Talking With Jet Li

An interview with Jet Li from the set of The Forbidden Kingdom in China.
By Fibe Ma and Katharine Schroeder  

Q: Jackie mentioned you in his diary and talked about how long it took for the two of you to be able to work together. How do you feel about finally getting a chance to work with Jackie?

A: It has been thirty years since I first saw Jackie in Drunken Master and Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow. It was about 1978 or 1979. When I saw him, I thought Jackie was fabulous and very cool. I first met him in 1985 and we became friends. In 1994, he told me a story idea that he had for a movie. That was the first time we talked about making a movie together, but in the end it didn’t work out. In 2000 I had dinner with Jackie in America and we talked again about making a movie together. We were so close to succeeding at that time because the production company had already paid a million dollars to the screenwriter to write a script. However, that also never happened.

So, this time is the third time we’ve talked about making a movie together. Finally we’re doing it! Of course I am very happy. I know that Jackie has worked in the film industry for over 40 years; his work is so remarkable. Jackie spent 30 or 40 years of his life to get to the level he has achieved. I know the emotional and physical cost of giving so much to the industry. Moreover, his involvement in charity work is not just something he does for one or two days. He started over 20 years ago and has kept on giving and caring for people in need and also for newcomers to the film industry. In all aspects, Jackie is so outstanding. That is why he has the name “Big Brother.”  This is not just a title – he has earned this name because he has always taken care of people. He cares for those who are performing in front of the camera and those who work behind the scenes. He acts as a leader for the whole movie and action industry. As an actor I can appreciate the kind of sacrifice it takes to do what Jackie does. People see him as a successful filmmaker, but I know what goes on behind the scenes and he has worked very hard. Of course, no one is perfect. Even the leader of our country isn’t perfect. But it doesn’t matter. I think that I am so lucky to be able to work with him.

Q:  The Forbidden Kingdom is a unique production with its international cast and crew. Do you feel that this kind of situation will happen more and more in the future?  How is your experience working with such a diverse crew?

A:  With the trend towards economic integration plus all the advances in media and technology, the world has become a smaller place. Thirty years ago, America or Europe seemed so far away. Now, you get news from America instantly. A lot of people distinguish movies from China, movies from Hong Kong, or American movies. For me there are only two types – one in Mandarin and one in English. It doesn’t matter if it’s spoken in Mandarin or English, because everyone just wants to make a good movie and let the world audience watch it. Many different people participate in a movie production, some in front of the camera, some behind. For example, during the post or pre-production, there many different kinds of people involved such as those who have expertise in special effects, special makeup, or artwork for production. It involves a lot of people participating; you can see that from the end credits. So many different names from many different countries. Of course, a Mandarin-language movie is mainly done by Chinese people, but with productions from other countries, this singular element is comparatively less. For English movies, a lot of people can be involved. I think Jackie and I have the same wish. We are like the strikers on a football team who kick the ball into the goal, we try to promote Asian culture, Asian point of view, Asian lifestyles, and Chinese thinking to bring it to the West. Of course the Western movie production will bring in money; that’s why a lot of big productions film in China. That’s the only way to push the movie to a higher level. I think that is a big trend. The cooperation will be more and more and closer and closer. When people from different countries join together to make a movie, their differences are not important. What’s important is that we all have the same dream: We want to make the movie and share it with the audience. So no matter who is involved or participating in the movie, it’s okay.

Q: You and Jackie are both action movie stars and of course many people will compare the two of you. How do you respond to the questions about the differences in your skill, style, or popularity?

A:  I say that there’s no need to answer to that because audiences know already. When you go to the Internet, everyone who likes action movies will know who Jackie is and know his background: kid star, stunt guy, stunt coordinator, superstar, and director. No matter if it’s a modern movie or a historical movie, Jackie has reached the peak of many different areas of filmmaking and he has a lot of masterpieces. For me, I learned different things when I was a kid. What he learned and what I learned are different. I was born in China so people will find it easy to distinguish Jackie and me. I don’t like comparisons. For example, a cup of coffee and a cup of tea, both are drinks. Can you tell me which one is better? It’s hard to say. Sometimes you want to drink coffee and sometimes you want to drink tea.

Actually, Jackie and I have the same concept and that is we like to shoot different types of movies, try different things, and we both want to promote Chinese culture and martial arts to the rest of the world. Some people like to make comparisons. Not us. From the bottom of my heart, I really respect Jackie and if I had a brother just like Jackie I think I would be quite happy because besides shooting, he takes care of all of us, everyone on the set. He makes sure they have enough water, he gives us hats and clothes, he’s concerned about the environment where we’re filming and encourages everyone to keep it clean. He cares if people get hurt and is concerned about security. He really cares about everyone. That’s our Big Brother Jackie.

I’ve heard that a lot of people say that Jackie is considerate, but this time I’m really impressed and everything I’ve seen matches with what I’ve heard before. He not only cares about me, but also cares about every single person on the set. That is the Chinese people’s way. I never compare and I feel there’s no need to do it. Jackie is respected by so many people for over 30 years because of his unique characteristics.

