‘Hire Me As The Iron Man': Jackie Chan Talked To Me About Doing Stunts Into His 70s, And Why He's ‘Happy' To Keep Doing Them
Where did the time go? Jackie Chan just turned 71 in April, but you wouldn't know it considering all the work he's been up to, primarily in Chinese cinema. It's been a little while since the actor has been aroun Hollywood, but he's back for the upcoming 2025 movie Karate Kid: Legends! When CinemaBlend spoke to the actor about his current thoughts on doing his own stunts in movies, he shared with us why he's ready to deliver more punches and kicks now and for years to come.
When I spoke to Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio and Ben Wang, the leads of Karate Kid: Legends, I had to ask Chan about his stunt work ethic nowadays and how it's changed over the years. In his words:
I'm so happy to see the technology coming up and AI, but for me, useless. The audience still likes to see Jackie do the real things, and poor me. I always tell all directors, please hire me as the Iron Man, Spider-Man, Batman [so my character can wear a mask]. And, [that way I can do] more acting than fighting, more story...
As Chan pointed out, while the advancement in technology may have had a large impact on Hollywood movies in recent years, it's all 'useless' to his own career because audiences want to see him really fight. The actor quipped that he'd love to play a masked superhero like Iron Man, Spider-Man and Batman so he can focus more on the story aspects of his character. At the same time, though, he cannot deny what he's been famous for since finding his first starring martial arts role in Hong Kong's New Fist Of Fury back in 1976. As Chan continued:
But they say 'No, they want to see Jackie do the real things.' I know 20, 40 years ago, you could do a triple kick in the sky, and later on, 40 years later, then you [could] do a double kick. Now, you do one kick. We like to see Jackie do only one kick. Poor me, but I'm happy to do that. In the end, they like it. I will tell all my friends, 'No matter if I still can act, I still can fight. Every year I release one movie for the fans around the world.'
Chan got honest about how his limits as a fighter have somewhat declined with age, but that's not going to stop people from loving to see him do stunts. His comments to me come after he told Haute Living he will 'of course' 'always' do his own stunts and that wouldn't change 'until the day I retire, which is never!' He also told the magazine that since he's been doing it for the past 64 years, 'there's no physical preparation anymore,' but it's rather 'muscle memory' for him.
I also spoke to Karate Kid: Legends director Jonathan Entwistle, who set out to make a movie likened to an early Jackie Chan movie with the star's return to the franchise for the first time since 2010's The Karate Kid with Jaden Smith. He recalled Jackie Chan getting injured on the first day of shooting, taking it like a champ and going right back into filming the movie. Entwistle also detailed Chan coming on set, and witnessing him choose which different size pans (for a kitchen-set fight scene) he would utilize them for his trademark comedic fighting style.
Chan's comments highlight his commitment to fans who've helped make him as successful as he is, while also pointing out the actor's desire to not only be known for fighting. In fact, he recently also told People he wants audiences to know 'I'm the actor who can fight' rather than simply an action star, and doesn't want to 'always do the same character.'
You can check out the latest Karate Kid: Legends trailer and see Jackie Chan help train Ben Wang's Li Fong alongside Ralph Macchio's Daniel, only in theaters on Friday, May 30. (And, heads up there's an exclusive popcorn bucket for the release!)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Eater
2 hours ago
- Eater
The Biggest Restaurant Openings Around Philly, July 2025
is the deputy editor of Eater's Northeast region, covering Boston, Philly, D.C. and New York. Based in Boston, she has spent years covering the local restaurant industry. Welcome to Eater Philly's guide to the notable restaurants, bars, and cafes that opened around the city in July 2025, from a coffee shop and cafe by the acclaimed Down North team to all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue and hot pot at the King of Prussia mall. If there's an opening in your neighborhood that we've missed, let us know at philly@ Out West, a daytime coffee shop and cafe from Muhammad Abdul-Hadi of the acclaimed Down North pizzeria, is now open in West Philly. Much like the pizzeria, which exclusively hires formerly incarcerated individuals, Out West also has a mission-driven mindset and is focused on second-chance hiring. 5127 Walnut Street Gather 'round at the new Italian Family Pizza in Center City for 24-inch pizzas and meatballs made using recipes from owner Steven Calozzi's grandmother, according to the Inquirer. 1701 Ben Franklin Parkway KPOT, an international chain of restaurants featuring all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue and hot pot, has opened an outpost at the King of Prussia mall. 160 North Gulph Road Mana Modern Chinese, an upscale Chinese BYOB spot from restaurateur Tom Lau (Aki Nom Nom, Feng Hot Pot), is now open in Northern Liberties, the Inquirer reports. 719 North Second Street Cafe chain Toastique, which, as the name suggests, is a place to go for fancy toasts piled high with avocado, smoked salmon, tomato, burrata, and more, has opened an outpost in Newtown Square. 108 Squire Drive In Bella Vista, local vodka soda company Two Robbers Spirits Co. has debuted the Lodge, a restaurant and cocktail bar that highlights those vodka sodas, plus martinis, and other cocktails to go along with pub fare like burgers and fish and chips. 738 South 11th Street Feast on plump khinkali, cheesy khachapuri, and more at Kinto, a fancy new Georgian restaurant now open in Fishtown. 1144 Frankford Avenue Eater Philly All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
David Ellison Met With FCC Chairman in Push to Finalize Approval for Paramount Deal
