Chan, 71, shared the story on Sunday at the premiere of his new film Unexpected Family. He said the song was originally meant to be released immediately, but he ultimately decided to shelve it.

"I found my team and produced a song. It was supposed to come out, but they didn't release it," Chan said at the event on Sunday. "I said, fine — keep this song. Remember, when I'm gone, that's the day you release it," Shanghai Observer reported.

Chan said he has thought about retirement and death when he was in his 40s, once imagining that he might die performing a dangerous stunt. "To die doing a risky action — wow, that would be a legend."

Over time, however, his perspective changed after experiencing the deaths of family members and close friends, realizing that "People will grow old and die eventually."

Some were people he had seen not long before, only to learn at a next meeting that they had already passed away. The feeling was reinforced by seeing frequent posts about people's deaths on his Sina Weibo account.

"At that moment, I thought, no — if I have something to say, I should say it now. If I want to do something, I should do it immediately," Chan said. He added that he has learned to let himself slow down, stay happy and stop worrying about the unknown.

Recently, Chan's appearance had drawn online attention after images showed him with gray hair.

Responding to public concern in an audio message posted on Unexpected Family's Douyin account on December 8, Chan thanked fans for remembering his younger days.

"Thank you for still remembering what I looked like decades ago. Everyone gets old. I'm very happy that I'm able to grow old. After doing so many risky actions and making so many films, I can still grow old slowly. I feel extremely lucky," he said in the audio.

Public information shows that Jackie Chan was born in 1954, in Hong Kong, China, and he is one of the most influential figures in Chinese-language cinema. He began his career in 1971 as a stuntman and went on to become a global star as an actor, director, screenwriter and singer. His best-known films include Drunken Master, Police Story, Rush Hour series, New Police Story, The Myth, and CZ12: Chinese Zodiac.

His latest film, Unexpected Family, is set to be released on January 1, 2026.

Global Times