Jackie still flying high

If Bruce Springsteen was, well "born in the USA," then Jackie Chan was, you guessed it, "born in Hong Kong."

That's what his Chinese name Chan Kong Sang literally means - Sang is "to be born" and Kong stands for Hong Kong. He was born on April 7, 1954, weighing 12 pounds at birth, overstaying inside the tummy of his mom, Lee-lee, for three months. In the Zodiac sign, he's an Aries; in the Chinese calendar, he's a Horse (meaning, among other traits, he's "cheerful, popular, witty, perceptive, talkative, independent, adventurous, vivacious, energetic, impetuous, affable and honest"). He stands 5'9" and his blood type is AB. He has two nicknames - Pao-pao meaning "cannonball" and Shing Lung meaning "to become a dragon."

And what a "dragon" he has turned out to be!

These basic facts about Jackie are found in the book Dying for Action which records not only important episodes and milestones in his life but also the hundreds of injuries he has sustained in the course of his very colorful and very dramatic career as an action superstar, unique in his action-comic style, who, two years ago has finally penetrated what initially appeared to be impenetrable Hollywood with his megahit starrer Rush Hour in which he co-stars with rapper-comedian Chris Tucker in an East-Meets-West story which takes on even more color and romance and comedy in Jackie's second purely-Hollywood topbiller, Shanghai Noon, produced by Touchstone Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment and released by Buena Vista International.

Shanghai Noon could well be the mother of all Western spoofs, also starring Lucy Liu (of Ally McBeal fame) as the princess in distress whom Jackie as Chon Wang (sounds like John Wayne, get it?), an Imperial Guard, is tasked to rescue after she's kidnapped from the Forbidden City and brought to Nevada. Shanghai Noon (sounds like, in case you haven't noticed yet, Shang...Hai Noon, as in High Noon, get it?) chronicles Chon Wang's adventure in the wild West, with Owen Wilson (1996's Bottle Rocket, The Haunting and Armageddon) as the bandit whom Jackie bumps heads with and who later becomes his friend and accomplice.

As spoofs go, Shanghai Noon is full of cowboys, Indians and guns for hire, the basic ingredients of good old Western flicks. Why, there's even a villain called Van Cleef (as in Lee Van Cleef, another Western fixture, get it?)

Conversations had a one-on-one with Jackie the other day in his native Hong Kong where he attended the premiere of Shanghai Noon.

So how's your English now?

I think my English... Hmmm... People understand what I'm saying, and... Hmmmm... It's okay!

Rush Hour was a big hit not only in the US but in other parts of the world. Does that make you feel more at home now and more comfortable in Hollywood? (His two Hollywood movies, Cannonball Run, shown in 1980, and Cannonball Run II, shown in 1986, were not as successful).

Yes, I feel more comfortable, and... But even before Rush Hour I always feel comfortable in Hollywood. Before Rush Hour was a success, I never think I can go back to American market. I thought I already lost American market. But after Rumble in the Bronx (1996), America was already a success. So many people ran to the video store to see it. Rush Hour came and, boom! Big success! Not because of only one movie but many movies. (Including also Supercop, made in Hong Kong, which was a hit in the US. -- RFL)

Do you live in Hong Kong and just go to the US to work?

Not really. I have a house in Australia (where his parents, Charles and Lee-lee Chan, have migrated years ago). I have a house in America, I have a house in Hong Kong. I live where I'm working; it depends where I am shooting. I go around. I travel all the time. Like when I was filming Shanghai Noon, I stay six months in Calgary (Canada), in the Canadian Rockies where we shot many scenes. Yeah! Like I stay six months in South Africa, one year in Australia, three months in Hong Kong... I live everywhere!

You keep moving around!

Yeah! After today, two months in Turkey. After Turkey, coming back Hong Kong for few days, then Las Vegas. Yeah! Just depends where I'm filming. All these years, I just keep on filming, filming, filming! Always on location!

You play a cowboy from the East in Shanghai Noon. Have you always wanted to play a cowboy?

