If you ask most Americans to name a Chinese actor they will probably name Jackie Chan. This makes sense since, unlike many Chinese actors, Jackie Chan has released several popular English language movies in the United States. Jackie Chan is no less popular in his native China, but Jackie Chan and 成龙 (Chéng Lóng in standard Mandarin Chinese, Jackie Chan's stage name in China) are two separate entities. While Jackie Chan's work, like Rush Hour or Shanghai Noon, are comedies 成龙 has a more diverse filmography. While many of his films, like Drunken Master and Police Story (1985), have a comedic tone some of his other Chinese language films, like Police Story (2013) and the soon to be released The Foreigner, are significantly more serious. Furthermore, 成龙 has a well respected music and opera career; in China, he not only does his own stunts but he does his own soundtrack too. 成龙 is significantly more political than Jackie Chan: he has criticized the ruling Democratic Progressive Party on Taiwan (almost earning him a ban form the island), 2008 Olympic protesters, and Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters while supporting Xi Jingping's drug war and Chinese nationalism (even writing an explanation for the Chinese National Anthem, The March of the Volunteers). This year's Spring Festival Gala 成龙 sang a rather serious song about loving his homeland, China (this is somewhat important since Jackie Chan is a resident of the Hong Kong SAR and some in the Hong Kong SAR don't see themselves as Chinese). It is not like there weren't comedy bits in the Spring Festival Gala (it is important to note though that comedy bits and funny bits are different things, particularly in the Spring Festival Gala), it is just that he chose not to participate in those segments and, since he has done more serious stuff in the past, this wasn't weird to anyone. From what I also heard, he even had a sex scandal in China, which he survived I believe in part because he is seen as a more mature actor in China than he is in the US. 成龙 is defiantly more respected as an actor in China than Jackie Chan is in the United States, probably because of the more diverse and serious roles he has taken in China along with his successful Chinese language music career. This begs the question, are there any commonalities between Jackie Chan and 成龙 other than they are both stage names for the same dude? Yes actually. Even in China, Fáng Shìlóng (房仕龙, Jackie Chan/成龙's birth name), still has made his name with funny movies where he does martial arts and stunts without a stunt man, like he did in the US. His style of martial arts is also the same both in China and the US, from what I have read it is a deliberate contrast to Bruce Lee's martial arts style. He also tries to be a good role model in his Chinese and English movies, he avoids cursing and playing villains in both languages, preferring to play more every man type roles. Whatever you call him 房仕龙/成龙/Jackie Chan has, undeniably, made his name as a major actor and a house hold name. The only issue is what name your house knows him as.
1 Comment
Dad
3/17/2017 03:21:16 am
You never mentioned Mr. Chan's worst movies, The Tuxedo and Around the World in 80 Days. I guess they were supposed to be comedy adventures, but not much of either
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AuthorI am a junior at Juniata College spending a year studying abroad at East China Normal University. Please feel free to join my on my journey to China and beyond. Archives
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