Chow Yun-Fat has no ego. In fact, he's probably the most humble actor working today. Sitting across from him, you'd hardly believe he's Hong Kong's biggest star. He's extremely friendly, loves to talk about his movies and is more than willing to sling his arm across your shoulder for a picture. But few Americans have ever heard of him, and most of his American fans have only seen action thrillers featuring him as a bloody killer two-gunning his way across a room while shielding himself with the body of a bad guy. Don't be fooled. Unlike his contemporary Jackie Chan, Yun-Fat is not confined to just action roles. He's made close to 70 films spanning all genres -- comedies, dramas and a couple of musicals (though he admits he can't sing).

The multi-talented actor started his career in 1970's Hong Kong as a television actor and eventually graduated to film. His first foray in the movies was met with so much failure, he was dubbed "Box Office Poison" -- a label he would shake playing the charismatic Mark in the worldwide blockbuster A Better Tomorrow. Yun-Fat makes his American debut this week in The Replacement Killers. Touring the States to promote the new movie, he talked with our favorite HK fan-boy about his work with director John Woo, the rise of Hong Kong cinema and what it's like being the coolest actor on earth. Ê

How do you feel about finally working in Hollywood?

Very comfortable. The only one thing that amazes me is the language.

Your English has improved 100 percent since your first attempt in A Better Tomorrow 2.

Before we started shooting the movie (The Replacement Killers), they flew an English teacher to Hong Kong who taught me to say the lines and start to recognize all the 15 vowels! For the first few days, I wanted to pass out. I was totally exhausted.

How many total movies have you been in?

Around 68, 69. Something like that, close to 70.

You didn't start off doing film, did you?

I started off on TV in 1974. From 1974 to 1986, until I met John Woo and did A Better Tomorrow part one and became a movie actor. Then I quit the TV station.Why do you think Hong Kong films have become so popular here in the States?Maybe because of John Woo. Because of Hard Target, Broken Arrow and Face/Off.

How does acting in Hong Kong differ from acting in Hollywood?

The big difference is Hong Kong actors have to have every kind of [element] -- comedy, martial arts or action, drama, romance. The big reason for that is the Hong Kong market, mostly, the audience pays $8 to go to the movie, and they want everything. That's why as a talented actor you have to survive, use different kinds of resources. You shine up all your tools to prepare every dimension. That's why this is one opportunity to train our performance in different directions. In Hollywood, the system can't allow a leading actor to shoot [three] movies at the same time. Like in 1988, I made 12 movies in one year. It was amazing really; it'll never happen here. In the morning I had an A- movie, afternoon was a B-movie and at midnight was a C-movie.You can span so many different genres.

You've done comedy, romance and drama. Do you think American audiences will give you a chance to expand out of action roles?

Of course. The audience can allow you to do anything. But can the studio? The problem is with the studio. Depending on the commercial market and how much you make, you get the power to say yes or no. Look at Jim Carrey. He has done several comedies, and now he wants to say, "Comedy no more -- stop it. I want to be a real actor. I want to play a real gentleman role."

What is the Hong Kong film industry like now? Has it changed much since China took control?

I don't think so. Our government tried to help the film industry to form up. But on the other hand, when China's markets opened up, a lot of the people wanted to cooperate with the Hong Kong production to gain the market. You can see different sources of money from Taiwan, from Japan and Europe. I think the future looks good.

Has censorship become an issue since China took control of Hong Kong?

Seven Years In Tibet is already banned. Red Corner -- banned. The Martin Scorsese film, Kundun, will be banned, absolutely. No doubt. Because now, even though you say Hong Kong has freedom of speech, we still have circumstances. Right now Hong Kong is a province of China. They have a lot of restrictions on the political agencies. I think the government must have strong censorship.

Does that worry you about your own films?

I don't think so. Because when you pick up a script, you have judgment. Which one character is good for you in the future? Right now what I gained is the American market.

Will you do any more films in Hong Kong?

Not anymore.

What about your next project here?

