Jackie Chan Fans Concerned About His Health
Action superstar Jackie Chan recently celebrated his 70th birthday, but fans are seriously concerned about his health. He appeared to have aged overnight, appearing in photos with white hair and a white beard.
One fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Man didn’t age one day for about 60 years.. then suddenly grew old at 70..” Another commented, “Woahhh. He has aged this much? [teary eyed emojis] He made my childhood fun [crying emoji].” A third wrote, “How fast night goes.”
The Rush Hour star was born on April 7, 1954, in Hong Kong. Jackie Chan took to Instagram on Sunday to clear up the photos that have been circulating on social media. Sharing a series of wholesome throwback pics, Chan reflected on his aging in his caption: “Even before today, many friends have been reminding me: ‘Jackie, it’s going to be your 70th birthday!’ Every time I hear this number, my heart would stop for a second – l’m 70 years old already?”
After recovering from the shock, the second thing that would come to the Drunken Master‘s mind is a saying that his big brother, Chinese acting star Sammo Hung once said: “Being able to grow old is a fortunate thing.”
Referring to the photos that caused concern over his health, Jackie let his six million followers know that it is just hair and makeup for his next movie role. He writes: “The character requires me to have white hair, white beard and look old. Over the years, I’ve always been willing to try new things for a movie, no matter if it’s a challenging stunt or a breakthrough appearance for a character. I’ve been in the entertainment business for 62 years and I cherish every moment because I’m lucky I’m still filming today.”
The actor concluded his message by saying: “I love making movies and I love you all.”
Back in November, it was announced that Chan will be joining forces with Ralph Macchio to reprise their Karate Kid roles for a brand-new film set to release later this year. According to Sony Pictures, the movie will fuse and continue the movies’ mythology and bring the story to the East Coast, focusing on a teen from China who finds strength and direction via martial arts and a tough but wise mentor.
Chan will revisit the role of Mr. Han from the 2010 film remake that aimed to update the Karate Kid story for more modern and global audiences. Macchio will be reprising his role as Daniel LaRusso. The franchise’s new installment has recently revealed that the new Karate Kid will be American Born Chinese star Ben Wang.
Other names have since been added to the cast such as The Book of Boba Fett star Ming-Na Wen, whose role is still undisclosed. Meanwhile, Kim Possible star Sadie Stanley will play the romantic interest of Ben Wang’s title character, while Dawson’s Creek alum Joshua Jackson will play her father. The new film is currently slated to premiere in theaters on December 13th.
