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There was an interview in today's Toronto Star with Jackie Chan promoting his new film The Myth at the Toronto International Film Festival. While it doesn't tie much into issues of romance, it does provide an interesting look at the cultural implications discussed in this thread. You'll have to forgive me for the length; I wanted to post the link to the article but you need a subscription to read it. For those of you who were actually interested in this thread's topic, it's worth a read. Also, a lot of people who don't know much about Chan don't get to see his serious side, as if he were almost like a live action cartoon character, so this might be enlightening in a different way for some.
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Jackie's next stunt: Acting!
Doing his own spectacular action scenes has won Jackie Chan the loyalty of fans around the world
But now the star of both Asian and Hollywood films wants to make movies like Robert De Niro's
PETER HOWELL
MOVIE CRITIC
Jackie Chan is the world's most successful action man, a profit generator in
both Asian and Hollywood films.
At 51, the Hong Kong superstar is still fit enough to do most of his own highly
creative stunts, including a dangerous 12-metre leap into a waterfall for The
Myth, his new movie that had its world premiere last night at the Toronto
International Film Festival.
And yet what he really wants to do is stop jumping around and instead be like
Robert De Niro. Or maybe Dustin Hoffman or Clint Eastwood.
No, it's De Niro for sure. He's got the autographed photo to prove it.
"I just like it that Robert De Niro has all kinds of characters," Chan told the
Star yesterday.
"He makes it very unique. He can do comedy. He can do horror movies. Bad
guys. Good guys. Cops. Everything. I just love him so much."
Has he ever met big "Bobby D"?
"Never, but I asked my manager to get a picture from him. I have a wall of
the people who I like. I ask them for their pictures.
"I especially like his movies, but also Dustin Hoffman's and Clint Eastwood's. I
am the fan. Many people are fans of me, but I am a fan of people, too."
Chan's constant grin — he's also famous for his comedy — could suggest he's
just kidding.
He's completely serious. He elaborates on what he said in a press conference
a few minutes earlier, about how he wants to phase out his action career and
get into serious drama. Like De Niro.
"I want to change. I want to be an actor who can fight, not a fighter who
can act."
But he knows it's an uphill battle because of the language problem. He speaks
English well (Mandarin is his native tongue), but it is heavily accented. He
doesn't think even a voice coach could change that.
"If they make a Gladiator, how can I act in it?" he says, a note of sadness in
his voice.
"Yes — wow! — Jackie can do action. It's good. But you also have to act in a
movie like that. You have to speak so much English. I don't think I can do a
tenth of that. In Hollywood, the scripts are so limited for me. It's difficult."
Difficult? The average punter might blink at that statement. This is the same
Jackie Chan who has created successful movie franchises on two continents.
In Asia, his Police Story series has had four chapters, and he recently started
the New Police Story series with new characters.
In America, he's rocked the box office with Rush Hour and Rush Hour 2,
playing opposite Chris Tucker, and Shanghai Noon and Shanghai Knights,
playing opposite Owen Wilson.
For Rush Hour 2, he was reportedly paid $15 million (U.S.) plus a percentage
of the film's gross. Next year, he'll make Rush Hour 3 for an even bigger
payday.
He straddles two worlds even in his attire, sporting a Brando-inspired white
T-shirt inside a grey Mandarin suit for this interview.
Can't he write his own ticket? Apparently not.
"It's so difficult for me," he says again.
"So when I go back to Asia, I write my own scripts. I can write whatever I
want. Asian Gladiator. Asian Kramer vs. Kramer. Asian Titanic. When they had
the Titanic script (in America) they never thought about Jackie Chan, right?"
His habit has been to do one American movie and then an Asian movie, but
his thinking has evolved. He declined to immediately make a sequel to New
Police Story because he wanted to pursue non-action roles in both dramatic
and comedy films. He's got one of each currently on the go.
Chan knows the clock is ticking on his action career. He still works out every
day, running a mile on a treadmill — "Not on the street, because I have a bad
ankle and because people would look at me" — and he's still a lot more flexible
than the average man his age.
But that's not going to last forever. He figures he has four more years of
making action pictures.
"Maybe to age 55. That sounds good. I love movies, and I want to continue
to make movies. But I think the audience will find out that my action
sequences cannot compare to the old days, right?
"Right now, I can still do it. I think at different kinds of ages I do different
kinds of action sequences. I still can do a lot of jumping around or kicking.
You never forget, because you have a very good foundation. But I want to
be a multi-talent, not only for action sequences."
He's striving to get the best of both worlds in The Myth, which is directed by
Stanley Tong, Chan's long-time friend and collaborator. The two have now
teamed for five films, including Rumble in the Bronx, the 1996
made-in-Vancouver actioner that launched Chan's North American career
after decades in Hong Kong as both an actor and stuntman (he leapt for
Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon).
Chan calls Tong "half of Jackie Chan," because the two work out everything
from stories to stunts to camera angles together.
Chan plays two roles in The Myth: one serious and the other one slightly less
so, but both of them very athletic. The serious guy is General Meng Yi, loyal
warrior for an emperor in ancient China. He wears a helmet and armour
straight out of Gladiator, hence Chan's fascination with that movie. He's also
something of an unrequited lover, since he yearns for a princess he can't
have. Chan would also like to make romantic movies, too.
