Jackie Chan Interview, The Forbidden Kingdom

MoviesOnline recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Jackie Chan at the Los Angeles press day for his new film “The Forbidden Kingdom,” directed by Rob Minkoff. In this epic action-adventure tale, Chan and Jet Li, the two most revered martial arts film stars in the world today, come together for the first time in filmmaking history.

When Boston teenager Jason Tripitikas (Michael Angarano) accidentally discovers the long lost stick weapon of the legendary Monkey King in a Chinatown pawnshop, he embarks on a dangerous mission through ancient China to return it to its rightful owner. To succeed, he must learn the art of kung fu from two distinctly different teachers, Lu Yan (Chan) and the Silent Monk (Li).

Jet Li and Jackie Chan, who are close friends, have long expressed a mutual desire to work together, but it wasn’t until “The Forbidden Kingdom” that either found an appropriate project that featured two strong roles and memorable fight sequences. Chan readily admits that his attraction to “The Forbidden Kingdom” hinged on Li’s involvement. “I have always hoped to make movies with some people whom I really admire, like Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro, before I retire from this business,” he says. “Jet Li is someone with whom I have wanted to work for more than ten years.”

When the momentous day finally came for Chan and Li to shoot their first fight sequence together, the chemistry was palpable. “It was seamless,” avows Chan. “With most people, you have to practice. But with Jet, I don't know why, we both looked at each other and we just said, ‘Let’s just do it, yeah.’ And we did it. The first two takes were so fast that everybody had to tell us to slow down or they’d have to use slow motion.”

According to Chan, most fight sequences require about ten to fifteen takes per segment; but his sequences with Li required only three to five. “All I did was tell Jet I’d do these few strokes and let him know my rhythm. He would pick up my rhythm and just react with his strokes. That kind of chemistry is rare.”

Jackie Chan is an amazing artist and we really appreciated his time. Here’s more of what he had to tell us about making “The Forbidden Kingdom” and finally having the opportunity to work with Jet Li:

Q: I know you can be very critical of your own work. So are you pleased with the way this has turned out? Is it as you imagined it?

JACKIE CHAN: I don’t know. Every time I make an American film I just trust the American director and American writer. Myself, I would never make this kind of film. For me, those kinds of films are ridiculous. They don’t make sense. (Laughs.) Ha, ha, ha.  But an American audience is more interested in this kind of movie.

Q: I’m surprised, because it feels like you with the drunken fist scene and stuff. Which part did you think didn’t make sense?

JACKIE CHAN: No, the whole thing. (Laughs.) Why Drunken Master? Monkey King? All kinds of things, but at the end, it’s the children, there is a young boy in New York who, just like the writer, loves Chinese culture. It’s a fantasy like a fairy tale. It’s OK. Otherwise, I won’t make this movie, because I know that American people like it. American audiences like it. The Asian audiences like it. So, that’s why Jet and I agreed to make this movie. Now, I hear so many good things about this movie and everybody talks about it, but I still worry. Just like ‘Rush Hour 1.’ After I finished ‘Rush Hour 1’ I said, ‘My career is finished. A second time I try to get in the American market and now I’m finished.’ I go back to Asia and that’s all. Then ‘Boom!’ big hit.  This is ridiculous. Why, why, do people like these kinds of things? Then ‘Rush Hour 2,’ da da da da da da. So, now, whenever an American writer or director comes and presents a script, nobody is against it, for American market, yeah.

Q: You are in your 50s now. What kind of adjustments have you had to make with your martial arts at your age?

JACKIE CHAN: I think in the last five or six years you can tell that I have changed my style. Right after ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ and then I go back to make ‘New Police Story,’ ‘The Myth,’ ‘Rob B Hood,’ ‘Rush Hour 3’ and ‘Forbidden Kingdom.’ Right after ‘Forbidden Kingdom,’ I just finished a movie called ‘The Shinjuku Incident.’ It’s just totally, one percent action, heavy, heavy drama. The next one will be big action! Then maybe a love story. I want to change. I want to be a real actor. Not just action style. I am the myth. Jackie Chan is a myth. I am still surviving right now. More than 30 years. I am the only one. How long can I keep fighting? So this is why I have to change, change, change. I have encouraged a director for my next film, it’s a good idea for him. He’s been working on, not a new idea, it’s about Chinese culture and combined with European (American). More those kind of situations. I’m not like I used to be like ‘Drunken Master 3’ or ‘4.’ No, I’m tired. (Laughs.)

