Rob-B-Hood

HK Magazine: Why “Rob-B-Hood”?
Jackie Chan: People have a fixed image of me as an action hero, so I want to play different roles. In America and Europe, whenever fans see me, they always do kung fu moves. They don’t do that when they meet Robert De Niro or Dustin Hoffman. I want to be an actor that can do stunts, not a stuntman who can speak lines. In Hollywood, nobody would invest in a comedy like “Rob-B-Hood.” They’d rather spend US$20 million on “Rush Hour 5.” In Hollywood, I make a lot of money, but it’s no fun. It’s the same old stories. In Hong Kong, though I get less money, I have fun making movies.

HK: How was working with a baby?
JC: We auditioned hundreds of babies before we found Matthew by accident in a subway. He’s half-Colombian, half-Chinese. He’s cute, but this film is the first and last I will do with a baby! He’s the king. If the baby is hot, we had to turn off the lights. When the baby wanted to sleep, we had to take a break. Two hundred people on the set had to wait for him. I worked with a tiger once, and that was a lot easier!

HK: Any injuries during filming?
JC: Actually, the action scenes weren’t difficult, but I still got hurt. I’m used to getting hurt and breaking my bones. It has become typical for me.

HK: Any tip for the next action hero?
JC: Thai actor Tony Jaa has enormous potential. He knows how to fight, somersault and act in difficult stunts. I recommended him for “Rush Hour 3,” but Tony was busy. Whenever I have the chance, I try to introduce Asian stars to Hollywood.

Plus: read our movie review of Jacky Chan's Rob-B-Hood here