by
Paul Fischer
In the era of martial arts superstars, they don't get any bigger
than Jackie Chan. Always 
working,
either in his native Hong Kong or Hollywood, Chan's unique blend of comedy and
action set him apart from many of his contemporaries. Born Chan Kwong Sang on
April 7, 1954, Jackie Chan came from a poverty-stricken Hong Kong family - so
poor, claims Chan, that he was almost sold in infancy to a wealthy British couple.
As it turned out, Chan became his family's sole support. Enrolled in the Chinese
Opera Research Institute at the age of seven, he spent the next decade in rigorous
training for a career with the Peking Opera, excelling in martial arts and acrobatics.
Billed as Cheng Lung, Chan entered films in his mid-teens, appearing in twenty-five productions before his twentieth birthday. Starting out as a stunt man, Chan was promoted to stardom as the potential successor to the late Bruce Lee. In his earliest starring films, he was cast as a stone-cold serious type, determined to avenge Lee's death. Only when he began playing for laughs did Chan truly attain full celebrity status.
From 1978's The Young Master onward, Chan has usually been
his own director and screenwriter. His best Hong Kong-produced films include the
nonstop action pics Project A (1983), Police Story (1985), Armor
of God (1986) and the Golden Horse Award-winning Crime Story (1993)
- not to mention the multiple sequels of each of the aforementioned titles. Despite
his popularity in Europe and Asia, Chan was for many years unable to make a dent
in the American market. He tried hard in such films as The Big Brawl (1980)
and the first two Cannonball Run flicks, but American filmgoers just weren't
buying.
At
long last, Chan mined U.S. box-office gold with 1996's Rumble in the Bronx.
Chan remained the most popular Asian actor with the greatest potential to crossover
into the profitable English-speaking markets, something he again demonstrated
when he co-starred with Chris Tucker in the 1998 box-office hit Rush
Hour. In 2000 Chan had another success on his hands with Shanghai
Noon, a comedy western in which he starred as an Imperial Guard dispatched
to the American West to rescue the kidnapped daughter (Lucy Liu) of the
Chinese Emperor, a sequel to which is currently in pre-production. Chan will next
be seen in Rush Hour 2, again starring
Chris Tucker. This time, Tucker heads to China for this fun-filled fish-out-of-water
action comedy, which also stars the beautiful Ziyi Zhang of Crouching
Tiger fame. This interview was conducted in Los Angeles, July, 2001.
CrankyCritic®: Were you concerned about doing
a sequel to Rush Hour?
Jackie Chan: I knew there was a sequel going on after part one finished.
I don't think part one was a success. When I look at the film, I don't like it.
CrankyCritic®: Why not?
Jackie Chan: Just different. I am from Asia. I only know Asia. Rush
Hour in Asia isn't a success compared to my old Jackie Chan films. Not funny,
the action isn't good. For myself I look at and see there's another Big Brawl
20 years ago. Bye Bye. Then just boom, a big hit and I just don't know what happened.
Then I realized oh, that's a very typical American film, very local. The dialogue
was 'What's up Nigga?'. In Asia the whole theater goes huh? In the United States
it's ha ha and everybody claps. From that time I know I have to make two kinds
of films, one film for the American market and one film for my own market. My
own market has been watching Jackie Chan films for so many years.
CrankyCritic®:
Which type of film makes more money?
Jackie Chan:Of course, Rush Hour. Rush Hour in Hong Kong just made
$10 million. But Drunken Master 2 - $59 million. See the difference? But
Drunken Master in the United States, how much? $25-$30 million, that's
all. There's obviously a difference between then. My own audience is not enough.
Rush Hour is for a family audience, the whole family can go. But my movie
in Asia is a family audience. But in American, new. Everybody is suddenly a new
action star. No, I'm not new, I'm old. I'm an old action star - they just
don't know me.
CrankyCritic®: It looks like there is more
of your Asian martial arts action in this one than in the first.
Jackie Chan: Yes. Now because in the last couple years, with the new directors,
the new generation, they really like Asian films. And also the way they make them
is almost like Asian. They are not prepared on the set. Not like the old days
when everything was scheduled. Now no. I design the fighting on the set just hurry,
hurry up. I can change everything when I want. This is not like the old days with
two months of rehearsal and you have to show everybody. And on the set you have
to do exactly what you did. Now I can change everything.
