Jet Li is one of modern martial arts cinema’s greatest stars, thanks to his work in such hits as Once Upon a Time in China, Fist of Legend, Romeo Must Die, and Hero. However, the actor hasn’t appeared on U.S. screens since 2014’s The Expendables 3 — and a new report indicates the reason is his stunning and heartbreaking physical condition.
Li’s last role was in 2016’s League of Gods, a Chinese fantasy epic in which he boasted a bald head and long white beard as a hero plagued by a spell that forces him to age in reverse. Alas, according to the Hollywood Reporter, Li’s elderly appearance in that film wasn’t just the magic of makeup. During a recent visit to Tibet, a fan snapped a photo alongside Li, and had he not been identified by name, it’s unclear whether anyone would have recognized the international icon because he looks decades older than his 55 years.
View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter
simón
@StxNaty
So, apparently, Jet Li is suffering from "hyperthyroidism and spinal problems" and this is him now ❤️😓:
4:50 PM - May 19, 2018
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Last month it was announced that Li would star as the Emperor in Disney’s upcoming live-action remake of the studio’s animated hit Mulan. Yet, as he announced in 2013, he’s suffering from hyperthyroidism as well as heart and spinal conditions, which have largely forced him to retire from acting. At the time, he admitted, “I’m just a regular guy, I’m not Wong Fei Hung, I’m not Huo Yuan Jia [kung fu heroes he portrays on film], I’m not a hero. I’m just like you. … I’m in pain, but I’m not suffering. I’m happy.” In place of his movie work, Li has dedicated most of his time and energy over the past few years to his charity The One Foundation, which focuses on disaster relief and children’s welfare in his native China. And although he has yet to need a wheelchair — which he once said was a possibility because of his medical circumstances — the above photo has predictably sparked worldwide concern from fans about his health.
simón
@StxNaty
19 May
So, apparently, Jet Li is suffering from "hyperthyroidism and spinal problems" and this is him now ❤️😓: pic.twitter.com/Ss0W2EL96D
venom
@ratjunn
Im broken to see him like this 💔💔
4:54 AM - May 20, 2018
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simón
@StxNaty
19 May
So, apparently, Jet Li is suffering from "hyperthyroidism and spinal problems" and this is him now ❤️😓: pic.twitter.com/Ss0W2EL96D
Plasmatico
@MJCow
If this is true, very sad news indeed.
9:10 AM - May 21, 2018
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simón
@StxNaty
19 May
So, apparently, Jet Li is suffering from "hyperthyroidism and spinal problems" and this is him now ❤️😓: pic.twitter.com/Ss0W2EL96D
Dannie
@itz_dannie
This is Soo sad 😢
7:26 AM - May 20, 2018
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simón
@StxNaty
19 May
So, apparently, Jet Li is suffering from "hyperthyroidism and spinal problems" and this is him now ❤️😓: pic.twitter.com/Ss0W2EL96D
♡♡
@nurjannahzain
Get well soon😔
5:34 AM - May 20, 2018
1
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It’s a stunning tr@nsformation from even a few months ago, when Li appeared bald — but otherwise recognizable — in a 2018 New Year’s video on Facebook.
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