HONG KONG - It may be a well-worn cliche, but for Hong Kong star Jackie Chan,
action really does speak louder than words ¡ª at least when it comes to English
dialogue.
Hong Kong movie star Jackie Chan
poses during the premiere of his latest movie 'Rob-B-Hood' in Hong Kong in
this September 19, 2006, file photo. [AP]
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The actor is often frustrated by
his inability to deliver his English lines smoothly during shooting of "Rush
Hour 3," according to an entry on his Web site Saturday.
"To me, action scenes are so easy, but dialogue scenes drive me crazy. The
directors and producers want me to speak everything perfectly," he wrote while
filming in Los Angeles.
"Sometimes when a word is in the past tense or plural, I get confused. It is
hard to remember lengthy dialogue and still sound natural.
"I have to say my lines over and over again until I get it right," he said.
"I want to ask them 'Can I speak Jackie Chan English?'"
Chan is a prolific actor, but he has said his roles there are limited because
of his grasp of English. Chan dedicated one diary entry to co-star Chris Tucker,
thanking him for helping with the dialogue. Chan also said he was grateful to
director Brett Ratner who tried to simplify the lines.
In the "Rush Hour" series, Chan plays a Hong Kong police officer and Tucker
portrays his Los Angeles counterpart, with the movie's humor drawing on cultural
differences between the two. "Rush Hour 3" is due for release next
year.