Jackie shares some treats with Jet.

Q:  Jackie has begun planning his future in terms of doing more directing and producing of movies and finding new talent. What are your plans for the future?

I’m sure that our future plans are different. Actually, Jackie has been a director for so many years and I don’t know what his plan is or what he will ultimately do. I saw "The Disciple" on television. Jackie is trying to find new talent and help give them a platform to express themselves. In the past it wasn’t easy to get into the action movie field but now Jackie is providing a platform to the young people and give them a chance.

I think about other things. I will concern myself with people’s emotional health because nowadays so many people have so many psychological problems and they feel such pain. I think sharing – helping each other - is very important. For example now I have the One Foundation in America, Hong Kong, and China. A lot of celebrities such as Jackie and other actors work as volunteers. They try through movies, television, and other media to promote love between people. That’s why I say “one person, one dollar, one month, one family.” We should join together to share the burden of our problems.

At the press conference where Jet introduced Jackie as a One Foundation Honorary Chariman.

I think people can be divided into two parts. One is the physical and the other is the spiritual. Your physical body desires material things; trying to get more possessions to satisfy your own demands and to prove you are a successful person. But the inside is very important. It can’t be satisfied by material things. If people are without happiness, they will become unbalanced and their society will lose its balance too. For example, China is growing so fast and you can see a lot of beautiful buildings, houses, roads, and cars, etc. But if the people have no manners or education or don’t know how to share, everything will become unbalanced. There will be acts such as spitting on the floor that do not match with the lovely surroundings. I think habits can be changed by education and by cleaning up your “inside.”

I am someone who likes quiet so I can think deeply about things. I hope I can share my experiences with everyone to try and help the youth improve their inner health and face their lives happily.

Q:  Both you and Jackie are heavily involved in charity work. While Jackie's charity work focuses on providing material needs for people, your One Foundation focuses more on people's spiritual needs. Can you tell us more about that? 

A:  Actually, the One Foundation is to promote the idea of 1 person + 1 dollar + 1 month = 1 big family. During the thirty days each month, we are all busy studying, eating, and working but during that month you should give something to show that you care about others. That process is a kind of inner sharing and a sharing of love and care because even when people are adults, they still need others’ care. When you grow up, you should help others and share with others. This should be a habit; a lifestyle. The One Foundation has a lot of plans to promote inner health. For example, we will work to establish a spiritual library at universities which will allow people to read books about psychological problems, psychological health, and sharing love. We will try to start some classes or courses to train the people to care about others and to tend to their spiritual health. After a disaster happens, people are hurt not just physically, but emotionally. We want to try to comfort them through sharing, talking, and care giving to lessen their pain.

Jackie and Jet at the press conference where Jet named Jackie One Foundation Honorary Chairman.

There are a lot of foundations that focus on building a school, digging a well – all useful, tangible things that you can see. Those are material things. The One Foundation hopes to focus on what happens after you build a school, for example. How to make students face their lives and studies happily. Therefore, I think of different ideas. Of course I get ideas from different experts or professionals and I will start with China. I hope that the work will spread to surrounding countries because I think those of us on Earth are a family. We shouldn’t distinguish by race, religion, or culture. Our goal is to live in happiness and harmony. How can we live in happiness and harmony? By sharing and understanding. That is the theory of the One Foundation.

Jet presents Jackie with his own One Foundation name cards.

Jackie proudly shows off his card.

Q:  Jackie has talked a lot about how he felt while filming the action and fight scenes with you for The Forbidden Kingdom. He said that the experience he has had working with you is one that he hasn’t had in over 15 years, since the days when he worked with Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao. He said that no matter what the tempo or rhythm was, whether there were hard punches or soft punches, he felt such harmony with you. Did you have that feeling too?

A:  Of course yes! If our fight scenes are not perfect, then we’ll mess up the movie. (laughs) I think many people who fought with Jackie in the old days are now either retired or they have moved on to working behind the scenes; people such as Sammo Hung, who is now directing or doing dramatic work. I think all of you know that I’ve been working in the movie industry over 20 years and Jackie for longer. He is my senior. What we’ve learned is what we apply to the movie. In terms of how we perform our action scenes together, I also have not had such a feeling for many years. In the past I have seldom had a fight sequence with more than ten movements because most of my fighting partners could only do three or four; they couldn’t do it smoothly enough or fast enough. We would have to change lenses or change angles to make the shot shorter. Honestly, I feel very happy too. We’ve tried our best to do a good job; both of us have fought for so many years. I feel a little tired, but I know that the world audience is waiting to see that fight scene. We will try our best to do it and have it fit well into the movie’s story. We won’t let you down.

We would like to thank Jet Li for taking time to talk to us. To read more about Jet and his One Foundation, visit his official website here.

Text and photos ©2007 The JC Group. All Rights Reserved.

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