Martial arts legend Jackie Chan revealed recently that he almost attacked a director on set. Chan's storied career spans two continents and over one hundred films. Chan is best known for his high-flying stunts, his comedic angle on fight scenes, and his creative choreography. But Chan is also highly regarded in China and America as an actor and businessman and has become seen as an action genre icon.
Jackie Chan has starred in dozens of films over multiple decades. He first distinguished himself in China, where he collaborated with Golden Harvest studio, appearing in hits like Drunken Master, Rumble in the Bronx, and Twin Dragons. Chan later took his talents to Hollywood, finding stardom with films like Rush Hour, Shanghai Noon, and The Karate Kid. In 2016, he received an honorary Oscar for his lifetime achievements in cinema.
But in a recent interview on the Chinese talk show Shidian Talk (via Asia One), Chan revealed that his talents were not always so respected. Chan recounted a time on set when he almost attacked a director after the director made disparaging remarks about Chan's parents. "I took a knife and wanted to go and cut the director. I said that he can scold me as much as he wants, but don't insult my mother." Chan was luckily stopped by another martial arts legend he was working with at the time, Sammo Hung. Chan says, "Sammo grabbed hold of me and said: 'Are you crazy?'"
Jackie Chan's History With Dangerous Stunts
Chan is no stranger to on-set danger. The action star's popularity is intrinsically tied to his practice of doing his own stunts. These stunts have ranged from regular action scenes to large-scale set-pieces involving skyscrapers, helicopters, and other life-or-death scenarios. Chan's worst mishap came during 1989's Armour of God filming when Chan was supposed to jump onto a tree branch in a relatively simple stunt. Unfortunately, the branch snapped during Chan's second take, and Chan fell to the ground, hitting his head on a rock and suffering a brain injury that left chunks of his skull lodged into his brain.
Other stories of Chan's failed stunts--and successful ones--are part of what has made Chan a film industry legend. His putting his own body on the line for the success of his films has left audiences dedicated to Chan's impressive methods. For a long time, it was compulsory to watch Chan's films into the credits, where bloopers from his stunts were often presented. For these reasons, it is hard to imagine any director disrespecting a martial arts master. Chan's story of an unnamed director going so far as to insult his parents reflects how far his career and reputation have come.
Source: Shidian Talk (via Asia One)