In an interview for Chinese talk show Shidian Talk, Jackie Chan revealed that he had tried to attack a director with a knife after the latter insulted his mother.
“I was scolded so much and he even dragged my ancestors in,” the action movie actor explained. “So I took a knife and wanted to go and cut the director. I said that he can scold me as much as he wants but don’t insult my mother.” He added that he was prevented from going too far by fellow martial arts movie actor Sammo Hung. “Sammo grabbed hold of me and said, ‘Are you crazy?'”
The thriller movie legend also addressed the various press controversy he amassed over the years, saying, “In the past, whenever the newspapers criticised me, I would be unhappy for the day. I would think about it for a day, which became a week, then a year.” But now, as he explained, he lives by a different mantra.
“Don’t take what people say to heart,” he advised. During the talk show, Chan also reminisced about his early days as a stunt double.”I didn’t dare to ask for money — [the people in charge] would tell me that if I wanted money.”
At 68 years old, Chan also shared some wisdom about ageing. “To have lived to this point has not been easy — many people weren’t able to do so,” he said. “Bruce Lee can no longer age, and neither can Leslie Cheung. If Bruce didn’t die, what would he be doing today, and what would Leslie Cheung be doing as well?”
Needless to say, Jackie Chan is still as influential in Hollywood as he was back in his heyday, as the respective directors of both Bullet Train and alien movie Prey revealed that Jackie Chan movies heavily influenced the direction of their own films.