Los Angeles [US]: Martial arts icon and veteran actor Jackie Chan opened up about the growing use of Computer-generated imagery (CGI) in modern action cinema, expressing mixed feelings about the technology’s impact on stunt work.
In a candid conversation with Haute Living, reported by Variety, Chan acknowledged that CGI makes stunt work significantly safer for actors but believes it comes at the cost of authenticity. “In the old days, the only [choice we had] was to be there and jump; that’s it,” said Chan.
“Today, with computers, actors can do anything, but there’s always a sense of reality that you feel is missing. It’s a double-edged sword. On one hand, actors become more and more capable of doing impossible stunts with the help of technology, and yet, on the other hand, the concept of danger and limit gets blurred and the audience is numb [to it],” he explained.
The action legend, renowned for his death-defying stunts in classics like Drunken Master, Police Story, and Rush Hour, stressed that he doesn’t encourage anyone to risk their lives the way he once did. “It truly is too dangerous,” he said.
Now 71, Chan continues to perform his own stunts, proudly stating, “Of course, I always do my own stunts. It’s who I am. That’s not changing until the day I retire—which is never! And to be honest, when you’ve done it for 64 years straight, there’s no physical preparation anymore. Everything is in your heart and soul; it is muscle memory.”