Editor’s Note: MOVIEGUIDE® Associate Editor Evy Baehr got a chance to attend the press conference with Jackie Chan, the beloved international action star from Hong Kong. His family moved to Australia when he was young, but at age 6 his parents sent him back to Hong Kong to attend the China Drama Academy, where he learned music, dance, and traditional martial arts. After a visiting film director gave him a stunt part, Jackie left the Academy and began his career in movies.
Jackie: All my company and everybody calls ‘Jackie! Everybody say you’re retiring!’ Now, I want to correct. NOT retiring. I just do LESS dangerous stunts. I’m hurting. . . my body is telling me I have to stop. Weird dilemma. Really, weird dilemma.
Q: So, not retiring, but working less?
Jackie: Yeah. Actually as soon as we finish here, we start a movie. In July. Another one! And, also action movie! And right after, ANOTHER movie. My schedule’s already packed! Through 2014!
Q: Does that mean you will be using stunt men from now on?
Jackie: No, just new Jackie Chan things. Just like, uh, Clint Eastwood. ‘YOU – bang! Pow!’ (pretends to punch things) But not (using hands to mimic martial arts). No. . . no, just. . . look at Clint Eastwood. So good. The movie. You know you say ‘action movie,’ but DRAMA! It’s good. Yeah.
Q: Do you actually wish you were younger? Or are you happy getting old, being old?
Jackie: Sometime I tell my friend, I give all my money to you to change you 30 years. Then I would be twenty years old! But, then I say, No. Then I’d continue to break my finger. . . . No, no, no, I’ll stay where I am!
Q: If you could look back, would you change something in your life? Would you do the same career?
Jackie: Yes.
Q: Is this how you imagined your life when you were younger?
Jackie: What? No. Never. Even today, when I am on the street, people yelling at me, somehow, I never think Jackie Chan would become [what I am] today. When I was young, nobody knew me, the Internet was not popular, I don’t know what’s going on anywhere. I only know Hong Kong. Just that. You know? I just making film. Just making the best film I can. Break my ankle, break my arm. For little money, I was a stuntman. No money, but I still did my best. But now, today, I am so happy [with] what I’ve done.
Q: You actually almost died a long time ago, in Zagreb (during the making of ARMOUR OF GOD [1986]).
Jackie: Yes.
Q: Did you delete that from your memory?
Jackie: No, never. Never. Every time when I do some high fall now, I always think about Zagreb. Yes. Never again. Before. . . before I was too. . . I always think I am Superman. I never die. Whatever I do, I just do it. I never think, ‘Are the walls strong enough?’ So many times, I just try to jump. BOOM! – The wall had a big hole. Now, I’m more careful. More checking. Not even [for] myself. Because there’s so many stuntmen; my students on the set. I have to protect them. Then I make sure everything’s safe. But now, they make sure [I’m] safe! Yeah – sometimes, I get standing up, four people surround me! I go, No! I’m not that old! They protect me.
Q: Do you ever think about death? Like how is it going to be like, what’s going to be afterwards, is there something afterwards?
Jackie: I never think [it] will happen [to] me. I’m always very lucky. I don’t know why. Like, last week I was in a volcano – on top of volcano! Filming. And everyone [said] go! Rock coming! And I was standing there. . . everyone ran. . . and I said I don’t think the rock will [hit] me. I always want to try stuff.
Q: Where was the volcano?
Jackie: Vanuatu. 200,000 people stay in 82 islands. My island was only 15,000 people. Natives. So good, for a few days. The first time I sit down with 28 of my colleagues, everybody eating face-to-face, talking about life, talking about tomorrow – the shoot… you know why? No Internet. Most of the time, you sit down, everybody [is on their phone]! But I sit there, and I look. Wow! So good! No Internet, no telephone, no TV, so it was good for four days. Totally out! At night, you go out and you see the Milky Way. So beautiful.
Q: Do you miss those good old days, without Internet and gadgets and mobile phones?
Jackie: No.
[everyone laughs]
Jackie: When you have it, you can’t live without it.
Q: Do you like the new action films from Hollywood?
Jackie: It’s different. I just admire, like, James Cameron – this kind of director. So clever. They can use a special effect and make everyone become a superhero. Superwomen. But, I don’t know this kind of technology. Even today, I have the money to buy the machine, but I don’t know how to control it. You must have this kind of talent to tell you I want this, I want that. I don’t. So that’s why I go back to Jackie traditional. Nobody knows. So easy.
First time I saw Steven Spielberg. . . Wow, wow I see Spielberg – what should I say? WOW. He comes in, [he asks] Can I have some autograph for my son? I said whoa – oh okay. I’m signing, I think, ‘Should I say something nice?’ Okay. Then I turn around… I say, Wow, I see JURASSIC PARK – It was SO incredible! How can you make human being, mountain, dinosaur together? [Steven says] Jackie! So easy! You know, just – push button, push button. Then he ask me, How can you jump from there? I said, More easy! Action, Jump. Yeah – action, rolling, jump – then hospital.
Q: In your new movie, what is it about the Zodiac that makes it a treasure?
Jackie: Well it’s based on a true story. I just changed a little bit of the story. Everybody knows there are four bronze heads already in China, one in Macau, two in Paris, five of them are totally missing – nobody knows where. I base [the movie] on this story between bad and good treasure hunters. I [my character in the movie] do anything. I don’t like my family, I don’t like my life, I don’t like my wife, I don’t like friends. . . money. That’s my character.
Q: Not you. But that’s not you.
Jackie: But how can you be a good Jackie Chan? People, they don’t like to see it. I just wanna [be] little bit like Indiana Jones. A lot of sky fighting, volcano, and street, and action sequence, so many things. At the end, I finally come back, I miss my wife, I know my friends, it’s a totally happy ending.
In the movie, you can tell, there are so many messages inside. An education. I tell the children what’s wrong, what’s right. Like when we fight together. . . gentlemen fight one by one. Why I’m doing this [is] because I see [on the] Internet five young kids pick on one young kid. That’s wrong! That’s wrong. I don’t know if they get it or not, [but] at least from my heart I do some right things. All those years, I’m a bad boy becoming a good boy, from my fans, from the newspaper, from the media. They correct me. I’m the wild boy. [When I was] twenty years old, already a millionaire! Daytime, I crash a Porsche, afternoon I crash a Benz. Just spend all my money. But, from the movie, from the challenge, I learn so many things. I see credits – ah, so good, but so sad I cannot bring my children to go see it, because too nasty. Oh, okay – slowly, I don’t do these kind of things. So many years, I correct. Action movie, without violence. Comedy: clean. No f-words. I know there’s so many children watching my movies. So I really thank you all, all my fans, all the credit on the news – when people don’t like me – you write bad things, I really thank you. Because I read it. Yes, I correct myself! That’s the way I correct myself. I hear so many good things! Jackie, you’re so handsome! Jackie, I love you! Jackie, so good! NO – Too many! Somebody say bad things, I collect. I put on my wall. I remind myself, because sometimes when you’re in THIS position, you don’t know anything. I always correct –don’t do this – don’t do that – don’t be snobbish – okay you have to be nice to people. I correct myself.
Q: What do you think you’re going to be doing in 20 or 30 years?
Jackie: Retiring. No – I’ll still be making movies! Don’t write I’m retired! Tell directors to hire me! (laughs)
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
