaced in My Lucky Stars with Eric Tsang.

Of those, only Hung, Ng, and Fung appeared in all seven movies, with Tsang appearing in every film since his introduction. In some instances, certain members of the Lucky Stars had reduced roles, with outside allies stepping up to play major roles in their stead.

In addition to the Lucky Stars actors themselves, the franchise boasted appearances from a mulтιтude of noteworthy actors from Hong Kong’s movie industry. Jackie Chan was obviously the Lucky Stars series’ most prominent and most frequent guest actor, but over time, they were also able to bring in more star power in the form of Andy Lau, Michelle Yeoh, Rosamund Kwan, Yuen Biao, and more.

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