The less-serious guy is an Indiana Jones-style archaeologist named Jack.
Through a rupture of the space-time continuum, or maybe just a weird series
of dreams, Chan's two characters keep intruding on the other's space. So do
the two women in their lives, a Korean princess played by Kim Hee Seon (who
is very big in Korean cinema) and a feisty Indian beauty played by Mallika
Sherawat (a star in Bollywood films). The two women accompanied Chan to a
press conference yesterday, as did director Tong.
The Myth is loaded with Asian talent, in other words, and it's a handsome
production that looks like it cost at least $100 million to make, although Chan
said it's more like $20 million. Yet he doesn't think the movie will get a regular
theatrical release in North America, because Americans are so resistant to
subtitles.
"I made The Myth only for the Asian market. American people, they don't like
dubbed movies. I think it will definitely go to the video market here."
He has a reverse problem in Asia. His Rush Hour movies don't go over that
well there.
"In Asia, they don't like Rush Hour or Rush Hour 2. The action isn't as good as
in my old movies. And they don't understand the black humour (from Chris
Tucker).
"They don't know what `******' means and `never touch a black man's
radio.' They don't understand that, and after translation (the meaning) totally
changes. So the comedy isn't so good for them, but they're happy that Jackie
Chan is going to Hollywood. Yes! But they want me to go back to the action
again and again and again."
He's happy to oblige, to a certain extent. Chan is so conscious of his public
image, he's never played a really sinister character, thinking it would turn
people off.
"Bad personality, yes. But not the bad guy."
He's also stuck with doing most of his own stunts, which has become one of
his trademarks. He has injured himself "too many times" — that wonky ankle
came from an accident while filming Rumble in the Bronx. His co-stars have
had it rough, too — 22 of them went to hospital making The Myth, mostly for
broken arms and legs.
If Chan were to suddenly resort to using stunt men for everything (he uses
them sparingly now) or digital effects (ditto), he feels his fans would be
unhappy.
So eager is Chan to please, he's also willing to play ball with Hollywood's hype
machine. He doesn't attempt to second-guess the marketing of his movies
stateside.
"Asia is my main market. They make me famous. But I know that in Hollywood,
it's the biggest market in the world. And when I'm making American films, it's
only for the American market. I totally listen to Hollywood then. They have
marketing plans and they know everything. But that's not for the Asian
market.
"The audience in America likes Rush Hour. The studio spends a lot of money
to make it, $100 million. Why not do it? Of course I'm going to do it."
Still, what he really wants to do is not direct — he's already done that, too —
but to be more like De Niro.
To all you directors and casting agents attending the festival:
Are you talkin' to him? Are you talkin' to Jackie?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jackie's next stunt: Acting!
Doing his own spectacular action scenes has won Jackie Chan the loyalty of fans around the world
But now the star of both Asian and Hollywood films wants to make movies like Robert De Niro's
PETER HOWELL
MOVIE CRITIC
Jackie Chan is the world's most successful action man, a profit generator in
both Asian and Hollywood films.
At 51, the Hong Kong superstar is still fit enough to do most of his own highly
creative stunts, including a dangerous 12-metre leap into a waterfall for The
Myth, his new movie that had its world premiere last night at the Toronto
International Film Festival.
And yet what he really wants to do is stop jumping around and instead be like
Robert De Niro. Or maybe Dustin Hoffman or Clint Eastwood.
No, it's De Niro for sure. He's got the autographed photo to prove it.
"I just like it that Robert De Niro has all kinds of characters," Chan told the
Star yesterday.
"He makes it very unique. He can do comedy. He can do horror movies. Bad
guys. Good guys. Cops. Everything. I just love him so much."
Has he ever met big "Bobby D"?
"Never, but I asked my manager to get a picture from him. I have a wall of
the people who I like. I ask them for their pictures.
"I especially like his movies, but also Dustin Hoffman's and Clint Eastwood's. I
am the fan. Many people are fans of me, but I am a fan of people, too."
Chan's constant grin — he's also famous for his comedy — could suggest he's
just kidding.
He's completely serious. He elaborates on what he said in a press conference
a few minutes earlier, about how he wants to phase out his action career and
get into serious drama. Like De Niro.
"I want to change. I want to be an actor who can fight, not a fighter who
can act."
But he knows it's an uphill battle because of the language problem. He speaks
English well (Mandarin is his native tongue), but it is heavily accented. He
doesn't think even a voice coach could change that.
"If they make a Gladiator, how can I act in it?" he says, a note of sadness in
his voice.
"Yes — wow! — Jackie can do action. It's good. But you also have to act in a
movie like that. You have to speak so much English. I don't think I can do a
tenth of that. In Hollywood, the scripts are so limited for me. It's difficult."
Difficult? The average punter might blink at that statement. This is the same
Jackie Chan who has created successful movie franchises on two continents.
In Asia, his Police Story series has had four chapters, and he recently started
the New Police Story series with new characters.
