He thanked fans for their concerns
Martial arts star Jet Li is one of the most iconic action heroes in the history of cinema. A Wushu martial arts champion as a teenager, he quickly became a megastar in his native China in the 1980s and early 1990s, starring in such kung fu classics as
Fist of Legend,
Once Upon A Time In China and
Twin Warriors. If you grew up watching imported Hong Kong action movies on DVDs and VCD – back before the internet made all this stuff easily available – you’ll know how great these films were.
In the late 1990s, was part of the wave of Hong Kong talent that invaded Hollywood, along with the likes of Jackie Chan and John Woo. He made his US debut as the villain in
Lethal Weapon 4, and starred in movies like
The One,
Kiss of the Dragon and
Romeo Must Die. For hardcore fans, these US films never matched the highlights of his Chinese work, but a lot a lot of 2000s kids will definitely have a soft spot for them. Since then, he’s flipped between China and the US, mixing up films like
Fearless with
The Expendables series. Despite being 55, his work rate has hardly slowed at all.
Recently though, fans became concerned after photos started circulating of Li looking somewhat frail and unwell, and with a shaved head.
https://twitter.com/StxNaty/status/997957786200928257
The caption on the photo stated that the action star was suffering from “hyperthyroidism and spinal problems”.
Hyperthyroidism is a condition where the thyroid gland overproduces thyroid hormones, and can cause heart racing, hand tremors, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, thinning of the skin, muscular weakness and weight loss.
Li’s manager Steve Chasm confirmed this with
The Washing Post, but said it had been blown out of proportion: "He has hyperthyroidism that he's been dealing with for almost 10 years. It's nothing life-threatening and he's dealing with it."
Now Li himself has spoken to put fans’ worries to rest. In Facebook post, he told fans he was “doing great”.
https://www.facebook.com/JetLi/posts/10156426795753988
I would like to thank all my fans who expressed concerns about my health. I'm doing great and feeling great! I'm excited to share with you all a few projects I am working on in the near future. For now, thank you all for your concerns!
We wish Li all the best, and as a mark of respect, we’re gonna spend the bank holiday doing nothing but watching kung fu films.
