PUBLISHED ONJune 24, 2025 9:45 AMByYeo Shu HuiWhile being a successful celebrity brings fame, wealth and attention, there are some who prefer to keep a low profile, such as Jet Li.
The 62-year-old China-born action star, who has been a Singaporean since 2009, explained his disappearance from the public eye in a Douyin Reel uploaded on June 20.
"I think I may be a bit of a recluse. As to whether it's serious to the extent that it has become a health condition, I don't know, but I do believe I may have some slight mental health issues," he said.
Jet, who debuted in showbiz in 1982, shared that he gained fame too early in his life.
He said: "After gaining popularity, wherever I go, people would want to get my autograph, and I realised I had lost myself. I can't even eat a meal outside because everyone would crowd around me to have a chat. If I don't smile, they would say I am not courteous.
"Eventually, I grew to be afraid of crowds. I didn't want to go outside, I didn't want to meet anyone."
He added that if someone wants his autograph or to take a photo with him, he must oblige, even though he had already fulfilled many of them and when he wasn't able to meet the requests, they would be unhappy.
"I can't satisfy everyone. When I see others unhappy, I feel a sense of fear and worry. I was unwilling to interact with others, go to gatherings or crowded places."
Jet felt that he should have been an athlete instead of an actor, as he would only have to focus on his performance.
As an actor and public figure, there would be people who take care of his appearance and he would have to take the centre position on stage and be everyone's focus.
He said: "I especially dislike things like these. I feel that as an athlete, I just need to show my results. It's good enough as long as someone watches my movies, why do I have to act as someone who is not my usual self? I am already acting (in my career), I wasn't happy having to act even in real life."
Jet added that because of this, he wasn't willing to do media interviews and go to crowded places other than for filming.
He also shared that to get out of being a recluse, he turned to doing charity work.
"Doing charity work and setting up One Foundation is not about me wanting to gain something out of it. I was thinking about what I should do for society, so I had to go and communicate with people and get them to donate.
"At the time, I spoke to all my friends in the entertainment and sports industry as well as people I didn't know... Because of that, I didn't have any struggles about my ego, I just felt it was something that I should do."
One Foundation is a charity founded by Jet in 2007 in China and focuses on disaster relief, children's welfare, training of public welfare professionals and funding grassroots charities.
He believed because he got himself to step out of his shell, it helped him to improve his social skills in public.
"Sometimes I think, when I am helping others, I am also helping myself to become someone who is more open to communicate with others," he said.
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