Jackie Chan Says He’ll Do His Own Stunts “Until the Day I Retire, Which Is Never”
After more than six decades of epic martial arts fighting, bone-breaking falls, and the kind of creative mayhem only Jackie Chan can deliver, you’d think he might finally retire doing his own stunts. But nope, Jackie isn’t slowing down. In fact, he says he’s not retiring. Ever.
Chan told Haute Living in a recent interview:
“Of course, I always do my own stunts. It’s who I am, That’s not changing until the day I retire, which is never! And to be honest, when you’ve done it for 64 years straight, there’s no physical preparation anymore. Everything is in your heart and soul; it is muscle memory.”
At 70, with over 150 screen credits under his belt and a legacy that’s defined the action genre, Chan is still all in. He’s set to reprise his role as Mr. Han in Karate Kid: Legends, and yes, he’s doing his own stunts.
Chan’s commitment to old-school, real-world stunt work hasn’t changed, even as Hollywood leans deeper into digital effects and safety-first setups. But while he remains a die-hard traditionalist, he’s not blind to how the industry has shifted or the risks that come with his craft.
“In the old days, the only [choice we had] was to be there and jump; that’s it. Today, with computers, actors can do anything, but there’s always a sense of reality that you feel is missing.”
That “sense of reality” is what Chan has always chased, but he’s also painfully aware of what it’s cost him. (If you’ve seen the blooper reels at the end of his movies, you know: this man has paid in full.) That’s why, despite his refusal to quit, he’s quick to caution others from following in his footsteps.
“It’s a double-edged sword. On one hand, actors become more and more capable of doing impossible stunts with the help of technology, and yet, on the other hand, the concept of danger and limit gets blurred and the audience is numb [to it].
“But I’m not encouraging anybody to risk their lives to do the stunts like I did; it truly is too dangerous.”
So, while Jackie Chan isn’t done crashing through windows or swinging from scaffolding, he’s also not asking anyone else to risk their neck to keep up. He’s just doing what he’s always done… being Jackie Chan, and apparently, that job doesn’t come with a retirement plan.
