Jackie Chan Responds to Fans Worried About His Health

Jackie Chan

On April 7, Jackie Chan celebrated a milestone birthday: turning 70. The Rush Hour actor marked the special occasion by sharing a carousel of throwback photos of himself through the years.

In the process, Chan also addressed fans' recent worries about his health.

“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 via Instagram. “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.”

Throughout Chan's career, he explained he has "always been willing to try new things for a movie" regardless if it's a "challenging stunt or a breakthrough appearance for a character."

The Karate Kid actor continued: "I’ve been in the entertainment business for 62 years and I cherish every moment because I’m lucky I’m still filming today."

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For those curious, the photo that caused concern for Chan's health showed him holding a microphone while sitting on stage. The actor's hair and beard were noticeably silver instead of his usual dark-colored hair.

It is unclear for which role Chan switched up his look. However, he was cast in a new Karate Kid movie slated to release in December 2024. Chan will reprise his role as Mr. Han from Sony’s 2010 Karate Kid remake starring Jaden Smith—except he will star alongside actors from the original 1984 film, Ralph Macchio and William Zabka.

Whatever role Chan went gray for, we are glad he is healthy and doing well!

Next: Jackie Chan Describes His Most Serious Injury and What Inspired His Charitable Side