SATURDAY AFTERNOON WITH JACKIE : Chan the man talks Rob-B-Hood.

With the unfortunate demise of James Brown, Jackie Chan reigns as the hardest working man in show business. When I called his office to arrange to shoot an on-camera interview for our forthcoming release of his film Rob-B-Hood, I barely blinked an eye when they offered me a slot on Saturday afternoon. Of course Jackie wanted to work at the weekend (and every other day) and was well aware that I, of all people, would be willing to accommodate his schedule. (He once had me scrounge up a crew at Chinese New Year to shoot a promo for a film we were working on.)

Being Saturday day, I’m en famille at castle Logan. Though he normally runs a mile at the sign of work, my eldest son, Ryan, hearing that I’m en route to the chez Chan, offers to carry some bags, take some pictures and keep very quiet (in that order). With Ryan on one side and my temporary aide-de-camp Sidney Chu on the other, we headed to leafy Kowloon Tong, a former residential neighbourhood on the peninsula side of Hong Kong.

The offices of Jackie’s JC Group are situated on Waterloo Road. They have occupied the same site for many years, but were about five years ago totally demolished and reconstructed (to Jackie’s exacting design). The old office was accessible to all, but now, perhaps as a sign of the times, is surrounded by a security wall. The flow of the wall is interrupted by a huge truck tyre, a movie prop employed, perhaps, as an aid to feng shui.

When we arrive, there are a couple of American fans hovering outside. Knowing how warmly Jackie regards his devotees, I tip them off that the great man is on his way. Inside the building, we join the crew to set up in one corner of Chan’s spacious (for Hong Kong) conference area. It’s a sunny day, and the many windows on this second floor offer various views of the quiet suburb. When I first visited these premises, a ‘plane would thunder overhead every few minutes, make it impossible to shoot an uninterrupted interview like this one. Since the move from Kai Tak to the new airport, it’s been, as Jackie himself observes, almost too quiet!

Jackie rolls in with long-time assistants Osumi and Dorothy. The girls remember seeing Ryan as a baby, and are amazed to realize that he’s now 9. Jackie dispatches Dorothy to get enough of his t-shirts for Ryan to clothe Namibia single-handedly. That task disposed of, Jackie gets down to business. I think that if there was a world cinema dictionary, the word ‘professional’ would probably have a picture of Chan next to it. I’ve never seen him fail to rise to the occasion, especially when the camera’s roll. He’s ‘on’, and offers us some great insights into the genesis, development and production of Rob-B-Hood.

For those not in the know, the film stars Jackie as a gambling addicted thief who changes his ways after he and his partners steal a baby. Of course, Chan bonds with the child, and finally realizes that the little boy’s well-being is more important to him than money… I suggest to Chan that, for the first time, he isn’t the star of his own film. The baby is. Jackie laughingly agrees with this, and describes the efforts the production had to go to in their mission to find the right child for the role. There were
early Internet rumours that the film would reunite Jackie, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao lead roles for the first time since Dragons Forever. Chan addresses the stories, and also discusses the possibility of such a reunion. (Yuen Biao does appear in Rob-B-Hood, though in a supporting role.)

When we take a break to change tapes, Jackie mentions that he’d seen me on TV the night before on a Discovery Channel show I shot a few years back. It seems to play constantly. I observe that, if I got a hundred bucks every time it aired, I’d be as rich as he is. You need to get a new manager, he observes. I also remind him of my cameo in Rob-B-Hood as an emergency room doctor. Most of it hit the cutting room floor, but I’m still jazzed to have been in the same scene as him.

When we roll again, Jackie talks about co-star Michael Hui Koon-man, who, though little known in the west, is one of Hong Kong’s comic legends. (He previously appeared alongside Jackie as his fellow driver in the first Cannonball Run film.) He also describes the three ‘don’ts’ of Hong Kong film-making, one of which is ‘don’t’ work with babies. (Check out the Rob-B-Hood disc to find out the other two!) Chan then details all the energy needed to get a performance from his tiny co-star, and his inspiration for the movie’s stunt and comedy set-pieces.

After we wrap, I thank Jackie, and help the crew pack the tapes and equipment. There’s no sign of Ryan. It turns out he and Jackie are playing with Chan’s two dogs in the backyard of a property adjacent to the office. Jackie’s wife has given him an ice cream, and, if she’d had adoption papers handy, I think Ryan would urge me to sign them. When I first met Jackie up at Golden Harvest studios, I was 19. Now my 9-year-old son is playing in his yard…

Comments

POST A COMMENT

Your comment

Who are you?

Where are you located?

RECENT POSTS

Now and Yen: Happy birthday to Donnie…

It’s been a few weeks since Donnie Yen’s birthday, and I only now (for shame!) got around to posting this photo... MORE ›

PICK YOUR POISON: Some thoughts on ‘THE 5 DEADLY VENOMS’

When director Chang Cheh first devised the concept for Mm duk (literally: Five Poisons), he had no ambition beyond... MORE ›

MORE POSTS

THE LATEST ASIAN FILM AND DVD NEWS DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

Join the Order of the Dragon and receive e-mail updates on the latest releases, news items,and special promotions.