1998

IF you have a hard time just being you, try living up to the title of "coolest actor in the world." That's what the Los Angeles Times called Hong Kong action star Chow Yun-Fat. And it's not difficult to see why. Sleek, stoic, and Armani-suited, Chow (in Chinese, the family name comes first) has for years played the quintessential tough guy par excellence, most notably in his collaborations with action maestro John Woo. (They've been working together since 1986's A Better Tomorrow, Part 1.) In brilliantly operatic, wildly sentimental bone-crunching extravaganzas like The Killer (1989) and Hard Boiled (1992), our hero acts out modern versions of ancient Chinese morality tales, substituting gunplay for kung fu. And the stunts take your breath away with their audaciousness Ñ in Hard Boiled, Chow shoots his way out of a burning building while clutching a wailing baby who saves the day with his pee-pee.

But despite the fact that he's best known in the United States for his gruff Lee Marvin-esque persona, Chow has had an extensive, varied career in Hong Kong cinema in films that range from slapstick comedy (Eighth Happiness) to period drama (Hong Kong, 1941). Born in 1955, the son of migrant workers, Chow opened his eyes to acting when his family moved from a small farming community to the bustle of Kowloon City, Hong Kong. By the age of 21, Chow was already a major presence on Chinese TV and had started to segue into a movie career.

His second English-language film opens March 12: The Corruptor, a gritty police corruption thriller directed by James Foley (Fear, Glengarry Glen Ross) and co-starring Mark Wahlberg. This action-packed flick won't disappoint fans of his first U.S. effort, The Replacement Killers (which also featured Mira Sorvino), but it's Chow's next project that's really got him psyched. Production begins this month on Anna and the King - Hollywood's third retelling of the historical love affair between a prim governess (Jodie Foster) and the King of Siam - to be directed by Andy Tennant (Ever After). During a recent chat with Mr. Showbiz, Chow talked about his favorite American movies, Hong Kong vs. Hollywood, and why he's not such a tough guy after all.

Let's talk about The Corruptor.

You saw the movie right?

Yes.

Did you think it was too violent?

Did people tell you they thought it was too violent?

I saw the poster. Rated R.

You can't be bothered by the violence in The Corruptor considering some of the films you've made.

Well, of course. Compared to John Woo, this is nothing! [Laughs. Points imaginary gun at himself.] In the chest, in the head, in the knees... No. I'm just concerned about the American market. An R rating will limit our audience. But, of course, a lot of young people follow Hong Kong movies, so they'll see it anyway.

I used to work in a Korean-run video store in New York called Kim's. There were posters of you everywhere. You were pretty much God.

Really! Say hello to Mr. Kim for me. Thank him.

I will. This is only your second English-language film. How does it feel to be a movie star in the United States?

I'm not a star. I'm still the young kid in town. I'm very excited, and this is a great opportunity to work with talented people. Compared to Hong Kong, the work experience here is more systematic. The system amazes me. I mean, there are so many professionals involved in the science and technology of the films. When they shoot the characters, they have a lot of backup. They spend a lot more money, and the market's much, much bigger.

One of your upcoming American projects is another collaboration with director John Woo. How did that creative partnership come about?

At the time, I was still a TV actor. I did a lot of movies in Hong Kong until 1986, when John Woo came back from Taiwan. We made A Better Tomorrow, Part 1. John needed an actor who the audience could recognize as full of love, very effusive about his family, his brotherhood. He thought that I was the right actor for the role. I related to the character in real life. So John rang me up, and we set up a meeting. And we just hit it off. We just signed the contract and made it.

You had done different types of work - comedies, dramas, historical projects - but in the Woo movies, you always play the tough guy.

Oh, yeah.

Are you a tough guy in real life?

Actually, I'm a Buddhist. And in real life, I hate violence. I don't like it at all. But I'm forced to do it because it's my job. And the films I do with John Woo, well, it's up to his directorial influence. So more or less he will take from a lot of sources to make my character, and then I use my own conscience to justify the character's personality. I always try to make him more human.

John Woo's films are so over-the-top and operatic in scale. His films seem to be a commentary on violence, in a sense. Would you agree?

Well, one thing you must realize is that if the character is too violent like in Natural Born Killers, you can't relate to him. And the audience will sense that and think, "Wow, that's too much." But John Woo is careful to make his characters more like real people.

When you were filming The Corruptor in New York's Chinatown, were you mobbed by fans?

Well, once we started filming in Chinatown, everybody knew. But the production did a really good job of protecting me. They blocked the whole street and set up a really tight security team. Only the cast and crew were allowed to walk in and out of where we were filming. So I wasn't bothered by fans.

Did you hang out there when you weren't filming?