Skydance chief David Ellison met with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr earlier this week as the entertainment executive seeks to complete FCC approval for his company's acquisition of Paramount Global, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Ellison met with Carr, his chief of staff Greg Watson, and Ben Arden, special counsel in the Office of the Bureau Chief of the Media Bureau, on Tuesday, July 15. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'Late Show' Shocker: CBS Ending Late-Night Franchise in 2026 Inside the $3 Billion 'South Park' Fight That May Blow Up Its Future 'South Park' Global Fans Furious as Show Pulled From Paramount+ Amid Licensing Dispute As part of that meeting, Ellison also 'discussed Skydance's commitment to unbiased journalism and its embrace of diverse viewpoints, principles that will ensure CBS's editorial decision-making reflects the varied ideological perspectives of American viewers,' according to an ex parte filing Skydance submitted to the FCC. The meeting comes as the FCC appears to be nearing a decision on the transfer of CBS broadcast licenses, as organizations like the Teamsters and Center for American Rights plead their case for what concessions the FCC should seek. Last week, representatives for the CBS Television Network Affiliates Association met with the FCC to push for guarantees related to local resources. The commitment to local also came up in the meeting. 'With respect to the Transaction's significant public interest benefits, we explained the Ellison family and RedBird represent fresh leadership with the vision and experience needed to drive New Paramount's long-term growth in the face of the challenges presented by today's media landscape, all while preserving and enhancing the legacy and broad reach of both the national CBS television network and the company's 28 owned-and-operated local television stations,' the filing said. As THR previously noted, the question of DEI also appears to have come up in the meeting, with the FCC requiring any company seeking to get a deal done to agree to end any support for such programs. The filing noted Skydance's 'commitment to promoting non-discrimination and equal employment opportunity at New Paramount, ensuring the company is fully compliant with law,' suggesting that it is prepared to follow that precedent, which has been agreed to by T-Mobile, Verizon, and other companies under FCC review. And Ellison addressed concerns that some companies had made about a stake that the Chinese company Tencent has in the company, noting that it is a non-voting, passive stake that will be equal to less than 5 percent of the company's equity post-deal. 'We made clear that Mr. Ellison will lead New Paramount with a talented team of executives focused on American storytelling, and that RedBird's investment in New Paramount will not involve any participation by any Chinese entity or individual,' the filing says. Paramount has been among the most-closely watched media companies in the world over the past few weeks, following the company's $16 million settlement with President Trump. A shock decision to cancel the Late Show with Stephen Colbert made this week has only propelled that chatter. Ellison's meeting with the FCC suggests that the company's future, one way or the other, will be decided soon, and that he is preparing to make changes if and when he and his partners at RedBird take control. Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Alien: Earth creator says the upcoming sci-fi show will dedicate more screentime than any of the movies to the Xenomorph, Facehuggers, and a few new creatures: "I am trying to re-mystify Alien"
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Get ready Alien fans, because the first TV show in the franchise is set to have even more Xenomorphs, Facehuggers, and creatures than ever before, with more screentime than the monsters were allowed in previous movies. "We're seeing more [of the] Xenomorph than any of these movies," Alien: Earth director Dana Gonzales to Collider. "All the movies, if you really study them, are like, 20 frames, two seconds, they show the Xenomorph. We have huge sequences where all you're seeing is the Xenomorph." But the Xenomorph has had a little upgrade, as creator Noah Hawley said, "I always felt like it was the least effective when it looked like a guy in a suit," pointing out that the Xenomorph in the original movie can look a little too human at some points. "It's very black in the movie. I wanted to play into more of the bug-like quality of it, so maybe it falls a little more in the roach coloration." Oh, and it can jump too. Director Gonzales explained how with new stunt techniques and wirework, the team was able to "fly the Xeno around," and feature the monster in its full glory rather than only showing parts of it, like so many of the Alien movies do. "So it's not so much just coming out and scaring you and having that kind of jump scare," said Gonzales. "It's literally flying through the air. It's chasing. There's a lot that supports the fact that you see it, and I don't know if those other films had that." As well as the Xenomorph, the show will include a bunch of different creatures. The series begins with a team of space explorers aboard the USCSS Maginot, researching five different Alien lifeforms, including the Orchid, the Eye Midge, the Facehugger, and the Xenomorph. However, when the spacecraft crash-lands on Earth, the creatures are set loose. In the most recent Alien: Earth trailer, we saw a baby Xenomorph, a strange flower-bud-like creature, and an infected goat. But just because you have seen some of those creatures before, don't expect to know exactly how they operate. "I am trying to re-mystify Alien," said Hawley. "So much of what made that first movie and the second movie so horrifying was that every time you thought you knew what the lifecycle of this creature was, it just got worse… I've tried to come up with ways that the show returns that sense of, 'What's going to happen next? That's so gross!'" Alien: Earth stars Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Samuel Blenkin, Essie Davis, Adarsh Gourav, Kit Young, Timothy Olyphant, and more. Alien: Earth premieres on FX and Hulu in the US on August 12, and will start streaming on Disney Plus in the UK from August 13. For more, check out our list of the best alien movies, and keep up with the most exciting upcoming shows. Solve the daily Crossword
