“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,” Chan, who is best known for movies such as “Police Story” and “Rush Hour,” wrote on Instagram Sunday.
“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.”
Chan, who turned 70 on Sunday, struck a sentimental tone in the post, expressing surprise that he had reached the milestone so quickly.
“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,’” he wrote.
“Especially for us stunt people, we don’t know how lucky we are to be able to grow old.”
Hong Kong-born Chan suffered multiple injuries at the beginning of his career in martial arts movies, and became known as a top stuntman.
He wrote that he has “been in the entertainment business for 62 years and I cherish every moment because I’m lucky I’m still filming today,” and included a number of photos from throughout his career.
“Looking at these photos brings back so many fond memories. All I can say is: I love making movies and I love you all,” he wrote, signing off: “A big thank you to everyone for all your birthday wishes. Hope everyone stays happy and healthy!”
