Jackie Chan on his plans to make action movies into his 70s, as well as voicing animated films like Lego Ninjago
I want to do anything I can in movies, says Hong Kong martial arts superstar, determined to keep extending himself at 63 yet not thinking about quitting action roles – and still surprised about that Oscar
Jackie Chan would probably be perfectly happy if he didn’t break any more bones.
For decades, the Hong Kong-born action superstar has put his life on the line performing mind-boggling stunts, kung fu fights and acrobatic feats, racking up injuries along the way to virtually every part of his body. Fractured skull, dislocated pelvis, shattered ankle, cracked vertebrae – you name it, he’s probably had it in a cast or a sling at some point.
Chan is not about to retire from action films; he stars in the revenge thriller The Foreigner, opening on September 30 in China and October 13 in the United States, as a man hunting down those responsible for a London terrorist attack that killed his daughter. But at the age of 63, he is understandably looking for other, less death-defying ways to entertain audiences as well – like, say, voicing characters in animated kids’ movies.
Chan also co-stars in The Lego Ninjago Movie, which opens on September 28 in Hong Kong, as a martial-arts guru named Master Wu who helps guide young ninjas in their battle against the evil Lord Garmadon.
On a recent afternoon, we sat down with Chan to talk about the freedom of doing cartoons, the challenges of being an ageing action icon and the thrill of winning an Oscar last year.