Yeah! I'm big fan of cowboy films. And if you look at my book, I Am Jackie Chan (My Life in Action), you can see my picture as little boy already wearing cowboy pants, with cowboy hat! I'm big fan of cowboy movies! When I was young boy, I watched John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Charles Bronson...

...Lee Van Cleef!

Yeah! Lee Van Cleef! You know, o-la-la-la-la-la-la! (Imitating cowboy sound). I just love cowboy movies! You know, a cowboy with big cigar in mouth, pulling a coffin. I love it!

Is it true that you learned how to ride a horse for Shanghai Noon?

Yeah! For one and a half month!

That long!

Yeah! For one and half month!

Which is harder to learn, riding a horse or martial arts?

Of course, martial arts! Martial arts much harder. Martial arts until now I'm still learning. In martial arts, you have to keep practising, practising, practising!

As usual, like in your other movies, you combine action with comedy which is a successful and entertaining mix. Is the story of Shanghai Noon also your own idea?

Yeah, yeah! The idea is more than 10 years ago. I write the story in Texas, Arizona. The story is the same basically. I gave it to American writer and it was changed a little bit. New characters added -- my uncle, my cousin. My (old) script, no English, no language, just (making gestures with hands, moving mouth without any sound) ...just... no language... no sound!

Oh, yes, just language of the hands!

Yeah! Language of the hands! Writer changed the script a little bit, put sound and language. Shanghai Noon like a dream come true!

In one scene in the movie, you fall from top floor of the church into the ground floor, breaking through torn floors and torn stairways. Did you get hurt!

Get hurt, of course!

How come you don't use a "double" for dangerous scenes like that?

Because every movie I have to think of doing something new, something different. I do scenes myself. No "double!" It's not easy... it's a tough job! But I do scenes myself. The people around (the set) really scared, shouting, "Be careful, be careful!"

Aren't you scared?

Myself not scared!

Are you insured!

No! Nobody wants to insure me. They are scared, too, maybe (Laughs!)

You're a Superman!

I've been doing stunts for so many years and I know what I'm doing. I know how far I can go. I know I'm crazy but I'm not stupid! You see? I just have to have the confidence in what I'm doing. Of course, there are accidents -- broken arm, broken leg, broken head.

While filming Armour of God (1986) in Yugoslavia, you almost died when you landed on your head while doing a dangerous stunt (jumping from the fifth floor of a building into the pavement below, sans net!). Is the hole in your head still there?

(Touching top of head) Yeah! Still there! Yeah, I'm think I'm pretty lucky. God watching me!

Oh you believe in God!

Yeah! I believe in God!

When you're doing a dangerous scene, aren't you worried that you might die in the process!

Sometimes I do scare a little bit. But I tell you, I'm crazy but I'm not stupid. I know how far I can go, how high I can jump. I think about... must I move a little bit... should I change the angle... I calculate my movement... Of course, dangerous! But the funny thing is that when camera is rolling, there are more than 300 people on the set, everybody just do the thing for you... Then, boom-boom, boom-, boom-boom! I don't know where the energy come from. You just, booommmm!!! Then, everybody clapping their hands -- YEAH!!! The, I suddenly turn around. Can we do another one? I just want to show off. I just want to do it!

Do you pray before doing a dangerous stunt?

No! But I know God watches me, protects me!

Besides the one in Yugoslavia, what's the most dangerous stunt have you ever done?

Oh, so many! Cannot count! So many!

Jumping from a speeding train, jumping from a tall building, jumping from a bridge into a truck below, jumping from one building to another. You're always jumping, jumping, jumping!

Yeah! Always jumping! Falling down! Wow, so many! Can't remember!

What's the next dangerous stunt that you're doing in your next movie?

Next movie will be Shanghai Noon 2. I think I will do it at the clock tower in London.

The Big Ben?

Yeah! Big Ben!

Are you jumping from the top of the Big Ben into the river below it?

I don't know yet. They make me fight in the Big Ben but I don't know what will happen; I'm just wondering. "How can I get down?" I don't know yet.

