Chan, 58, announced his decision at the Cannes Film Festival. His retirement is in part due to his age. Chan said he feels "too old" for the demanding stunts. He said that the upcoming film "Chinese Zodiac" will be his last action flick. "I am not young any more. I am really, really tired," he said.
Chan also remarked that he has become turned off by the increasing level of violence in films today. "The world is too violent right now. It's a dilemma -- I love fighting. I like action. but I don't like violence."
Indeed, fans of Chan's work will note that while his films have a tremendous number of impressive stunts, the action is rarely violent for the sake of being violent. There is usually some comedy and innocence mixed in.
While Chan may be hanging up his kung fu kicks, he's not retiring from acting. Chan said he wants to expand his range and take on more emotionally dramatic work.
"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. I want the audience to know also 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." Chan cited Robert De Niro and Clint Eastwood as his role models.
Chan is calling "Chinese Zodiac" one of the "most important" movies in his career. Chan stars as Asian Hawk, a man who searches the world for 12 bronze symbols from the Chinese zodiac. Chan wrote and directed, as well as kicked butt on screen.
Source: Yahoo
Jackie Chan Biography
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE (born Chan Kong-sang, 7 April 1954) is a Hong Kong-born Chinese stuntman, actor, and director whose perilous acrobatic stunts and engaging physical humour made him an action-film star in Asia and helped to bring kung fu movies into the mainstream of American cinema. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts. Jackie Chan has been acting since the 1960s and has appeared in over 100 films.
Chan has received stars on the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. As a cultural icon, Chan has been referenced in various pop songs, cartoons, and video games. An operatically trained vocalist, Chan is also a Cantopop and Mandopop star, having released a number of albums and sung many of the theme songs for the films in which he has starred. In addition to acting, Chan pursued a career in the Hong Kong music industry, releasing a number of original albums beginning in 1984. He founded the Jackie Chan Charitable Organization in 1998, which, among other projects, offers scholarships to Hong Kong youths, and he worked as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF.
Jackie Chan Photography
