Jackie Chan: The Man Who Cheats Death with Every Stunt
Jackie Chan's Most Severe Physical Mishaps - Most severe injuries sustained by Jackie Chan
Hey there! Ever wondered what it means to push your limits? Well, you haven't met Jackie Chan yet. At 71, this action legend is still going strong, defying gravity, and bending the bounds of human endurance. A guest on Haute Living’s cover story, Chan confirms he's his own stunt double - and shows no sign of slowing down.
"I'll never retire!" Chan asserts, chuckling. "If I don't do my own stunts, I'm not Jackie Chan!" he adds, with his signature swagger. After six decades in the biz, preparation isn't about physical training anymore, but heart and soul, and muscle memory.
But let's not forget the price he's paid for his art. Over six decades, Jackie Chan has sustained more than his fair share of injuries. Some were close shaves that should've ended his career – or his life.
Almost Fatal Fall from Grace
On the set of "Armour of God" some 40 years back, a fateful mistake almost claimed his life. In a stunt gone wrong, a tree branch snapped as he leaped. Falling about eight meters onto the rocks below, he fractured his skull and had a brain hemorrhage. Incredibly, he landed on his shoulder, avoiding a potentially fatal head injury. A multi-hour surgery and a metal plate in his scalp now serve as reminders of the day he should've met his maker.
Ten years earlier, during "Hand of Death", a misstep during a stunt left his head tenderizing a concrete floor. Miraculously, he recovered, proving that even broken bones can heal.
Dancing with Death in Film
In "The Cannonball Run" (1983), Chan took a terrifying fall from a clocktower, barely missing paralysis. Two awnings managed to halt his descent, but not before he broke his neck. Other parts of the movie saw him break his nose and fingers. But Chan is no quitter, so he soldiered on.
In "Police Story" (1985), Chan managed to rake up five injuries in one stunt. Jumping onto a shopping mall pole and sliding through a glass window, he experienced electric shocks, burns on his hands, pelvic and spine injuries, and a broken finger.
Jackie Chan has narrowly avoided going blind in one eye for nearly 50 years. In his 1978 classic "Drunken Master", a kung-fu kick from co-star Hwang Jang-Lee resulted in damage to his right eye socket. Pure luck and immediate treatment enabled him to keep both eyes.
This is just a glimpse of the countless injuries Chan has lived to tell the tale about. Even as he faces the challenge of his new film "Karate Kid: Legends" (due for German cinemas on May 29), there's no doubt he'll give it his all. And who knows? Maybe he'll pick up a new scar or two along the way.
- Jackie Chan
- Action movie
- Injury
- Haute Living magazine
- Luck
- Stunt double
- Despite the numerous injuries he has received over the decades, Jackie Chan, the action movie legend, shows no signs of slowing down, asserting that he will never retire and considers his own stunts as a testament to his identity.
- In an interview with Haute Living magazine, Jackie Chan, the stunt-oriented actor, confirmed his status as his own stunt double, indicating that his preparation for action movies is now more about heart and soul, rather than physical training.
- Jackie Chan, the action movie star, has had several close calls with fatal injuries throughout his career, such as a fall from a tree branch on the set of "Armour of God" and a near-paralyzing fall from a clocktower in "The Cannonball Run."
- In "Police Story" (1985), Jackie Chan, the action movie icon, incurred five injuries in a single stunt when he jumped onto a shopping mall pole and slid through a glass window, resulting in electric shocks, skin burns, pelvic and spine injuries, and a broken finger.
- Jackie Chan, who has nearly gone blind in one eye for almost 50 years due to an injury sustained during the filming of "Drunken Master," continues to push his limits in the face of danger, preparing for his new film "Karate Kid: Legends."
