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BEIJING, CHINA – JANUARY 01: Actor Jackie Chan attends the Press Conference of “Wish Dragon” on January 1, 2021 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Fred Lee/Getty Images)

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BEIJING, CHINA – JANUARY 01: Actor Jackie Chan attends the Press Conference of “Wish Dragon” on January 1, 2021 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Fred Lee/Getty Images)
Known for his excellency in martial arts, Jackie Chan has also done some remarkable films like Police Story (1985), Who Am I? (1998), and Rush Hour (1998). The perfection he tries to bring in his stunts has made him one of the internationally recognized actors in the industry. However, it came at a heavy price for Chan..
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It is not surprising that Chan performed his stunts without a dupe, regardless of the risks involved. In an attempt to fine-tune his act, Chan ended up with a near-death experience on the set of the 1987 film, Armour of God. In a 2017 interview, the action star shared the horrifying incident and what happened thereafter.
Jackie Chan wasn?t satisfied with the first take
Although Chan has endured several injuries, he recounted the one on the sets of the 1987 action-comedy film as the most life-threatening one. Fair to say, it nearly killed him. ?I almost died,? he said.

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BEIJING, CHINA – FEBRUARY 03: Actor Jackie Chan carries the torch during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Torch Relay at the Badaling Great Wall on February 3, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Zhang Xin/CHINASPORTS/VCGe)
In Chan’s own words, the scene required him to drink from a beer can for the fizz-pop. He cracked open the can, took a sip, and ?Then I jumped through a tree.? He swung from one branch to the other. Although the crew approved the act, Chan insisted on a retake as ?..it wasn?t fast enough… I wanted to [swing] like a monkey.?
He repeated the entire act of popping open the beer can and swung to grab the tree by its branch. And this time, the branches gave up and broke. As he plunged downwards, he hoped to grab a branch, but it broke too. He landed with a crash on his back. He recounted blood rushing from his ear. People surrounded him and he was rushed to the hospital. That injury put him in a ?coma for seven days.?
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Chan learned an important lesson:
After the martial arts icon crashed to land on his back, he tried to get up. But a lot of them pushed him down. ?Don?t move, get the medic.? He recounted his ear was being stuffed to stop the blood from rushing from his ear. His skull was cracked, and a bone had penetrated his brain.

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BEIJING, CHINA – DECEMBER 25: (CHINA OUT) Actor Jackie Chan attends press conference of “Dragon Blade” on December 25, 2014 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Visual China Group via Getty Images/Visual China Group via Getty Images)
Chan shared everyone thought he was dying. The experience taught him that ?no matter whether I?m doing big stunts or small stunts, I need to be really careful.? It is undeniable that taking risks is a part of his profession, but not at the cost of his life.
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Chan made a conscious choice to learn from his experience. What do you think about Chan?s thoughtfulness? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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