In America, he's rocked the box office with Rush Hour and Rush Hour 2,
playing opposite Chris Tucker, and Shanghai Noon and Shanghai Knights,
playing opposite Owen Wilson.
For Rush Hour 2, he was reportedly paid $15 million (U.S.) plus a percentage
of the film's gross. Next year, he'll make Rush Hour 3 for an even bigger
payday.
He straddles two worlds even in his attire, sporting a Brando-inspired white
T-shirt inside a grey Mandarin suit for this interview.
Can't he write his own ticket? Apparently not.
"It's so difficult for me," he says again.
"So when I go back to Asia, I write my own scripts. I can write whatever I
want. Asian Gladiator. Asian Kramer vs. Kramer. Asian Titanic. When they had
the Titanic script (in America) they never thought about Jackie Chan, right?"
His habit has been to do one American movie and then an Asian movie, but
his thinking has evolved. He declined to immediately make a sequel to New
Police Story because he wanted to pursue non-action roles in both dramatic
and comedy films. He's got one of each currently on the go.
Chan knows the clock is ticking on his action career. He still works out every
day, running a mile on a treadmill — "Not on the street, because I have a bad
ankle and because people would look at me" — and he's still a lot more flexible
than the average man his age.
But that's not going to last forever. He figures he has four more years of
making action pictures.
"Maybe to age 55. That sounds good. I love movies, and I want to continue
to make movies. But I think the audience will find out that my action
sequences cannot compare to the old days, right?
"Right now, I can still do it. I think at different kinds of ages I do different
kinds of action sequences. I still can do a lot of jumping around or kicking.
You never forget, because you have a very good foundation. But I want to
be a multi-talent, not only for action sequences."
He's striving to get the best of both worlds in The Myth, which is directed by
Stanley Tong, Chan's long-time friend and collaborator. The two have now
teamed for five films, including Rumble in the Bronx, the 1996
made-in-Vancouver actioner that launched Chan's North American career
after decades in Hong Kong as both an actor and stuntman (he leapt for
Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon).
Chan calls Tong "half of Jackie Chan," because the two work out everything
from stories to stunts to camera angles together.
Chan plays two roles in The Myth: one serious and the other one slightly less
so, but both of them very athletic. The serious guy is General Meng Yi, loyal
warrior for an emperor in ancient China. He wears a helmet and armour
straight out of Gladiator, hence Chan's fascination with that movie. He's also
something of an unrequited lover, since he yearns for a princess he can't
have. Chan would also like to make romantic movies, too.
The less-serious guy is an Indiana Jones-style archaeologist named Jack.
Through a rupture of the space-time continuum, or maybe just a weird series
of dreams, Chan's two characters keep intruding on the other's space. So do
the two women in their lives, a Korean princess played by Kim Hee Seon (who
is very big in Korean cinema) and a feisty Indian beauty played by Mallika
Sherawat (a star in Bollywood films). The two women accompanied Chan to a
press conference yesterday, as did director Tong.
The Myth is loaded with Asian talent, in other words, and it's a handsome
production that looks like it cost at least $100 million to make, although Chan
said it's more like $20 million. Yet he doesn't think the movie will get a regular
theatrical release in North America, because Americans are so resistant to
subtitles.
"I made The Myth only for the Asian market. American people, they don't like
dubbed movies. I think it will definitely go to the video market here."
He has a reverse problem in Asia. His Rush Hour movies don't go over that
well there.
"In Asia, they don't like Rush Hour or Rush Hour 2. The action isn't as good as
in my old movies. And they don't understand the black humour (from Chris
Tucker).
"They don't know what `******' means and `never touch a black man's
radio.' They don't understand that, and after translation (the meaning) totally
changes. So the comedy isn't so good for them, but they're happy that Jackie
Chan is going to Hollywood. Yes! But they want me to go back to the action
again and again and again."
He's happy to oblige, to a certain extent. Chan is so conscious of his public
image, he's never played a really sinister character, thinking it would turn
people off.
"Bad personality, yes. But not the bad guy."
He's also stuck with doing most of his own stunts, which has become one of
his trademarks. He has injured himself "too many times" — that wonky ankle
came from an accident while filming Rumble in the Bronx. His co-stars have
had it rough, too — 22 of them went to hospital making The Myth, mostly for
broken arms and legs.
If Chan were to suddenly resort to using stunt men for everything (he uses
them sparingly now) or digital effects (ditto), he feels his fans would be
unhappy.
So eager is Chan to please, he's also willing to play ball with Hollywood's hype
machine. He doesn't attempt to second-guess the marketing of his movies
stateside.
"Asia is my main market. They make me famous. But I know that in Hollywood,
it's the biggest market in the world. And when I'm making American films, it's
only for the American market. I totally listen to Hollywood then. They have
marketing plans and they know everything. But that's not for the Asian
market.
"The audience in America likes Rush Hour. The studio spends a lot of money
to make it, $100 million. Why not do it? Of course I'm going to do it."
Still, what he really wants to do is not direct — he's already done that, too —
but to be more like De Niro.
To all you directors and casting agents attending the festival:
Are you talkin' to him? Are you talkin' to Jackie?
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