Jackie Chan had recently raised alarm among his fans because of a picture where he looked exceptionally old. But the star has now put fans’ worries to rest regarding his health after and the recent photo showing him with gray hair and a beard. Chan celebrated his 70th birthday over the weekend, and took to Instagram to address the speculation.
“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?” Chan wrote in his Instagram post. “After recovering from the shock, the second thing that would come to my mind is a saying that my big brother, Sammo Hung once said: ‘being able to grow old is a fortunate thing,'” he added.
Chan further reassured his fans that the gray hair and beard seen in recent photos was for a character appearance in his latest movie, and not how he actually looks. “The character requires me to have white hair, white beard and look old,” he explained in the Instagram caption. “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.”
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Jackie Chan Looks Back At His 6 Decades of Acting Career As He Turns 70
Looking back at his long and illustrious career as a film star working for about 62 years, Chan expressed gratitude for every moment he’s had in filmmaking. “Looking at these photos brings back so many fond memories. All I can say is: I love making movies and I love you all,” he concluded.
The viral photos that sparked concern were taken during an event where Chan was on stage with a microphone, wearing glasses and holding papers with grey hair. His fans had suddenly gotten alarmed to have seen him that way, more so, because he is now entering his 70s.
There was also a health scare speculation with the actor recently. Chan has however remained active in the industry. Last November, he was cast in a new ‘Karate Kid’ movie, wherein he is set to reprise his role as Mr. Han, the kung fu master who aided Jaden Smith’s character in the 2010 Karate Kid remake.
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