Rough Cut
January 2000

Before the names Chow Yun fat and John Woo were circulated in the mainstream as Quentin Tarantino’s heroes, they were huge stars in Asian cinema and cult figures in States-side kung-fu circles. Their partnership dates back to 1986, when the small-time director Woo cast then-television-actor Chow (last names first, in Chinese) in A Better Tomorrow. The two have partnered on a number of movies since then, including the seminal The Killer and the upcoming The King’s Ransom. Although Chow has won numerous awards in Taiwan and Hong Kong for his dramatic and comedic roles, he has become primarily internationally known for his action films. We checked in with Chow to find out how Anna and the King gave him an opportunity to exercise his leading man, not to mention his language and twinkle-toes, skills.

Did you have any reservations about taking on a role that’s so strongly identified with another actor?

It’s a very unusual and unique opportunity for an Asian actor. Huge production values. The story made money in 1965. Plus the stage show and the TV series. And the cartoon. I’m sure that everybody saw the movie. The dimension of our latest one is totally different. It is very new for the American audience to see a real Asian actor as a king. The American actors created their very own Asian accent to play the king. Now it is more natural and more related to the reality.

What particular research did you do or was offered you in terms of the King?

I didn’t do any research at all about this character. Andy (Tennant, the director) didn’t want me to have a history background to tie me up. He didn’t allow me to look at the Yul Brynner version, which I’d watched already. He didn’t want me to stick to Yul Brynner or Rex Harrison for performance. He wanted me. Just me. Which is very easy for me. You just read the lines. And perform in front of the camera. You’re fine.

You did television with your head shaved, like Yul Brynner in the movie.

This is my idea to confuse the audiences.

Very sneaky of you.

No, it’s a coincidence. If I grow my hair, after about four or five days it is very, very uncomfortable. I’ve got a lot of white hair. If the hairs are little, I can dye it black. It’s better to shave it. Clean and comfortable.

You have a very calm sense of inner peace, which translated on the screen.

Oh, sometimes I can be very cranky.

Jodie Foster said you were never cranky. That you should have been cranky and you weren’t. She said she had to complain for you.

Jodie is a lady. She has her opinions. She’s always protecting. In our Chinese custom and our instinct of human beings, we always respect somebody who is part of our life. My parents, my teacher, especially. When you’re working on the set, the director is the king. He is the soul of the movie. As an actor, you always compromise his ideas in front of camera. Even though I’m king in the movie, I’m still a young kid in Hollywood. So, what is the dimension of the movie? Or the king performing which way? I am still searching. I’m not sure if I’m right or wrong. I’m still looking for somebody to find me and put me on the right track. In this movie, I had to handle two different languages that are not my mother tongue. I am still concerned about how to pronounce this word. Or how to say it right.

Did you watch Jodie Foster movies when you were a kid?

Oh yeah.

How was it to meet her in person? Was it some kind of ideal for you?

She is a very respectful lady. I love her all her work, from Taxi Driver to the Silence of the Lambs. But when I first met her, I was totally stunned. She is so kind, so down to earth. From the first time I met her I thought I was dreaming.

Did you spend a lot of time each night working before the next morning, just because of the language issue?

Yeah, for two weeks we went through the script every day. Again and again and again. They had some words that don’t exist in the modern day. And some words which do not belong to the ordinary people. Words that are just used in the palace, for the royal family.

You could bring your own sense of religion to the character.

I’m a Buddhist. In our world, in China, we have thousands of Buddhas. Not only one Buddha, but based on one theory. Buddha’s always in your heart. This way, you can be Buddha. That means your behavior, your personality, can be a Buddha. The way you treat people. Just like how the Bible, with Jesus always in your heart, means your behavior is just like Jesus. No matter Buddha or Jesus Christ, they’re human beings, right? You know what I mean? According to the Bible, Jesus is with you all the time. That means that you’re behaving-all your thoughts, your mentality-just like Jesus because you are Jesus. It doesn’t matter if it’s Christian, Catholic, Buddhism, Lutheran. The ideas of the religion are very good.

Hollywood must be a real freak show for you.

Why?

Not too many people who have Buddha inside of them.

Buddhists don’t smoke and they don’t snort cocaine. That’s why they are very pure.

But is the culture of Hollywood harsher than the culture of Hong Kong films or other films you have done?

Actually they are the same, except the system. In Hong Kong, we don’t have big trailers. We lack the money to have beauty and a huge production. That’s why only in the pacing of shooting a movie, we are different. Otherwise, about the same. Sometimes, when a Hollywood movie is put on a very tight schedule, a hot situation, people are worse than Hong Kong.

Has Hong Kong changed much in terms of the industry since the takeover? Is there more money available? Different attitudes in terms of what you can and can’t do?

The financial problems in Asia were created about two years ago. Hong Kong makes very low budget movies. Under $1million or $2 million, and they finish in a week. We need a lot of money from all over the world. We need time to let the people have more money in the industry. Then the film business will get more prospects in the future.

Now that you’ve made three pictures in a row here, do you want to be a Hollywood movie star?

What’s that mean? Hollywood star?

