Action superstar Jackie Chan has acted in, written, directed, produced, and choreographed over 100 films to date, but more impressively, he’s one of only a few Asian names recognizable to — and loved by — American audiences. That crossover appeal, kickstarted a decade ago in 1998’s Rush Hour, will be tested once more with this weekend’s The Forbidden Kingdom, in which Chan faces off with fellow martial arts legend Jet Li.
It’s Hollywood-meets-Hong Kong as Chan and Li play mentor to a hapless teen (Michael Angarano) whose obsession with classic kung-fu movies lands him squarely in ancient China. But what movies shaped Chan into the actor-filmmaker-superstar he is today?
Below, the legendary Jackie Chan shares his five favorite movies of all time. (Hint: only one of them is a Jackie Chan movie.)
“The Sound of Music because I watched it over and over when I was a kid and even though I couldn’t understand everything they were saying, I loved the songs and learned to sing along.”
Analyze This
“Analyze This, because of Robert DeNiro.”
“An Inconvenient Truth, because I think it’s one of the most important films that anyone will ever see.”
“Police Story, because I think it’s one of the best action films ever made.”
RT also sat down with Chan to talk about The Forbidden Kingdom; watch our video interview to hear Jackie describe his off-camera relationship with Jet Li, why it took so long for the two Asian superstars to make a movie together, and all the different kinds of fighting styles he’s learned throughout his four-decade career.
Click to watch our exclusive video chat with Jackie Chan and more clips from The Forbidden Kingdom!
