Jackie Chan, who is currently promoting his upcoming Chinese film Unexpected Family (out Jan 8), recently shared a scene from the movie that struck a personal chord.
The moment, which depicts a father-and-son reconciliation, reflects something the 71-year-old star longs for in his own life – a closer relationship with his son, Jaycee Chan, 43.
According to reports, Jackie’s relationship with Jaycee is somewhat strained, which he now attributes to his overly strict parenting style.
Looking back, the martial arts icon admitted he realised too late that his constant criticism instilled fear rather than guidance.
“In the past, whenever I saw my son, I scolded him. Whenever I went on television, I criticised him – I never said a kind word,” Jackie said, as translated by 8days.
“I was wrong. Education shouldn’t be like this. I should have given him more freedom instead.”
Jackie also revealed that Jaycee, who used to call him once a year to wish him a happy birthday, has stopped doing so.
The actor explained that he had once scolded his son for calling only on that day and told him to call on other days instead – a remark he now regrets.
As he has grown older, Jackie said he has come to understand that he went about raising his son the wrong way. Today, he says his only hope is that Jaycee is happy and safe.
The Chinese-American is the only child of Jackie and his wife, former Taiwanese actress, Joan Lin.
He followed in his father’s footsteps and entered the acting industry, but his career suffered a major setback in 2014 when he was arrested and later jailed for drug offences in Beijing.
Since completing his six-month prison sentence, Jaycee has appeared in several projects, including the 2016 film Railroad Tigers and Good Night Beijing (2021), which he also directed.
Prior to the 2014 drug scandal, the father-son duo appeared together in films such as The Twins Effect II (2004) and 1911 (2011).
In August, it was reported that a netizen on Xiaohongshu had unexpectedly run into Jackie and his son at Lake Geneva in Switzerland. Jackie was in Switzerland to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 78th Locarno Film Festival, scheduled for Aug 9.
For the record, Jackie also has a 26-year-old estranged daughter, Etta Ng Chok Lam, from an extramarital affair with former beauty queen Elaine Ng.
