He made his name as a martial arts hero with a comic edge, but after 100 films Jackie Chan has announced he is retiring as an action star. The 58-year-old admitted he was 'too old' for stunts now and increasing violence in the wider world had put him off. Asked why he had decided to stop making action films he said the physical strain had become too much. He explained he felt 'really, really tired'. Speaking at the launch of his new production Chinese Zodiac at the Cannes Film Festival, Chan said it would be his final performance as an action hero. He said: 'This is my last action film. I am not young any more. I am really, really tired.' He added that he was no longer happy doing such movies, because is worried about the increasingly aggressive attitude of people today. Chan explained: 'The world is too violent right now. It’s a dilemma - I love fighting. I like action. but I don’t like violence. He has previously hinted that he would step back from action films, but says now the decision is final. 'I want the audience to know I am not just about fighting. I can also act.' The screen legend said he wanted to take on more serious roles and emulate the success of Robert De Niro. He explained: 'I don’t just want to be an action star, I want to be a true actor. I want to get rid of my image. 'I want the audience to know also I’m not only a comedian. I can act. Day by day, year by year, I’m going to show you the real Jackie Chan.' Chan, who was born in Hong Kong, began his career as a stuntman working with Bruce Lee in the films Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon in the early 1970s. His big break was in 1978 film Snake in the Eagle's Shadow. In the 1990s became famous for his particular style of performance which has been a mix of skilled martial arts and comedy. He did all of his own stunts and once claimed he had broken almost every bone in his body. He has been a darling of Hollywood because of his populist approach to martial arts and its box office success. Chan had hits with the Rush Hour franchise, Rumble In The Bronx, and Shanghai Noon. More recently, he voiced Master Monkey in Kung Fu Panda and played a Mr Miyagi- type mentor in the remake of The Karate Kid in 2010. His new film is the third in his Chan's Armour of God series, it sees his character search for the 'lost' 12 bronze heads of the Chinese Zodiac. In real life these were designed in the 18th century but were stolen in the 19th. Since the only seven have been retrieved with five still missing. Recreations of the bronze heads featured in the 2011 London exhibition by dissident a
