Jackie awed by Brosnan’s professionalism
BEIJING: Jackie Chan, who is currently promoting the thriller The Foreigner in Beijing, has admitted that he was mesmerised by the professionalism of co- star Pierce Brosnan.
Said an upbeat Jackie: “Pierce Brosnan, well, he’s excellent, very focused on his work. He’s an actor who, I’ll tell you this, there was one day he woke up at 6 (in the morning) and got dressed and ran lines and trained with me and then I said, “Okay, now you’re off to hair and makeup?” And he said, “No, I’m going back to bed,” and I said “What?! You came here just to help me rehearse?! Wow!”
Director Martin Campbell also impressed Jackie.
Said Jackie: “Martin is, out of all the directors I’ve met over the years and worked with over the years, one of the most hardworking directors I’ve met. Really! He’s even more hardworking than I am.He works hard, he’s always prepared.”
How did Jackie end up working on the set of The Foreigner?
He was actually searching for more dramatic roles when he came across the project.
The Foreigner is on a 1992 novel titled The Chinaman by Stephen Leather about a despondent immigrant who sets out to hunt down those responsible for the London terrorist attack that killed his daughter.
Jackie relished the opportunity to play Quan, the soft- spokenbutdeadly anti-hero, even if it meant some new bruises along the way.
“I’m too used to injuries,”
He (Brosnan) woke up at 6 (in the morning) and got dressed and ran lines and trained with me and then I said, ‘Okay, now you’re off to hair and makeup?’ And he said, ‘No, I’m going back to bed,’ and I said ‘What?! You came here just to help me rehearse?! Wow!’ Jackie Chan, actor
deadpanned Jackie. “But if I want to keep making movies, I have to change.”
On why he took up the challenge, Jackie said: “To put it simply, I’m not young anymore. If I still want to keep making movies, I have to be, like, an Asian De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, or Clint Eastwood, who at 80 can still be actors. When you think about it, in Japan, Hong Kong, China, US, there are so many action stars, but a lot of them now are no longer working.
“So that’s why I’m saying I have to change. After all these decades, I’m sure you’ll understand, I’m always changing, looking for a good story. I believe that after these years the audience will understand that Jackie Chan is an actor and no longer just an action star, just a kung fu star. So today I’m still working in action, and it’s not easy, but if I want to keep making movies, I have to change.”