Hong Kong actor and filmmaker, Jackie Chan finally spoke up about whether or not he will retire after turning 71 on April 7, 2025. In fact, he has been doing martial arts scenes in various films without using a stuntman for decades.
In an interview with Haute Living for his latest film, Karate Kid : Legends, the Hong Kong actor did not give a direct answer to the question of retirement, he only confirmed that he would continue to do various martial arts scenes without a replacement.
"Of course, I always want to do all my own stunts. That's who I am," Jackie Chan said in the interview. "That will never change until I retire, which I will never change!" "When you've been doing it for almost 64 years straight, there's no physical preparation," Jackie Chan added.
"It's all in your heart and soul. It's muscle memory." Jackie Chan began his film career by starring in the Cantonese film Big and Little Wong Tin Bar as an extra at the age of 8. Ten years later, he was chosen as a stuntman in the Bruce Lee films Fist of Fury (1972) and Enter the Dragon (1973).
Shanghai Daily reported in 2023 that when Jackie Chan was still a stuntman, he was willing to do a number of dangerous scenes, such as jumping from a speeding truck to hanging from a helicopter. Even after the actor's name began to soar in the global scene since 1978, Jackie Chan remained steadfast in continuing to do all his action scenes alone.
He was even said to have suffered injuries many times, from minor injuries to broken bones that required medical surgery. Today, Jackie Chan remains committed to doing all his action scenes alone, while more and more actors today are doing their action scenes using computer technology.
"In the past, the only way was to be there and jump, that was it," Chan said, as reported by the New York Post on Wednesday May 7, 2025. "Now, with computers, actors can do anything, but there's always a sense of reality that you feel is lost."
"Technology is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, actors can become more successful in performing impossible stunts with the help of technology. However, on the other hand, the concept of danger and boundaries is now blurred and the audience loses its sense of thrill," he explained.
"But I don't recommend anyone to risk their lives doing the stunts I did," Chan continued, "It's really, really dangerous." Jackie Chan also admitted that when he was still early in his career, he did not have many choices, especially when he first entered the world of Hollywood.
But with his name now getting bigger, Chan really enjoys the time where he can do anything. "Hollywood is the place to be, no matter how big you are in your home country," Chan said. "There, you can be an international star."
"In Hollywood, in the beginning, I had no choice but now I choose whatever I want," he continued. "I'm lucky - now I can do whatever I want. When you become a big name in Hollywood, you can say, 'No, I don't want to do this, I prefer this and that!'" said Jackie Chan.
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