Jackie Chan: Iron Man
Chalk up another war wound for the seemingly indestructible Jackie Chan.
The Hong Kong action hero reinjured his chest after being struck by a steel-reinforced table while filming a rumble on the set of Rush Hour 3 in Los Angeles.
In a production diary on his official Website dated Nov. 27, the 52-year-old Chan said he had already done three takes of a fight sequence and decided to change the choreography around for the fourth go-round, resulting in the mishap.
The actor was nailed in the same spot that had been dinged up in March on the set of his previous movie, the action comedy Rob-B-Hood. Following last week's incident, Chan stated that although he experienced terrible pain and discomfort—especially when he breathed deeply—he tried to soldier on, wearing a stunt belt across his chest to restrain his movement and taking painkillers in hopes of finishing the scene.
"Everybody could tell I was in a lot of pain, even though I tried to hide it," he wrote. "When somebody bumped into me by accident, I yelled, 'Ahhh!' "
Filmmakers decided to break to allow him to recover, but Chan found that he was still smarting when he moved his arms or stretched his chest, so producers halted shooting and insisted he go to a hospital to get checked out.
X-rays showed no broken bones or internal damage, and doctors gave him the all-clear to resume work.
"Even though I was badly bruised, and my soft tissues were probably torn, I was happy that I didn’t break any bones," said the martial-arts legend. "I went back to the stage, relieved to know that I was all right."
The workaholic Chan—who always performs his own spectacular stunts—went back to the set, this time wrapping a stunt pad around his entire upper body for extra protection.
Chan said the incident highlights the differences between Hong Kong and Hollywood.
"This is another reason why I enjoy working on an American film, because you are well taken care of. Even though I didn’t want to see a doctor, I really appreciated the fact that the producer made me go," Chan noted. "Now I know that I wasn’t badly injured and could continue filming."
(Whereas in Hong Kong, Chan would just get thrown through a plate glass window again.)
This isn't the first time Chan has suffered for his art, having sustained numerous injuries over his long movie career that usually wind up as outtakes in the credits of his films.
When not getting whacked by tables, hit by wayward nunchucks, kicked in the privates or sliced by stunt knives, Chan is plenty busy, serving as a cultural ambassador for China and as tourism ambassador for Hong Kong. He's also an entrepreneur, and recently launched the Jackie Chan Organic Skin Care Line—the latest in the ever-expanding list of Chan-fronted businesses that also include restaurants, fitness clubs, a fashion line and cookies.
Rush Hour 3, which reunites Chan with costar Chris Tucker and director Brett Ratner, is set to hit theaters next summer. After that, the action hero is set to lend his voice to DreamWorks' animated film Kung Fu Panda and then appear onscreen for the first time with fellow martial arts master Jet Li in an untitled film due out in 2008.
The Big Picture
Baby Boom Katherine and her daughter, Naleigh, celebrate the arrival of a new little cousin in Los Feliz
More PhotosMost Commented
- Bitch-Back! Breaking News—Johnny's a Hottie (915)
- Costars and Suits Give Robsten Their Blessings! (650)
- Blab Blab Blab: Is Twilight Sexist? (552)
- Truth, Lies & Ted: Twilight Special (478)
- Why Won't Sarah Palin Go Away? (440)
- Bitch-Back! What's Brad Got to Do With It? (426)
- Is New Moon Even Good? (419)
- Is Ugly Betty Ending? And Who Gets the Girl? (417)
- Adam Lambert: For Your Entertainment—or His? (387)
- Review: New Moon Is Either Just Fine or Way Mopey, Depending On Who You Are (343)
Top 10 Stories
- New Sweet Home for Khloé and Lamar
- Sarah Jessica Parker Surrogate's Alleged Invader Found Somewhat Guilty
- No, New Moon Absolutely, Positively Didn't Beat Dark Knight
- Modern Family: Is Shakira Getting In On the Act?
- TLC Lets the Door Hit Jon (Not So Much Kate) on the Way Out
- Jennifer Lopez Stumbles for East Coasters Only
- Michael Jackson's Cash-Strapped Doctor Returns to Work
- Taylor Swift Tops Even Michael Jackson at American Music Awards
- Carrie Prejean the Hot Topic at Miss California USA Pageant
- New Moon Makes a Lot of Money (But Not Quite Batman Money)
Fashion Police
Bring On the DramaLeave it to fearless fashionista Rihanna to make the fiercest statement on the AMAs red carpet
More Photos
Latest Movie Reviews
Get Your E! News Now
0 Comments
Now loading...