Anndrea A Webber
ANN/THE STAR – If there is any word that perfectly describes Jackie Chan, it would be dedicated.
Since making his martial arts breakthrough with John Woo’s Hand Of Death in 1976, Chan has wowed audiences with his incredible stunts and kung fu skills in over 150 films.
At 69, the committed actor shows no signs of slowing down.
This is evident in his latest action-comedy film, Ride On, which tells the story of a washed-up stuntman named Luo (Chan) and his trusty horse, Red Hare.
After fading out of the industry due to a failed stunt that left him in a coma, Luo finds a second chance at redemption when a video of him and Red Hare’s confrontation with debt collectors goes viral.
When Luo receives a legal notice that his horse will be seized, he reluctantly seeks the help of his estranged daughter Bao (Liu Haocun) and her lawyer boyfriend Mickey (Kevin Guo).
However, conflict arises when Bao chastises her father for putting Red Hare’s life in danger by making the horse do dangerous stunts for his films.
For this movie, Chan did many risky stunts, including jumping off a 120-metre-high Ferris wheel and falling off a horse.
According to production notes, the action star postponed his surgery and was on cortisone injections for four consecutive days to relieve his pain.
At the film’s premiere in Beijing, Chan explained that he was just fulfilling his duties as a stuntman.
“I’m used to this because I’ve been doing stunts from before.
“It’s just that because of my age now, many think I’m incapable of it… so I want to do this as proof that I’ve still got what it takes,” he said.
Chan debuted as a stuntman at 17, and his work spans over five decades.
Despite having spent such a long time in the action scene, the Kung Fu Yoga star said he has no plans on leaving and will continue making action films for as long as he’s able.
“In the past, I used to perform stunts for a living. Then, it was for cinema. This time, I’m doing it for myself… to prove that I am capable of doing things no ordinary person my age can do.
“As long as I can move and fight, I will keep releasing a movie each year for all my fans,” he shared, with a smile.
His work ethic and tenacity was praised by many in the production team.
At the film’s press conference held a day before StarLifestyle’s interview, actress Liu was unable to hold back her tears as she spoke about how dedicated her on-screen father was to his art.
“It’s a great honour to work alongside Jackie. I was very touched by his fighting spirit and seeing the way he portrays the struggles that stuntmen face on set daily.
“I hope that, in the future, once I discover something I’m truly passionate about, I’ll be as determined as Jackie and work hard for it,” the 24-year-old said, before hugging Chan onstage.
Meanwhile, Guo shared that working with the action superstar has inspired him to live enthusiastically.
“Big brother (Chan) has been making films for so long yet he still has a strong sense of love and curiosity for the industry.
“His mindset and hobbies are very simple. On the set of Ride On, he liked sharing stories about his past experiences.
“Despite his age, he still has a pure heart. It’s really admirable. I hope that when I reach his age, I can live as enthusiastically as he does,” the 27-year-old said.
