Happy birthday Jackie Chan! The martial artist and screen legend turned 70 on Sunday, April 7, and shared a rare personal post on social media to mark the milestone day.
Amid swathes of messages from his legions of fans and famous friends, the actor reflected on his illustrious career, which has lasted over six decades, and his time in the spotlight.
"Even before today, many friends have been reminding me: 'Jackie, it's going to be your 70th birthday!'" he penned. "Every time I hear this number, my heart would stop for a second – l'm 70 years old already?"
© Getty ImagesWhile he found the revelation to be shocking at first, he continued: "After recovering from the shock, the second thing that would come to my mind is a saying that my big brother, Sammo Hung once said: 'being able to grow old is a fortunate thing.'
"Especially for us stunt people, we don't know how lucky we are to be able to grow old."
The actor then addressed recent photos of him that had come out, which featured him looking much older than his years, although implored his fans and friends not to fret.
"Not so long ago, a lot of friends saw some recent photos of me on the internet, and they were all concerned about my health," Jackie penned. "I want to take this opportunity to let everyone know, don't worry!"
"It's just a character appearance for my latest movie. The character requires me to have white hair, white beard and look old."
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He wrote about his willingness to take on new guises and transform for his roles, which have included action-packed classics like Police Story and the Rush Hour franchise.
© Getty Images"Over the years, I've always been willing to try new things for a movie, no matter if it's a challenging stunt or a breakthrough appearance for a character. I've been in the entertainment business for 62 years and I cherish every moment because I'm lucky I'm still filming today."
Jackie continued: "Recently my staff have been going through my photo archives and found so many memorable photos. I've selected a few to post with this message."
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"Looking at these photos brings back so many fond memories. All I can say is: I love making movies and I love you all."
© Getty ImagesHe sweetly concluded: "A big thank you to everyone for all your birthday wishes. Hope everyone stays happy and healthy!"
He received several sweet messages in response, like: "Happy birthday our childhood legend, you left the greatest legacy behind you, all the world knows jackie chan!" and: "Thank you Jackie, you made my childhood and I want to give you flowers while you still here," as well as: "We love you Jackie. Wishing you an amazing adventure for your next journey around the sun."
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Jackie received a very special tribute, however, from Will Smith, who credited the actor with helping raise his son Jaden when the two starred together in 2010's The Karate Kid.
"In addition to making some of my FAVORITE movies of all time, creating some of the CRAZIEST moments that have ever been captured on film – I thank you most for helpin' to raise Jaden," he wrote. "Our time with you in Beijing during the Karate Kid left an eternal impact on our entire family."
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