The next one will be an Oliver Stone film, (The Corrupters). It's a new story. A dirty cop in Chinatown.

A dirty cop?

Very bad. Don't worry, the bad guy always wins the big heart.

What about some of your other projects? Tell me about the John Woo project, King's Ransom?

The second draft has come out. Not so good, so John sent the writer back to rewrite.

What's it about?

More or less a light comedy; an action movie. Kinda like [Once A Thief]. I'm also doing Anna and The King (a remake of The King and I). The first draft is long -- three hours long. The studio wants to cut it down to two and a half hours.

You're not going to be bald in it, are you?

I don't think so. It's not a remake of the musical with Yul Brynner. It's more of a drama and a romance.

John Singleton has talked about wanting to work with you.

We met each other several times at the Sony studios. He has a certain kind of part he wants to put me in. He is a very nice guy, and I'd like to work with him, but mostly his movies are very dark for the mainstream. He's a good writer. With a commercially valuable movie project, we'd think about it. Otherwise, you stick Yun-Fat in a dark cult movie, and I don't think that it's good timing.

Do you have a dream project?

Yeah, a dumb guy without dialogue!

Can you see yourself directing someday?

No. Maybe in about 20 years.

On The Replacement Killers, this was Antoine Fuqua's first movie. Was he easy to work with?

I can honestly tell you we are the two new kids in town. It's his first time directing a feature film, and I'm the new kid because Hollywood is, right now, one of my goals. On the first day on the set, I was a baby. I didn't know how to associate with the people in Hollywood for the first few days. The first day of dialogue, I was dying. But he gave me a lot of encouragement. Some lines that I couldn't say, he would just cut right out. Make it simple.

Is it tough working here, when you're surrounded by professionals in the industry, but all of these people are your fans?

There was no time. We were all working so hard on the set. Not all of these people were fans of Hong Kong cinema. More or less after -- they would pick up some of my movies, maybe two weeks after we started, and we'd make friends.

Have you considered remaking any of your roles for Hollywood?

No, no, no. Actually I hate doing my characters again and again. It depends on the market, though. A Better Tomorrow part one, we didn't know Mark was going to be cared for so much. Otherwise we wouldn't have killed him off. So the studio forced us to do a sequel. If some studio finds out about and buys God Of Gamblers or Hard-Boiled, whatever. Like, TriStar bought The Killer, and they're looking for some people to do it. They tried to [ask] me to do one of the roles. That's the legend, and I don't want to spoil the whole movie.

Has anyone mentioned the Tarantino/Reservoir Dogs thing? He supposedly stole City On Fire as the basis for Reservoir Dogs.

It never really concerned me.

It's only one moment in City On Fire that he used as a jumping-off point.

Right. But I think it's a good trade, a cultural trade.

When I was watching Prison On Fire, I noticed that your character was similar to Jack Nicholson's character in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. I didn't know if you were inspired by Nicholson for that role. The characters are very similar -- the only light moment in a dark environment.

For my reference, during the '70s, I saw a lot of American movies, Japanese movies and European movies. As an actor you learn to find your own performance from different actors. I can say, that the Western movie has always influenced my performance in Hong Kong. Sometimes I like to copy some expressions from some great actor. At certain points, I can say I have stolen from other actors. I just want to cooperate with my experiences. Make it a smooth transition to the screen. Maybe, for Prison On Fire, spiritually I was influenced. I didn't know it, but the audience knows.

One thing that marks all your characters is your use of props -- things like a toothpick, knife or cigarette become this magical extensions of your character.

This is all John Woo's idea.

Is it all John, or does any of it come from you?

You have to have a reference for yourself. The director comes up with some ideas, but you have to dress your own self for the role and become this wonderful character. You have to specifically use every single tool as part of your body. It's part of the performance. Part of the element.

Are there any actors in Hong Kong that you'd like to work with here?

A lot. Like Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung -- he did Chungking Express -- and Anthony Wong.

Any actors here that you want to work with?

Jessica Lange. She's sexy.

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