CrankyCritic®: Is it easier to work in English
now?
Jackie Chan: Yes, much, much easier. Before it would drive me crazy that
we couldn't change the dialogue. Now I can change the dialogue. If I can not speak
- I tell Chris to speak. Anything. Okay, let me speak this one, that's the easy
one. I'm the detective from Hong Kong, he's the detective from US. If it's difficult
I let him say it. I just say the easy things. Brett Ratner [director] is
more Asian in style now. He's changing. He's very flexible.
CrankyCritic®: How is he Asian?
Jackie Chan: Before I could only star. I could not do this, I could not
do that. Now on the set I can watch the camera and tell the cameraman how to move
this shot. Because you are talking about action. I'm the best - at least on the
set. I tell you how to move one, two, three, bang. Before I just sit there and
the stunt coordinator teaches me how to punch. I had to follow them. Right now
it's more flexible.
CrankyCritic®: When are you allowed to just
be yourself?
Jackie Chan:I force myself to do it. Sometimes when I have two days holiday
I just don't know what I'm doing. Like 
yesterday,
when I looked at my schedule, I was just wow. What's going on next? I really don't
know because I do four movies in a row now. After Rush Hour 2 now I've
got to do an Asian film. Every year for me one American film and one Asian film.
Now, day after tomorrow, I'm going to London to start High Binders which
is an Asian film, non stop shooting.
CrankyCritic®: Are you doing a film called
Tuxedo in Toronto?
Jackie Chan: It's an American film, DreamWorks, Spielberg. He asked me
to direct and I don't like. I said, why don't you direct? He said, 'no, I'm producer.'
I said okay. We found a director. Kevin Donnovan who is starting in September
1st until February the 4th. Tuxedo is what I want. More acting with fewer special
effects, with my own action. And more acting, drama. Because I don't want to be
an action star. An action star's life is so short. I want my life to get longer.
I want my career to be longer.
CrankyCritic®:
What drives you to work so hard?
Jackie Chan: I don't know. Because friendship, promise. High Binders
is going to be directed by a friend of mine who wants to get into the film
business and he called me up. I said if I have time I'll do it. Before I made
the Rush Hour film he said there is a strike going on, right? I said, maybe,
yes. Okay, while the strike's going on, we have a few months holiday, we do High
Binders. Then I promised him. Now it looks like the strike is not going to happen
but I already promised him and they are in production already. With Tuxedo
I promised to start September the first so my friend knows that we will just film
until I go start Tuxedo. Then the whole crew stops and goes back to Hong
Kong until Christmas. I get ten days holiday from Tuxedo and I'll go back
to film High Binders. Then I'm coming back. I have to finish as soon as
possible Tuxedo. If I don't have time to go back, I start Shanghai Knights
right away. Sometime between then, I go back to finish High Binders.
Then June something we start Bellboy. We are not talking about coming back
to promote the film and the junkets. We are not talking about going back to China
to help the charity things. When I look at my schedule, there's not one day to
rest. High Binders, seven days a week, non-stop because they know. Any
time an American production calls me, I have to go. I'm happy but I wouldn't mind
having a vacation right now.
CrankyCritic®: What would you do?
Jackie Chan: I think making a film for me is like having a vacation. I
am in a different country, different people and they are not like 24 hours to
make a film. You are on the set, you wait a little bit, we create something. We
stop the film at night with nothing to do. I'd rather make a film than do the
promotion. The promotion is one day New York, then come to an L.A. premiere, then
another junket, another TV, then Jay Leno. That drives you crazy. I'd rather stay
on the set where the only thing I know is the movie. It's more relaxing and easier.
It's more tiring doing promotion.
CrankyCritic®: What do you think of the success
of Crouching Tiger?
Jackie Chan: It's a surprise for me. Exactly a surprise like the first
Rush Hour. Crouching Tiger, we've been making this kind of movie more than
30 years. Right now you come to Hong Kong, cable TV [makes flapping cloth noises],
Pay TV [flapping cloth noises], TV [flapping cloth]. Just like in America everything
is special effects.
CrankyCritic®: What about wirework? There
was some talk when that was released that Jackie Chan doesn't do that.
Jackie Chan: Suppose I make that movie. Ang Lee did not let me do that.
