Jackie Chan, the award-winning Hong Kong actor, has reassured fans that his “elderly appearance” in recent photographs was for an upcoming film role.
The movie star was recently seen with grey hair, sparking fans to speculate about his health.
The martial arts star addressed the speculation via Instagram while celebrating his 70th birthday with pictures reflecting his illustrious career.
Chan said despite being in the industry for 62 years, he is still willing to take up “new and challenging characters”.
“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,” he wrote.
“It’s just a character appearance for my latest movie. The character requires me to have white hair, white beard and look old.
“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.
“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 – I’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.
“All I can say is: I love making movies and I love you all. A big thank you to everyone for all your birthday wishes. Hope everyone stays happy and healthy!”
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The post, which has been liked nearly 1.2 million times, was inundated by fans, who shared their well wishes.
Chan was born on April 7, 1954.
He featured in over 30 martial arts films in Hong Kong before gaining global popularity in ‘Rumble In The Bronx’ in 1995.
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