Q: Did wearing the wig pose any problems?

JACKIE CHAN: Yes, especially when shooting time was so hot in the desert. It’s so itching. Probably for a young girl they are used to it. I always like very slowly to just do this (twirls fake hair with his fingers). So itching! But there were things, the old guy, the Old Hop. Wow! I wanted to kill the director. (Laughs.) For five days I get a phone call in the morning. Makeup until 12:30.  After lunch first shot. Two shots, wrap. I said, ‘No, shoot more.’ Take off all the makeup for two hours. Everyday? Almost 11 hours in makeup.

Q: I grew up with your movies. You and Jet Li used to be students and now you are the masters?  How does that feel?

JACKIE CHAN: I just don’t believe it’s so quick, now, that I’m becoming a master. Then I realize, ‘Wow, ‘Drunken Monkey’ was 30 years ago.’ My master has already passed away. Now, I am the master. Feel funny. But, yeah, what can you do? That’s a human being life.

Q: I heard you got hurt quite a bit. Was it safer to do ‘Kung Fu Panda’?

JACKIE CHAN: Kung Fu what? (Laughs.) Yes.

Q: Did you like that?

JACKIE CHAN: Yes. I forget. Making a Hollywood film you don’t have a very big movie because they have a Safety Captain and insurance people on the set. They have to check first. ‘Don’t do it. Let me check. Make sure everything is safe.’ And I really think that John, the director and also, Disney and DreamWorks, they are making Chinese culture movies like ‘Mulan,’ ‘Forbidden Kingdom,’ ‘Kung Fu Panda.’ All those years, I always think, ‘Whenever the Western people make anything we know, ‘Superman,’ yeah we know. ‘Spider-Man,’ well we know. Whenever you make ‘King Arthur,’ we know.’ But whenever we try to make something [about] Chinese culture overseas, nobody knows. But if I make (don’t understand the Chinese) nobody knows.  When we make Chang Dynasty, who is Chang? When we make some very famous Chinese story, nobody knows. Even Mulan, Disney makes ‘Mulan’ and now the whole world knows Mulan. So, we need a famous American director or non-famous director or famous studio to help us make a traditional Chinese culture movie. The history brings you to the Wall (Great Wall of China). Then the people understand more [about] China. Then more people will have an interest in China and more people will come to China to visit us because I am a tourist ambassador. (Laughs.) Really, thank you. Really, thank you. Please write more Chinese things, yes.

Q: What was the first movie you wanted to make with Jet Li? You said you didn’t want to make this one and that first you wanted to make another one.

JACKIE CHAN: 15 years ago I wrote a script with him and the script was very interesting. Listen, I am the bad good guy, he is the cop. He had to catch me around from bottom of Russia all the way back to Beijing. In between something happens. Even the police [are] looking for Jet Li, the bad guy [is] looking for Jet Li. Then the police [are] looking for me and then Jet Li couldn’t catch me. I had to get rid of him. And we cannot take the plane, we cannot take the train, we cannot take anything. No transportation. We have to walk on the mountains, cross the river. Different reasons of Chinese. Different dialects. There is a lot of comedy going on. Lots of travel going on. Lots of great action. 

Q: What happened to that?

JACKIE CHAN: When I presented the script to the American writer, he didn’t like it. (Laughs.) The company spent another million for him to rewrite the script. After he wrote the script, I didn’t like it. He writes the script and it’s [about] two brothers. Somehow I don’t know he’s my brother, somehow I know he’s my brother. The two of us… He just wanted money. He didn’t pay me the script copyright. So, this is why it doesn’t happen. And I think also, we don’t have the middle guy. Every time I see Jet, it’s like, ‘Let’s do it!’ And he’s like, ‘Yeah, let’s do it!’ And then ‘Dead, boom, gone.’ This time it happened because Casey (Silver), [who was] in the middle, all those years, every ten days he gave me a call. The script, ‘No, it’s not done.’ ‘Jet, sent him the script.’ He was the one flying back and forth, back and forth. Then, it makes the whole thing happen. (to Casey who is sitting next to him) Thank you.

Q: What are your favorite classic kung fu movies?