You can jump into the river.

Maybe. They are thinking of making me jump from the clock but I protest. "That's too high!" There should be good reason why I jump. You cannot just jump without reason. You must have safe landing, too. It's very dangerous, very dangerous! Maybe I have rope to help me coming down in one shot. I don't yet what will happen.

As I've said, you mix comedy with action and you're just adorable. Have you been always a comedian since you were a child?

No! Actually, before, I just do what director tells me to do. I listen to what director tells me. Before, I was not comfortable. But now, whatever I'm doing I am comfortable. If you say, that's my style, okay, that's my style. Jackie Chan style. I like natural comedy and situation comedy. If situation is comedy, you don't have to act anymore; you don't have to... (making facial contortions, etc.). I like situation comedy better than... (making those facial contortions again). That's called Jackie Chan comedy. Natural comedy.

How was it growing up alone, an only child? (His parents had been married to other partners, according to Jackie's book.)

Very tough, but very lucky in school (at the China Drama Academy where he was entrusted by his father).

You said you hated school.

Yeah! Hated school. But I didn't feel like an only child because I have hundreds of friends in school, like brothers. We were so many in school so I didn't feel like an only child. Many brothers and sisters in school. So many! (One of his schoolmates was Samo Hung, also now a Hong Kong superstar who has successfully penetrated Hollywood. -- RFL)

You said (in your book) that you learned three important things in school -- discipline, hard work and order. Of course, these things are now helping you a lot in your work as an actor.

Yeah! Discipline is important. In school. I always want to be outstanding! I remember, when there's competition in school, everybody do the somersault. Everybody, boom-boom, pak! Boom-boom, pak! Somersault, somersault! They push me in the behind to do somersault; I'm the last one in the line. I don't do somersault. So everybody somersault, go high, go higher. What I do? I go low, very low. I do different! Boom-boom, pak! I go very low, my nose touching the ground! The whole audience standing up, clap their hands. Clap, clap, clap! They see do many acrobatics and they see me doing something different, so they clap, clap, clap! I always want to be outstanding. Then I know that (being) outstanding always works. Always!

You want to be different...

...when everybody go that way, I go this way; when everybody go this way, I go that way. Different! When Bruce Lee go that way. I go this way. When Bruce Lee somersault I do something different. Everything totally different. Like Hollywood now. Every action movie, explosion, explosion, explosion! Look at Jackie Chan movie. Very simple. No violence, no sex, so "F" word.

Just entertainment, pure entertainment. Simple and wholesome. No guns.

I have to make many reasons to get rid of the guns. American action movies, they open with hundred guns -- rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat! Bullets flying, flying, flying! I don't like it. I have own way to make my movie. Like in Rush Hour, I use no gun. I do fist-fighting. No blood! Maybe some director like it, lots of blood, but I don't like it. I believe every actor, every producer and every director has responsibility to the society, especially the children, because they learn from you.

You do take your being a role-model seriously.

Yeah. I do! Like if you put tattoo in your body, your fans will put tattoo in their body. You dye your hair, everybody dye their hair. You fire gun in your movie -- Bang, bang, bang! -- children will follow you and will want to fire gun. Bang, bang, bang! You see? Right? So I hope I can teach the children goon things.

Among the dozens of films that you've done, what's your favorite?

None!

None?

None! Not even Shanghai Noon.

Why?

Because... like this... I make Rush Hour, I like it. But after I finish shooting, I don't like Rush Hour anymore. Then, I like Shanghai Noon while shooting. After shooting, I don't like Shanghai Noon anymore. Then, I (look forward to doing) Shanghai Noon 2 and that's my favorite. That's how I continue to think about good things for next film, next film, next film. One day when I die, that's the time when people can pick which of my films is the best. Right now, no favorite.

If you were to describe yourself briefly, how would you do it?

Myself? (Thinks hard)

Perhaps in three words.

(Breaking into wide smile, eyes disappearing into mere slits) A nice guy!.