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Hong Kong native Jackie Chan is one of the most popular international stars who is known for his thrilling action sequences, comedic timing, and charismatic on-screen presence. While he is considered to be a global icon and a well-respected actor, it wasn’t an easy journey to attain this success.
The Hong Kong action star once revealed that he almost “gave up on American showbiz”. He appeared on an episode of the reality TV show “Memories Beyond Horizon” where he revealed his struggle in America. Scroll down to know more.
As per Asia One, Jackie Chan said, “When I went to America to film, my English was terrible… I had to spend a month just to memorize a single line — even when I was sleeping, I would read the line in my dreams. Many words that I wanted to say, I couldn’t. It was very frustrating.”
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Chan said he struggled with intonations and sounding natural while speaking in English. He also noted that he would only receive praise when he got his English lines down. He began his career as a stuntman in the 1980s before he became a superstar in both Chinese cinema and Hollywood.
“No one cared about whether my action sequences and scenes were good. They only praised me when I got my lines right!” Jackie Chan shared. “After that, I had to immediately return to my car to practice with my English teacher, and as I was practising, I told myself, ‘I cannot continue like this.’ So I gave up on American showbiz.”
“Truthfully, I’ve already crossed many difficult bridges and made it easier for you to live out your lives [as actors], so you can avoid taking these harder routes and head in the right direction,” Chan told the young actors on the show, adding that they should make protecting themselves a priority as “not everyone on set will look out for you.
Jackie Chan later appeared on “The Rosie O’Donnell Show” in 1996, wherein he also spoke about the challenges he faced during his early days in America. He then explained how language barriers affected his day-to-day life. “I think it [English] is the most difficult language… first time when I come to the United States, I just, ‘Hello, my name is Jackie Chan.’ I even, I don’t know how to order food,” he said.
Even though he performed his own stunts, his struggle in Hollywood stemmed from his English delivery, which resulted in him being offered limited roles. “To me, action scenes are so easy, but dialogue scenes drive me crazy. The directors and producers want me to speak everything perfectly. I want to ask them, ‘Can I speak Jackie Chan English?’” Chan said, as reported by Essentially Sports.
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