Jackie Chan, who just celebrated his 70th birthday, assured fans he’s in good health after some concerns were raised over a photo that showed him — well, looking like a 70-year-old man.
Of course, Chan is no normal 70-year-old, and he insisted that the recent photos, in which he was sporting white hair and a scraggly white beard, were actually for an upcoming movie.
“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,” Chan wrote on Instagram. “I want to take this opportunity to let everyone know, don’t worry! It’s just a character appearance for my latest 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. I’ve been in the entertainment business for 62 years and I cherish every moment because I’m lucky I’m still filming today.”
Chan shared the reassuring message on his birthday this past Sunday, April 7. The actor said each reminder of the milestone was a bit of a shock, but then he remembered something his longtime collaborator, Sammo Hung, once told him: “Being able to grow old is a fortunate thing.”
Chan added, “Especially for us stunt people, we don’t know how lucky we are to be able to grow old.”
Accompanying Chan’s message was an array of archival photographs, which his team had recently dug up. “Looking at these photos brings back so many fond memories,” Chan said. “All I can say is: I love making movies and I love you all.”
It’s possible the movie role Chan said he needed to look older for was the upcoming Karate Kid film, which was announced last year. Chan and Ralph Macchio are both returning to the franchise, with Chan reprising his role as Mr. Han from the 2010 remake (which starred a young Jaden Smith), and Macchio will, of course, be playing Daniel LaRusso, the karate champ he first played as a kid in the original movies and recently reprised as an adult for the Cobra Kai TV series. The movie is expected to arrive in theaters this December.
