Iconic movie star Jackie Chan is retiring from action films.
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.
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