The "Rush Hour" star, 70, took to Instagram to
address concerns about his health sparked by his appearance in some recent
photos, in which he is seen with gray hair. Chan explained that this appearance
is actually for a role that requires him to look older.
"Not so long ago, a lot of friends saw some recent
photos of me on the internet, and they were all concerned about my
health," he wrote. "I want to take this opportunity to let everyone
know, don't worry! It's just a character appearance for my latest movie. The
character requires me to have white hair, white beard and look old."
Chan did not specify the role in question, but one of his
most anticipated upcoming projects is a new "Karate Kid" film that
was announced last year. Chan, who starred in the 2010 "Karate Kid"
remake, will appear in the new movie opposite Ralph Macchio, the star of the
original martial arts drama film. The new "Karate Kid" is scheduled
for a December release. Chan has also teased a possible fourth "Rush
Hour" movie.
"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," he said.
The legendary actor and martial artist's post came as he
celebrated his 70th birthday on Sunday. He reflected that when people would
remind him that he's turning 70, his "heart would stop for a second"
and he would think, "l'm 70 years old already?"
But Chan, who is famous for performing his own stunts in his movies, added that "especially for us stunt people, we don't know how lucky we are to be able to grow old."
The "Police Story" star also said that after 62
years in the entertainment industry, he is "lucky" that he is
"still filming today." He shared a gallery of photos from throughout
his career and wrote, "All I can say is: I love making movies and I love
you all."
Chan's film career dates back to the early 1960s, and his
other movies include "Drunken Master" and "Rumble in the
Bronx." In recent years, he has also performed numerous voice roles,
including as Splinter in 2023's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant
Mayhem" and Master Monkey in the "Kung Fu Panda" series.