You are a huge Hong Kong star all through the Far East, but in America you’re not quite as well known. Up and coming as a major star.

My concern is as an actor. The stars are the people who give you the name. The real name for yourself is working in the film industry.

Do you want to be a worker who makes $10 million a movie?

It depends on your marketing. Once you get the prize, the people will pay for the prize.

Do you care about that?

I care about the characters more than anything. I did an army movie in Beijing. We just finished a week ago. I got low pay for 13 hour days. But the working conditions in China are worse, and the money is so little. I’m dying for a good character. It’s not only for the money.

It is a Chinese story?

Mandarin. The Tsing Synasty. It’s called Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Time magazine had a report on that. We helped the American crew. We had the Chinese crew and the Hong Kong crew together. Seems we work very well together, except we didn’t have the big trailer and the catering. We didn’t have sandwiches. We didn’t have hamburgers. All Chinese food. Otherwise, nothing was different. Still very precise work. It’s the same.

Hong Kong may be fast and cheap, historically but then your old friend Mr. Woo went 3 months over on Mission Impossible: 2 and spent over a hundred million dollars.

He needed more money to support his ideas because he’s a big spender. Even in Hong Kong, nobody can control him. We’re lucky to have Hollywood, where we have the insurance coverage. Otherwise, he would blow up the whole house.

What do you do when you’re not working? What are your interests?

I’m quite a boring person. Sleeping. Hiking. Going to market, buying some food and cooking. I don’t want to hang out. I don’t want to go out. I don’t like parties. I’m not a party animal. I’m quite boring.

Have you traveled a lot in the United States?

Yes, the first time promoting The Replacement Killers, I traveled in Houston, Dallas, New York City.

And you found it…

Quite boring. And very tiring. Exhausting.

Are you interested in living in the United States, or is it really just work and a quiet life wherever you are?

The southern part of California, like Del Mar. A very nice place. La Jolla. Beautiful. Or Big Sur. Gorgeous.

You like peaceful places.

Oh, yeah. Absolutely.

Hong Kong isn’t a peaceful place but you still live there.

We have a lot of very beautiful scenery. We’re a quiet place. The island is like a postcard.

Are you recognized everywhere you go in Hong Kong?

Yeah. In Hong Kong, I’m the king. Because I have a long relationship with all the Hong Kong people, they get used to it. I’m very easy. I go to everywhere.

How do the people of Hong Kong feel about you becoming a Hollywood star?

Some people bother me. Some people, they’re very jealous. It’s normal. It’s human.

Does this story relate to modern audiences, or is it just a historical piece?

In the modern day, a relationship is like an instant noodle. OK? Have you tried them?

That’s a great analogy.

Not hamburger, not fast food. Instant noodle. You need time to put the water in, cook. Actually, this movie is a modern romance that has no kissing, no hand to hand. This is not the reality today. But movies are magic. Something you’re wishing in your reality. You’re dying for. To see something on the big silver screen. Except for the costumes, I could say that this is a modern love story. It’s more or less like Out of Africa or The English Patient.

You don’t have a gun in this movie, for a change.

No, my bodyguard does.

Do you want to make films that are not action films? Do you want to get into drama and have more of a wide career?

It depends. If this movie came out, and the studio people think that I can carry a tune and more than two guns then they will create other roles.

How about character acting, as opposed to leading man, because it seems that you’re capable of it.

It depends. Some action movies, like Die Hard, have a very large character base in their roles. They’re not just action-explosion. You can see the underlying things, which are very interesting and very exciting. The character itself is very important, not only romance or action. Action sometimes can be a very entertaining, but it can be very boring. Some of the romance can be very cliché, very boring. But some of them can be very exciting. Depends on who wrote the script and who’s directing.

Why was this character so attractive to you?

It’s not my choice at all. I think it is fate, the role already set up for Yun Fat this way.. Six years ago was the first time Andy Tennant met with the studio people. He already had Anna and the King in hand. But the schedule depends on timing. I had to take the opportunity. For a new kid in Hollywood, I have nothing to say yes or no. I don’t have a legacy. I just wait for the opportunity to show people I can act. Opportunity is one of the doors for me to walk in to show the people what I can do, what I can perform. It’s important, these opportunities. It’s not my choice.

Why wouldn’t it be your choice?

Because everything is already controlled by the studios. I’ve been to several meetings with the studios. You can see tons of all kinds of scripts in these offices. I’m sure that 99.9% of the time, all the leading roles are white. It is very unusual for Yun Fat to have this opportunity. It’s very hard. They give you smaller trailers.

Is there any particular aspect to the performance that you’re particularly proud of?

Like the dancing scene?

Was it hard?

It’s very funny. I had 20 days to practice. Fortunately, when we were on the set, we changed the melody. We changed the speed. I learned this slow waltz, but unfortunately what he was seeing was a fast waltz. So that’s why you see Jodie and Yun Fat laughing. What should we do? We could not handle it. Just laugh.

What are you working on now?

It’s called “A Long Vacation.” The leading lady is my wife.

And you’re directing?

I’m the director.

No dancing?

No dancing. Maybe. Slow waltz.

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