Said, that's not your film. You won't like it. It's flying around.
CrankyCritic®: You were offered it?
Jackie Chan: Before he made that movie and meeting in New York, he said
it's not good for you. Because I want to make a movie with Lee, as a drama movie,
the whole movie drama. Crouching Tiger - I don't like these kinds of things.
I 
want
to do something either Steven Spielberg-like Jurassic Park or like Matrix.
That makes me excited. Wow, something new. These kinds of movies for me, I produce
these kinds of movies. I make this movie. That's why when I come to America I
work on Tuxedo - good.
CrankyCritic®: What do you play in Tuxedo
that makes is so different?
Jackie Chan: They won't let me say much. I'm a taxi driver and I help somebody
and he was a spy. He was in a coma in the hospital and I go back to his house
to help him get some things like a toothbrush and underwear. Then I find the tuxedo
and the story begins.
CrankyCritic®: Are there any people that you
look up to and would like to work with?
Jackie Chan: Stallone. He's been my hero for a long time. I admire him
because he wrote the script, he directs, he acts and he does everything. I admire
people who have talent and it's not just that you are handsome. Handsome, There
are too many handsome and pretty girls every year. Talent keeps your career forever.
I tried to make a movie with Stallone for so many years but he still changes the
script right now. He wanted to do Rambo Three or Four. I think we are up
to five. He wanted me to be a drug dealer. But a good bad guy. Before, bad but
later on becoming a good guy. But all my fans wrote me letters no, you can not
be a drug dealer. So I know I cannot do a drug dealer.
CrankyCritic®: Were you seriously hurt on
Accidental Spy?
Jackie Chan: Paralyzed? I do get hurt on every movie and I almost get used
to it but not paralyzed.
CrankyCritic®: So is the head hole still worst
injury?
Jackie Chan:Yeah, there are holes. So many I can't remember.
CrankyCritic®: What about on Rush Hour 2?
Jackie Chan:On the bamboo scene, yes. They made the bamboo scene raining
and every time we had to whack the bamboo. It was slippery.
CrankyCritic®: How was it to work with Chris
Tucker again?
Jackie Chan:Good. With this movie we were becoming buddies. For part one
I didn't really know him and I was hiding from him. When he came to talk to me
I would just hide from him because I didn't know what he was saying and I had
to respond. But my English is not good enough so how could I respond? I'd hide
in my motor home and only see him on the set. Slowly we would get to know each
other on the promoting tours. In Japan, Hong Kong and Korea we stay together,
we ate together and became good friends. Now we are buddies.
CrankyCritic®:
You are getting older. Do you still do all your own stunts?
Jackie Chan: I always choreograph myself and I know how far I can go. When
I design a stunt - okay, that's too far away and then I put it a little bit closer.
Then I make sure I can do it. I always choreograph the things I believe I can
do. Also I have a trick, a way to help me do a stunt, an action.
CrankyCritic®: Tell me about Shanghai Knights.
Jackie Chan: I start from China again, my sister and father have some problems.
You know, all the scripts always I'm from China, I'm from Hong Kong. I can not
be born in the US, because of my English. Not like Big Brawl 20 years ago,
I'm ABC, 'American Born Chinese'. My kind of English, how can I? Wrong script.
Now, they have to [say] I'm from China. My sister comes to Carson City, looking
for me to help my father. Then I know Owen Wilson is in New York. I have
to go to New York. I thought he was rich but he's just cheating people. I'm helping
him and then we take the boat to England and to Ireland and then we start the
story. It's a fun story.
CrankyCritic®: Chris Tucker get top billing
on this movie and you were the only name known when Rush Hour came out.
Will it be the reverse for Asia and was it worked out before hand?
Jackie Chan: With Rush Hour I was the leading actor but for Part
Two, they suggested Chris Tucker have leading, too. Half of 5,000 posters Jackie
first, 5,000 posters Chris First. Then I said okay. For me that really doesn't
matter. As long as we are becoming buddies. For the first one - no. Now, yes.
It really doesn't matter who is leading. Most important is if the movie is a success.
All those years I don't just care about the name. The audience knows what happens.
CrankyCritic®: Do you like this better?
Jackie Chan: Definitely I like it better than the first one but still I
say that's an American film. That's an American film, I have to go back and make
an Asian film. Now, getting more and more like Asian.