"Don't worry! It's just a character": Jackie Chan shares photos on 70th birthday, assures fans he is in good health

Actor and martial artist Jackie Chan recently marked his 70th birthday by posting throwback pictures from his career. He also shared a positive health update with his fans.

Recently, some photos of the acting icon looking old with grey hair circulated online. On Tuesday, April 7, 2024, the 70-year-old posted a carousel of his pictures on Instagram with a lengthy caption, saying:

"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. 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."

Jackie did not disclose what project required him to turn his hair gray.

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Jackie Chan updates fans about his health with a heartfelt 70th birthday message

Chan Kong-sang SBS MBE PMW, known professionally as Jackie Chan, rose to fame by helping to bring kung fu movies into mainstream American cinema. The acrobatic stunts and engaging physical humor made him a household name across the globe.

He has worked on several movies, both animated and live-action, including the Rush Hour and Kung Fu Panda franchise. Other works from the action hero include Shinjuku Incident, Shanghai Noon, Rumble In The Bronx, The Fearless Hyena, Drunken Master, and more.

On Sunday, Jackie Chan shared a few snaps of himself from various phases of his career. He has been acting since the 1960s and has performed in more than 150 films. The actor began his message by mentioning that his friends kept reminding him of his 70th birthday. He added:

"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.' Especially for us stunt people, we don’t know how lucky we are to be able to grow old."

Jackie Chan is world-famous for doing his own stunts, although he does use stunt doubles for particularly dangerous moves. He has also worked as a stunt choreographer.

The producer then addressed the concern about his health, reassuring fans that the pictures they saw where he had white hair and seemed old was only a character.

According to reports, he seemingly made a reference to images from an event last month in China. Jackie Chan continued with a sentimental tone in the message, adding:

"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 birthday message by thanking his fans for the birthday wishes. Chan said that he loves "making movies and I love you all."

Although Jackie Chan did not specify what upcoming role had him in the white hair and white beard get-up, he has been working on several projects. The actor played Splinter as a voice actor in last year’s animated movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Chan will also reprise his role as Mr. Han in the upcoming Karate Kid movie.

Chan's character Han is said to unite with the original Karate Kid star Ralph Macchio and the movie is said to be released in theaters on December 13, 2024. The film is directed by Jonathan Entwistle.