Jackie Chan: action hero with heart

By Nicole Rodriguez

"Ninety percent clothes, 10 percent heart," is the life motto of Clark Devlin, one of the primary characters in DreamWorks Pictures' upcoming film, "The Tuxedo". The film's star, Jackie Chan, has a different perspective.

"For me, everything is 90 percent," Chan explains to the small panel of reporters before him. "When I'm working it's 90 percent, when I'm not working it's 90 percent."

"Not 110 percent?" one interviewer jokes.

Chan shakes his head and laughs loudly. "No, not 110 percent. Sometimes I've just got to relax."

Relaxing, however, is something Chan doesn't seem to have a whole lot of time to do. Currently on a press tour to promote his latest effort, "The Tuxedo," Chan is awaiting the release of the sequels to both "Rush Hour 2" and "Shanghai Noon." Chan is also wrapping up the 100 million-dollar blockbuster "Around the World in 80 Days," a comedy that also stars Hugh Grant.

Amidst the hard work, Chan has found some time to promote his animated television series "Jackie Chan Adventures."

"Columbia/Tri-Star contacted me with the idea to do 'Jackie Chan Adventures,' Chan reports excitedly. "I said, 'please do it.' And I told my manager not to ask for anything because they spend so much on the writing and the cartoonists and then we ask for 10 million. They don't know if it's going to be a success or not.

"I said to them 'you can give me 10 dollars or 100 thousand dollars, it's okay, I don't care. I'll do the looping or the sound or whatever you need.'" His grin widened and a proud gleam entered his eye. "And now look at what a success it is. And I'm so happy because I'm giving input to let children learn from me. That's all that matters."

Chan also tries to downgrade the amount of violence shown in his films for the benefit of those same children. He asks, "How many children have learned about murder and suicide from American movies? If someone is going to be shot, they always have to show it right there, they can't ever just turn the camera away. I don't agree with that. I don't think you need to show someone's head getting blown off."

And his efforts to help the children don't end there. Chan claims to go out of his way to keep children away from dangerous activities, such as smoking.

"You will never see a character smoking in any of my movies. I don't care if it's a good guy or a bad guy, there will never be any smoking. There were a couple of times when I also included anti-smoking posters in the background of movies."

This anti-smoking campaign also applies to "The Tuxedo" - a project he holds in high esteem.

"I really think it will make a lot of money, and if it does we will definitely make a sequel," says Chan. "But then, I have no idea if a film is going to succeed or not. I hated 'Rush Hour.' I finished it and I thought 'now that's a s- movie;' During the promotions, I told people I don't like 'Rush Hour,' I told them not to see it. Now everywhere I go everyone tells me how much they love 'Rush Hour,' and they don't know any other things I've done. The movie business is a big gamble. I guess I'll just have to wait until the release [Sept. 27] and see how it goes."

He does note however, that "The Tuxedo" was a different experience for him from the get-go. "Steven Spielberg called me and asked me if I wanted to direct 'The Tuxedo.' I thought about it, but a director has to spend over a year for just one thing and that's just too long," Chan explains. "I'm not getting any younger and I want to make more movies. Maybe when I retire, I'll think about directing in Asia, but not now."

And on his list of upcoming projects, Chan animatedly discusses "Rush Hour 3," "Shanghai Dawn" and a possible "Tuxedo 2." He also admits to toying with the idea of delving into some more serious roles.

"Someday I want to be Robert DeNiro. I don't want everybody hearing 'Jackie Chan movie' and immediately assuming ..." His voice cuts off as he demonstrates a few quick martial arts movements to demonstrate his point for the press. "I want to do something like 'Spy Game,' 'Gladiator' or 'Kramer vs. Kramer.'"

And then Chan plans on taking some time off to play the part of a family man.

"Nobody believes it, but (at home) I clean the garden, clean the toilet, throw the rubbish away and clean the windows. I'm more busy than when I'm filming," he laughs. "I stop for one minute and then I'll find something else wrong and have to go to Home Depot."

In addition to this, Chan, the product of an impoverished childhood, has spent time and money establishing the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation. Started in 1988, the foundation seeks to "aid children living in poverty and help the elderly and disabled." It also provides scholarships to students in the sciences and performing arts.

"When I'm not working, I just want to be helping people, because so many times I just feel too lucky. All those years, those gods were watching out for me - whatever I want, comes to me. So I promised myself that I was going to pay back society."