Jackie Chan wanted to 'give up' his acting dreams before seeing Karate Kid and Rocky
Jackie Chan wanted to 'give up' his acting dreams before seeing Karate Kid and Rocky.
PHOTO: Instagram/Jackie Chan
PUBLISHED ONMay 29, 2025 8:56 AM
Jackie Chan wanted to "give up" his acting dreams before seeing Karate Kid and Rocky.
The 71-year-old movie legend — who plays kung fu mentor Mr Han in new movie Karate Kid: Legends — has opened up on how the original 1984 film inspired him to keep going with his own Hollywood dreams.
He told Extra: "This year, I'm in the film industry 64 years.
"I remember when I was a stunt guy, at that time, action movie not popular anymore [sic]. We didn't know what to do. I tried to give up.
"Then, when the Karate Kid came, I went with some friends, we bought the ticket, we went to see it. And when I saw it, I saw the energy, I saw the positive message, then I thought, 'I should not give up. Life knocks me down, I get back up'.
"Then I go back to training… another movie coming up called Rocky. Then I see Rocky, Eye of the Tiger, wow! And suddenly full of energy. [sic]"
At the time, he was focused on training in the dojo, but a director saw his moves and instantly advised him to take a big step.
He recalled: "'You be an actor'. Luckily, I didn't give up. I still keep training. That makes me today."
The Rush Hour actor turned 71 in April, but Jackie isn't interested in slowing down, revealing that he'll always perform his own stunts and that he has no plans to retire.
Speaking to Haute Living magazine, Jackie shared: "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!"
Jackie is well known for performing acrobatic and innovative stunts. But at this stage in his career, Jackie doesn't require much preparations for his action scenes.
The movie star explained: "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."
Jackie noted that technological advances have also changed the movie business.
The Foreigner star said: "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."
Source: Bang
