Jackie Chan took to social media to share that he will be receiving a magnificent honor this year — although reactions from fans were certainly not what he expected.
The actor and martial arts icon, 70, was revealed last month to be this year's recipient of the Pardo alla Carriera career achievement award at the Locarno Film Festival, which will take place this August.
The Pardo alla Carriera career achievement award has often gone to global entertainment icons like Bruno Ganz, Claudia Cardinale, Johnnie To, Harry Belafonte, Jane Birkin, Dante Spinotti, Tsai Ming-liang, and the most recent winner, Bollywood legend Shah Rukh Khan.
To celebrate the news, he took to his official Instagram page with a headshot of his and a statement that read: "From my humble beginnings as an unknown martial artist on the set, working my way to where I am today; from wanting to work for just a meal, to being recognized by so many people around the world watching my movies."
"I always keep telling myself one simple thing, that is to make sure each shot captured is a good take," he continued. "I couldn't achieve these valuable moments on film alone, these memories were made possible with the help of my brothers (the JC Stunt Team)."
"We used our lives to capture those unforgettable scenes," Jackie added. "I'd like to thank the Locarno Film Festival for presenting me the prestigious career achievement award, Pardo alla Carriera. Also a big thank you to all my fans all over the world!"
While the news itself was thrilling, the nature of the photo used, a smiling shot with a somber edit, led many of his nearly seven million followers to believe that something bad had happened to him.
"I got scared for a minute," one commented, with another also adding: "My heart sank for a split second man. YOU DONT RANDOMLY POST A HEADSHOT, but Im glad the goat is still alive lol," and a third saying: "My heart dropped for a sec I LOVE YOU JACKIIIIIIIEEEEE." One even quipped: "I'm only 23 and I almost had a heart attack."
A statement from Giona A. Nazzaro, Artistic Director of the Locarno Film Festival, on Jackie's honor reads: "Director, producer, actor, screenwriter, choreographer, singer, athlete, and daredevil stuntman, Jackie Chan is both a key figure in contemporary Asian cinema and one whose influence has rewritten the rules of Hollywood cinema."
“From his years at the China Drama Academy under Master Yu Jim-Yuen, working at a very young age as a stuntman in King Hu's masterpiece A Touch of Zen, Chan has continually reinvented martial arts cinema and much beyond it."
It continues: "A pure comic talent, he has absorbed the lessons of Buster Keaton and early cinema as his own, creating masterpieces that have captivated audiences around the world. With a sensibility worthy of the classic musical, he shaped an unprecedented poetics of the human body in motion. In cinema, there is a before Jackie Chan and an after Jackie Chan."