“I have a hole in my head”: Jackie Chan Details Every Body Part He Has Broken in Movies and His Answer Will Scare You
Jackie Chan’s willingness to perform dangerous stunts has made him an action movie icon, but also left him with many serious injuries over his long career. A new interview reveals the full extent of the broken bones, burns, and near-death experiences Chan has endured making over 150 films. Jackie Chan details every body part he has broken in movies and his answer will scare you.
Jackie Chan, the legendary Hong Kong martial artist and actor, is known for performing his own death-defying stunts in his action comedy films. In a recent interview, Chan detailed the shocking number of injuries he has sustained over his long career.
Fractures and Dislocations to Almost Every Bone
Chan estimates he has broken almost every bone in his body at some point doing stunts for his films.
“I have a hole in my head, I have broken my back, broke my spine, my neck, my nose, my ankle, my chin, my cheekbones, my toes, and my forearm,” Chan admitted.
In total, he thinks he’s cracked his head over 10 times and had his nose broken at least 5 times.
One of his worst injuries was on the set of Armour of God in 1986, where he fell and fractured his skull. Doctors had to implant a plastic plug to replace the missing bone fragment and he still has lasting damage. In another frightening accident, while filming Police Story in 1985, Chan dislocated his pelvis after falling through a glass canopy.
Severe Burn Injuries Filming Dangerous Fire Stunts
In addition to broken bones, Chan has suffered severe burns doing stunts involving fire. On the set of The Forbidden Kingdom in 2007, he received second and third-degree burns on his forearms and thighs during a scene where he was engulfed in flames while fighting Jet Li. Chan was hospitalized for severe burns and still has scars today.
During the filming of Crime Story in 1993, a simple stunt with a metal lighter went horribly wrong. “That one-second burn all my clothes, my eyelashes, my eyebrows, my hair…I was so close to death,” Chan said. He was left with permanent damage to his eyebrows and parts of his scalp from the flames.
Multiple Near-Death Experiences During Risky Stunts
Chan admits he’s almost died multiple times attempting dangerous stunts. On the set of Armour of God II in 1991, he narrowly escaped death when he fell from a tree and damaged his spine. While filming Police Story 3 in 1993, he was nearly paralyzed when he dislocated his cervical spine during a stunt involving an umbrella.
In perhaps his closest brush with death, Jackie Chan performed a dangerous stunt for 1985’s The Protector where he jumped onto a moving hovercraft. He missed the target and found himself clinging directly to the speeding vehicle’s exhaust as it kept moving. “If I let go, I’m dead. My hands started burning on the exhaust…I kept holding and it took me 25 minutes to climb back up,” Chan said.
After decades of performing jaw-droppingly risky stunts, few would blame Jackie Chan if he decided to use stunt doubles or CGI effects at his age. But even in his late 60s, Chan insists on doing all his own stunts – accepting the danger and grueling physical punishment that comes with it. He acknowledges the lasting damage accumulated over a long career but has no plans to slow down. As Chan says, “A little pain is not a big deal for me.” His willingness to sacrifice his body for authenticity has cemented his legacy as a true martial arts legend.
Source: youtube
