Legendary martial artist and actor Jackie Chan turned 70 recently, a few weeks after receiving buzz on social media for his graying hair and frail appearance. Fans were concerned about the film star’s health and asked questions on social media while reminiscing about their childhood while Chan’s career was at its peak.
In response to the speculations, Chan took to Facebook to share a birthday post and assured his “dearest friends and fans from all over the world” that he was doing okay. “Even before today, many friends have been reminding me: ‘Jackie, it’s going to be your 70th birthday!” the Rush Hour actor penned.
Jackie Chan shares health update
Legend Jackie Chan turns 70 today 🐐 pic.twitter.com/meFuP6TLOW
— Every Movie Plug 🎬 🔌 (@everymovieplug) April 7, 2024
Reacting to Chan’s recently circulated photos, there was panic online, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), with fans asking if their favorite childhood entertainer was fine. “That’s crazy. Certain celebrities you can’t imagine aging. Their prime roles just stay with you. But I still think he can kick ass like the rest of them,” someone wrote. “Dude aged like 20 years in 5 years! Last time I saw him, he looked young!” another added.
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Addressing these thoughts, Chan wrote a lengthy note about how turning 70 also surprises him. “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 my mind is a saying that my big brother, Sammo Hung, once said: ‘being able to grow old is a fortunate thing,’” he said, adding that “for us stunt people, we don’t know how lucky we are to be able to grow old.”
Chan acknowledged the care and concern over his health and cleared doubts by revealing the truth behind his weak appearance. “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, a white beard, and look old,” he admitted.
10/03/2017 “The Foreigner” Press Conference held at Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in Los Angeles, CA Photo by Kazuki Hirata / HollywoodNewsWire.co
The Supercop star added that he has “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,” over the years, and from Chan’s impressive track record, most will agree as well. “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 father of two concluded.