Jet Li is known for being one of the greatest martial artists in cinema. He’s starred in films such as Once Upon a Time in China, Romeo Must Die, Lethal Weapon 4, and The Expendables 3. But the artist hasn’t appeared on US screens since The Expendables 3 in 2014.

When a photo of Li went viral, fans were shocked at the actor’s unrecognizable appearance.

So, apparently, Jet Li is suffering from "hyperthyroidism and spinal problems" and this is him now : pic.twitter.com/Ss0W2EL96D

— simón (@StxNaty) May 19, 2018

The photo was taken by a fan on a recent trip to Tibet and it showed a balding and elderly Li. The actor, who is 55-years-old, looks decades older than he actually is.

Fans were quick to show their concern on Twitter after seeing the photo.

Jackie Chan and Jet Li were like Gods to me when I was little. It's so sad to see Li like this pic.twitter.com/lO2FdTTvDe

— simón (@StxNaty) May 19, 2018

This breaks my heart I love Jet Li movies , I didnt know he was going through this https://t.co/J0zqFk2MIo

— Doflamingo (@tonyshaazam) May 23, 2018

If this is true, very sad news indeed.

— Plasmatico (@MJCow) May 21, 2018

Im broken to see him like this

— venom (@ratjunn) May 20, 2018

In 2013, Li announced that he was suffering from hyperthyroidism as well as heart and spinal conditions, which is why he hasn’t been keen to accept acting roles like before. He also said, “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.”

He once mentioned that because of his medical condition he might need to use a wheelchair and fans have been wishing for him to get well soon. Though he looks like he has aged a whole lot in the photo, his manager, Steven Chasman, says that the internet has been “sensationalizing” Li’s appearance.

Chasman said, “He has hyperthyroidism that he’s been dealing with for almost 10 years. It’s nothing life-threatening and he’s dealing with it.” He then shared a recent photo of Li that was taken in the past week.

USA Today

Chasman then said, “It’s one picture and people are making these interpretations from it,” he says. “If you took a picture of me at the wrong angle and wrong time of the day, I could look frail as well.”

Though Li has not been active in doing films, he’s spending his time and energy on his charity The One Foundation, which focuses on disaster relief and children’s welfare in China. He will also be starring as the Emperor in Disney’s live-action remake of the studio’s animated hit Mulan.

The post Jet Li Suffers From Physical Condition Leaving Him Unrecognizable In Fan Photo appeared first on Pulptastic.