Jet Li is back onscreen bringing power as the mighty Emperor in "Mulan," the global star's first movie in four years. It's a welcome return for fans of the martial arts legend, 57, who has starred in the "Expendables" franchise, "Romeo Must Die" and "Lethal Weapon 4. Two years later, viral photographs of Li looking frail in Tibet taken by a fan sparked alarm over his health. But people want to make an excuse, saying, 'Why doesn't he make a movie, because he has a problem?
Li maintains his low Hollywood profile is due to a change in life priorities. In , the action star injured his foot as he protected his daughter from tsunami waves that flooded his Maldives hotel. Profoundly moved by the near-death experience, Li says he has since devoted himself to charity work with his One Foundation, founded in , with the goal to provide counseling to victims of natural disasters and help young people coping with mental health issues.
I want to help pay back my society," says Li. In , the year Li appeared as martial arts specialist Yin Yang in the action-legend filled "The Expendables," he was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, or an overactive thyroid.
The condition causes changes in a person's metabolism and heart rate, among other symptoms. The new 'Mulan': What's different in Disney's live-action remake from no Mushu to more hair? But what does the condition exactly entail? Hyperthyroidism, according to the Mayo Clinic , is the condition of having an overactive thyroid gland.
The thyroid produces hormones that govern a number of bodily functions, including storage of fats and carbohydrates, body temperature, and protein production. While having an overactive thyroid doesn't exactly cause premature aging, it does have symptoms that can all combine to make someone look different than they used to. Some of the results of hyperthyroidism can include fluctuations in weight, interference with the metabolism, and rapid heartbeat, as well as a thinning of the skin.
According to the American Thyroid Association , there is no one cure for the condition, which can only be managed on an individual basis through medication and surgery. This adds context to Li's personal struggle with the disease, which has at times actually seen him gain weight , not lose mass. According to Singapore's Today newspaper, Li has a lot more going on with his body than an overactive thyroid, and he's been building up the damage in plain sight, for our entertainment, his whole life.
As a result of his many injuries, Li has said he suffers from problems in his legs and spine, with the issues keeping him from being able to stand up straight for too long. The damage is part of a history in martial arts that goes back decades, earning him a torn knee that required surgery to fix at the age of 18 and a major back injury by the age of According to the South China Morning Post , Li has said he was told by doctors in that he "would end up in a wheelchair" if he continued to work in martial arts films at the same level of intensity he and his fans were accustomed to, which helps to account for his slowed output in the genre since then.
Who could blame him? The movies he's already done get to live forever, but Li himself only gets one chance. Li's name entered the news again in May when a photo taken of him at a Tibet temple went viral , spreading from the Chinese social media website Weibo out to an international audience. The photo, which showed the 5'6" star hunched over, with short gray hair and glasses alongside a younger fan, made him look remarkably older than his age.
He certainly appeared different from the way people were used to seeing him when he had jet black hair. Li's relative absence from American movie screens in recent years, coupled with the implied notion that he was gravely ill, helped the image to circulate widely with a quickness.
Suddenly, a man who had convincingly defended entire nations on the screen looked like the sort of person you would help to cross the street. Who wouldn't feel a quake of mortal terror from a sight like that?
The idea of yet another idol falling too soon to the savage advance of time was just too much, it seems, for many people to bear, making the photo's spread a buzzworthy and vaguely mournful phenomenon. Fortunately, things aren't nearly as bad as they might look. Li's public relations people were quick to pounce on the emerging viral story, with manager Steven Chasman telling USA Today that his client was — despite the concerns of seemingly every movie fan on Earth — " completely fine.
Though Li's manager assured readers that Li and his team appreciated the international outpouring of concern, he also made it clear that the rumors of Li's declining health were greatly exaggerated — not to mention a snap judgment, based on one photo of questionable composition.
As the photo gained traction with news outlets around the world, social media commentators pointed out that much of Li's appearance could come down to issues of lighting, posture, and other external factors not indicative of failing health. Twin Snakes Short dedicatee. Hide Show Self 46 credits. Show all 7 episodes. TV Series documentary - Forbidden Kingdom Self - Guest.
New Angles. New Scenes. Hide Show Archive footage 8 credits. Another Night Video short Clients. Related Videos. See more ». Spouse: Nina Li Chi 2 children See more ». Edit Did You Know? Personal Quote: I can feel very brave through all the action scenes in front of the people who are on the set, but when a girl comes close to me my face turns red because I'm so shy.
Trivia: He was originally set to star in The Art of War Trademark: His brutal fighting style See more ». Star Sign: Taurus. Getting Started Contributor Zone ». Edit page. Clear your history.
0コメント