JACKIE CHAN: Classic movies? ‘Drunken Master.’ (Laughs.) Director King Hu’s ‘Dragon Inn’ and ‘A Touch of Zen.’ ‘Young Master.’ ‘Police Story.’ (Laughs.) ‘Rush Hour.’

Q: You guys have known each other a long time, but you each have different backgrounds and different styles of martial arts. How was it working with him on the action sequences and what was it like behind-the-scenes?

JACKIE CHAN: Behind-the-scenes? I just remember the first day we are on the set, Woo-ping and the stunt coordinators had choreographed an action sequence and Jet and I are going to take a look. Two stunt guys were doing a demonstration. And I’m standing there with Woo. You know, I am a fast learner. I have been doing this action for so many years. I just look at it once. ‘Just show me one more time.’ And then I say, ‘Let’s shoot without rehearsal.’ And then I look at Jet and Jet Li’s like, ‘OK, let’s shoot.’ Then, I suppose – just to make fun of him – and all the cameramen were like, ‘What? No rehearsal. OK, let’s do it.’ After first cut, the director and Woo-ping come up and say, ‘Good, but can you guys slow down?’ Because, he wanted to show off quick, I wanted to show off quick. I wanted quicker! Then the director [says] ‘New technology.’ We had to slow down a bit and then we slowed down. Fighting with him is very, very comfortable, not like [fighting] some action villain. They just don’t know how to fight. It’s ‘Ow’ and it gets you hurt. And it just doesn’t look good. I have never fought so many other actors and villains, and it’s boom! [With Li] it’s good those kind of rhythms. Wow. I think because I’m good, it makes him comfortable. (Laughs.)

Q: You mentioned the Olympics before. This week has not been the best PR week for China. Will you be in Beijing for the Olympics and how would you like people to be able to see them?

JACKIE CHAN: I am the Olympic Ambassador. I always promote Olympics. I just want to say, Olympics is Olympics. [You] cannot mix with politics. Olympics for me is love, peace, [being] united. Every four years is Olympics no matter what country. Every country, when they have Olympics, a lot of people come out opposed. Like, LA, same. Russia, same. Some other, same. But this year everyone is just concentrated on China. It just doesn’t happen in China, it happens everywhere. I just want to say, please, understand, they are just some naughty boys. They are doing it for no reason. They just want to show up on TV. They know if I can get the torch then I can go on the TV for the news. That’s the wrong thing. They misunderstand. And like I said before, more making Chinese films, more tourists come to China and watch the Olympics and welcome. I am standing in the airport and bowing. Welcome, welcome, welcome.

Q: How did it feel to do ‘Drunken Fist’ after all these years?

JACKIE CHAN: Sometimes I’m very embarrassed. I have to do it again, again and again. I said, ‘Why does everyone have to see me?’ Like I said before, when the people know Jackie Chan movie, ‘Oh, ‘Drunken Master!’ Especially in the west, even Brett Ratner, ‘Rush Hour 3,’ there is one scene where I get drunk and get in a fight with a drunken master and I said, ‘No! Why does everybody want me to fight drunken master?’ But this movie, at the beginning I refuse. But later on, later on, I find out, ‘Ok, it’s a purist movie. And the young boys love it. That’s OK.’ Not any more. Not any more.

Q: I think it’s because it looks so special and unlike anything else. That’s why we like it.

JACKIE CHAN: Really? OK. That depends. The box-office. If the box office is good, the next one will be ‘Forbidden Drunken Master.’ (Laughs.)

Q: Can you talk about the experience of shooting on location?

JACKIE CHAN: Location for me? For the last 10 years I’ve been working in China traveling around, because with ‘The Myth’ going on we’ve being traveling to so many different locations. Different places for the location. For me it’s nothing. I think for him (referring to Minkoff), ‘Wow. Great location, great location.’ For me? I’m just used to it.

Q: Do you think there will be a sequel?

JACKIE CHAN: Yeah, just like ‘Rush Hour’ Boom! ‘Rush Hour 2,’ then ‘Rush Hour 3.’ Now, ‘Rush Hour 4.’ I mean, ‘Shanghai Noon’ and ‘Shanghai Knights.’ ‘Shanghai Dawn!’  ‘Forbidden Kingdom,’ ‘Forbidden’ what? ‘Return to Forbidden Kingdom.’ (Laughs.)

“The Forbidden Kingdom” opens in theaters on April 18th.