FILM INTERVIEW: JACKIE CHAN

Beloved Action Star of 'The Spy Next Door' Explains What He's Looking For

By: Parimal M. Rohit

January 14, 2010

Jackie Chan never falls in love.

Sure, he wants to be loved, but none of his films really set him up for romance. Instead, he is always playing a police officer or detective, or some other heroic character who manages to throw in some mind-boggling, death-defying stunts.

Through and through, audiences fill seats at theaters to see Chan perform some kick-ass martial arts moves, not to make moves on some attractive woman with an appealing rear-end.

In a dramatic shift, Chan now finds himself struggling to rely strictly on performing his own stunts as an audience draw, mostly because the Chinese actor is just reaching an age where he admits it is becoming harder to put his body through all the things he previously endured to please his fans.

Of course, Chan probably did not plan on shifting to family-friendly romantic comedies with a hint of innocent action, let alone starring as the romantic interest to a stunningly attractive real-life fashion model.

Indeed, as Chan’s character in The Spy Next Door walks up to his attractive and bubbly neighbor (played by Amber Valletta) early in the film and plants a big kiss on her lips — with her reciprocating — audiences will have a hard time adjusting to seeing their favorite martial arts star hooking up on-screen with the beautiful lead actress.

Yet everyone involved with the filming of The Spy Next Door seemed to be okay with Valletta pairing up with Chan, especially the two actors themselves.

“I want to be a lover,” Chan jokingly told Buzzine. “I want to be a fighter.”

All joking aside, Chan said The Spy Next Door was less of a romance film and more of a family-friendly comedy that coincidentally had a love story in it.

In fact, Chan said his audience expects more action from him — most of his films did not involve much heavy romance — and hence the potential oddity of being paired with a model as his love interest should not really be a big deal.

“If you look at my old movies, like Police Story, I do have a romantic scene. I always have fun romantic [roles],” he told Buzzine. “The most important thing the audience sees in me is not the romantic scene — it is the action-style movie and stunts. That’s most important.”

Indeed, Chan, Valletta and film director Brian Levant had more important challenges to overcome than to worry about what audiences would think of a model and a martial arts action star finding love on screen.

For Chan, he struggled to deal with a few things both personally and professionally while shooting The Spy Next Door in Albuquerque.

“There are three challenges,” he said, beginning to count the ways. “First, there is always English; second, animals; then children. It’s not easy. They (the children) never listen to you — especially the youngest one.”

While Chan said working with children on set was a challenge — and he had three of them to work with in The Spy Next Door — he also told Buzzine that he gets along just fine with young ones otherwise.

“In the real world, the children love me,” he humbly told this writer. “I always do some tricks for them. They won’t let me take a rest.”

In making time to fulfill the requests of young ones to be taught his tricks and moves, perhaps Chan is compensating for the time he lost with his son, whom he apparently sent away to the United States for protection from the Hong Kong and Chinese paparazzi.

Chan’s fame came with a price. The pressure of his mass appeal was worse on those he loved than on him, with Chan admitting he had to deal with the suicide of a former girlfriend due to his fame, as well as being separated from his son.

“It’s really sad. I never played with my son,” Chan gravely said. “I hide my wife in America to protect her from paparazzi, so I never see my son. There are so many sad stories with me and my son.”

Still, Chan did go on to say that he does have a strong relationship with his son, despite the prolonged and distant separation.

“He [knows] who I am,” he gleefully stated about his 27-year-old son. “He is proud of me. I try to be as close to him as possible. Now it’s okay.”

Shifting back to film, Chan said he struggles with his body mostly due to age and obvious wear-and-tear due to his many years of putting his body through extreme conditions.

An actor who gained popularity with moviegoers by doing his own breathtaking stunts — with the end credit bloopers almost as funny as the film itself — Chan is finding it tougher to continuously push himself physically on set.

“I forget how old I am,” Chan humbly said. “Sometimes I find out, wow, I am not like I used to be. It’s not easy anymore.”

Still, Chan said his age is not going to make him slow down, adding he is still working on keeping his portfolio and resume as diverse as possible.

In addition to regularly making charitable and goodwill appearances in Hong Kong and abroad, Chan said he is looking forward to his role in the next installment of the Karate Kid franchise opposite Jayden Smith (Will Smith’s son).

He also said he would be starring in his final full-length action movie later this year, a Chinese/Hollywood production that will begin filming soon.

In the meantime, Chan will be seen playing the “Secret Agent Man,” romantically connecting with the stunningly gorgeous Valletta in The Spy Next Door.

For Levant, Chan’s stunts and Valletta’s goofball nature was a perfect recipe for him to make a family-oriented film. “This isn’t Jackie Chan throwing ninja stars in people’s foreheads, but this is a family-friendly movie you can trust.”

It is up to audiences to trust themselves in believing Chan and Valletta are a couple when The Spy Next Door opens worldwide January 15th.