Jackie Chan Retires From Action Movies

• BobYoMeowMeow wrote on 2012-05-18 20:29

  The 58-year-old actor said he felt “really, really tired” after decades of pushing his body to the limit.
  Speaking in Cannes, Chan said that his latest Hollywood outing, Chinese Zodiac, would be the last time audiences see him in a leading action role.
  “This is my last action film,” he said. “I tell you, I’m not young any more. I’m really, really tired.
  “And the world is too violent right now. It’s a dilemma - I like action but I don’t like violence.”
  Chan has been talking of retirement for the past couple of years but said today that this time he really means it.
  He is not giving up his acting career, however. Chan would like to move into more serious roles.
  “For the last 10 years I have been making some other different movies. I want to be an Asian Robert De Niro. I don’t just want to be an action star, I want to be a true actor. I want to get rid of my image,” he said.
  “I want the audience to know I’m not only a comedian. I can act. Day by day, year by year, I’m going to show you the real Jackie Chan.”
  Chinese Zodiac is Chan’s 100th film and features an international cast.
  Chan is known for performing almost all of his own stunts. Producer Brett Ratner, re-teaming with Chan following their successful partnership in the Rush Hour films, said: “Jackie is superhuman. He does things that no actor would ever do.
  “In Hollywood we would do a green screen and put the actors on wires and pretend they were inthe sky. Jackie does it for real.
  “No other actor, I don’t care who they are, can do what Jackie Chan can do.”
  Chan has been performing on screen since the 1960s and his martial arts skills were developed at an early age.
  In his teens, he worked as a stuntman on the Bruce Lee films Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon. The Hong Kong-born actor became a crossover Hollywood star in the 1990s with hits including Rumble In The Bronx, Rush Hour and Shanghai Noon.
  More recently, he voiced Master Monkey in Kung Fu Panda and played a Mr Miyagi-style character in the 2010 remake of The Karate Kid.

  
  
  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/cannes-film-festival/9274513/Cannes-2012-Jackie-Chan-to-retire-from-action-movies.html
  
  as we're still on the topic of martial art movies
  is there still any martial art actors left?
  
  also
  in honor of Jackie Chan
  [video=youtube;cI1AwZN4ZYg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cI1AwZN4ZYg[/video]
• Rin wrote on 2012-05-18 20:45
  Solid action star history. He's led a good career.
  
  "Rumble in the Bronx" was pretty good.
• Excalibur wrote on 2012-05-18 20:47
  I wonder of the reason behind the lack of use of safety equipment and such.
• BobYoMeowMeow wrote on 2012-05-18 20:48

  Quote from Excalibur;866846:

  I wonder of the reason behind the lack of use of safety equipment and such.

  
  
  because he's a man
  and real men do real stunts
  [video=youtube;5SLJJc8siyU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SLJJc8siyU[/video]
• TLCBonaparte wrote on 2012-05-18 21:13
  He's been great and I think it's wise to quit. Not many people have the sense to quit when it's time. I have nothing but respect for this man.
• MareneCorp wrote on 2012-05-18 21:14
  His movies are great, hope he lives a long, happy life :thumb:
• Juno wrote on 2012-05-18 21:14
  Living legend, for real.
• Chillax wrote on 2012-05-18 21:30
  He's been pretty active, so I'd expect he'd be pretty tired. IIRC, there was a story about how he was so busy that on one of his off days that when he went to his son's elementary school to pick him up, he was told by one of the teachers that his son was already in middle school.
• Taycat wrote on 2012-05-18 21:50
  He has done so much, he deserves to rest and relax.
• Chinaboy475 wrote on 2012-05-18 22:04
  Jackie Chan is just amazing. I give him my full respect and wish him a good retirement. It was a good run.
• Cucurbita wrote on 2012-05-18 22:17
  At 58, it was inevitable. He's damn old. But he's also so healthy.
  
  Still, I noticed his movements slowing since he was like 45. He was just faster and better in earlier movies.
• Xxazurekitex wrote on 2012-05-18 23:56
  Man...*Reflects on every Jackie Chan movie I've seen.*
  
  Good times..good time.
• Blassreiter wrote on 2012-05-19 00:52
  He's even awesome in anime:
  
  [video=youtube;spctv_iBXXQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spctv_iBXXQ[/video]
  
  [video=youtube;5lZwbsEFhuI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lZwbsEFhuI[/video]
• Sinned wrote on 2012-05-19 01:13
  You know, I would've never guessed he was in his late 50s; he still looks pretty damn good.
  
  I think I'll join in on the movie marathon.
  
  Edit: I want to see this happen
  

  “For the last 10 years I have been making some other different movies. I want to be an Asian Robert De Niro. I don’t just want to be an action star, I want to be a true actor. I want to get rid of my image,” he said.

• Blassreiter wrote on 2012-05-19 02:03

  Quote from Sinned;867058:

  You know, I would've never guessed he was in his late 50s; he still looks pretty damn good.
  
  I think I'll join in on the movie marathon.
  
  Edit: I want to see this happen

  
  
  Sadly, unless Hollywood changes standards (which is make a white guy the main character in most movies) don't expect Jackie Chan to play in a role like that. My teacher once said that "Hollywood never makes the Chinese actor play a role other than a martial artist or a Chinese Food deliverer. That's how it is". He's right about that because most people like movies because they can relate to the protagonist in some way. That's why Hollywood always makes most main characters in a non-action movie a white person (sometimes black because as I know of Whites and Blacks are the highest concentration in America). I don't blame Hollywood for doing this because if they put a character that is a minority (i.e. Asian) they won't be able to rake in a lot of viewers because most viewers would only watch it if they can put themselves into the protagonist. Well, that's what I'd expect anyway.
  
  tl;dr Don't expect an Asian (or another minority for that matter) to play as a main character in a non-action (or a stereotypical role) role.