Oh, yeah. I took the subway during the holidays. I went to Central Park, just hanging out. It's nice and quiet there. The scenery amazes me. The buildings amaze me! I went to the theater. I did some shopping. But otherwise, the living standards and the pacing [are] similar to Hong Kong. It's crazy. Very rushed. Have you been to Hong Kong?

No, but I lived in New York.

It's very close to Hong Kong, in style. I live there in the heart of the city. But it's great. My audience there respects me. They don't bother me. I can go anywhere. I take the subway. I go to the mountains. I can do whatever I want without them hounding me. [It's] because we have had a long relationship for over 20 years. For years, I was on Hong Kong TV before I ever made films. Every day, people would see me. So the fans see me as like their big brother or next-door neighbor. I'm not a rock star. I'm someone they respect and love. And I respect and love them.

But it must have been a different experience with the fans in NYC?

Oh, of course! In Chinatown, the fans stood outside my trailer for hours and hours. They were waiting for my autograph or a photo.

What's the craziest thing a fan's ever done to you?

I can remember in 1981 when I was performing in Thailand at a concert hall. There were more than 4,000 people there, and after I finished singing a song, I went backstage. The driver was supposed to be ready to start the car and go. But my bodyguard got me all the way to the car and unfortunately we couldn't find the driver. And the door was locked. So suddenly I saw this wave of people rushing toward me. It was a nightmare. I jumped up on top of the car. I screamed, "Get help!" My bodyguard just kept saying, "Hold on! Hold on!"

So, let's backtrack a minute here. You also sing?

Yes. But I'm not a pop star. I was on a TV show in Thailand at the time, and I just sang a few songs for special occasions. Like, for charity. I've put out albums, but I haven't really sung for eight years.

Both The Replacement Killers and The Corruptor feature hip-hop soundtracks. Do you like American music?

Yes, but [I'm] not so into hip-hop. I'm more into country. And I like jazz. I like music too that's mellow. Some rock and roll I like, some. I love Elvis, CCR...

Creedence Clearwater Revival?

Yeah! Patsy Cline, Johnny Mathis. There are a lot of good singers in this country.

What was it like working with Mark Wahlberg on The Corruptor?

He's a really interesting guy. He's got a lot of street talk, you know? It's difficult for me to understand and hard on my ears. A lot of words I just don't get. He talked very fast, and by the time we started shooting the movie, he was rapping every day. Some of it was about us. He was a lot of fun, but half the time I didn't know what he was talking about. [Laughs.]

I've heard that you bless every movie set that you work on. Is that true?

Yeah. Every day I burn some incense and pay respect to the spirits. To say a prayer on behalf of everyone working on the set. It's a tradition for Hong Kong filmmakers. Every time you're in a new location, you say a prayer. So I thank the spirits, you know, just to say hello.

I read on the Internet that you were born into the Ha Ka, a tribe that travels from place to place.

Yes, I come from nomadic people. We are like gypsies. But this was like my great-great grandfather. About 200 years ago. We don't move around quite as much anymore. [Laughs.]

What were your earliest influences? What made you want to be an entertainer?

Cantonese opera and American films. During the '60s, there were a lot of American films showing in Hong Kong for the first time. War movies. Cowboy movies starring John Wayne, Clint Eastwood. We also started to see Japanese movies like films by Kurosawa. And even French films starring Alain Delon, Jean-Paul Belmondo. So it was a big time for international cinema.

Was there one film that changed your life?

Not one, so many. The Longest Day and The Great Escape. I like Steve McQueen a lot. I loved The Magnificent Seven. I'd love to have a career like those guys, but I want to play different roles, not just the tough guy. I want to do comedies, melodramas, like Tom Hanks.

Well, it sounds like your next project, Anna and the King, is certainly going to be a different kind of project for you.

Yes, it's a period romance. It's going pretty good. The first time I had a meeting with the Fox people, we talked about leading ladies. There was a concern over who would play Anna, but I'm so glad they went with Jodie Foster. I found out about it while I was doing promotion on Asian radio for The Replacement Killers. I was so impressed. I was like, "Finally! Jodie Foster!" How lucky am I?

What was it like meeting with her for the first time?

Amazing. It's amazing that she's so down-to-earth. She's so charming and so talented. I like her very much. We start shooting the film this month.

Why is the film being shot in Malaysia instead of Thailand where the story takes place?

The royal family in Thailand put too many restrictions on the production. The producer told me that they wouldn't allow the film to show scenes of the king leaving the palace. Which is like...I mean, it's just a movie! This is not a history book. So the producers negotiated the budget and realized that it wasn't going to work. But Malaysia will work.

Are there any people you're dying to work with?

Oh, a lot. Robert De Niro. Meg Ryan. I like her. I'd like to do a lighter comedy. If my language gets better, I'd love to.

What do you do when you're not working?

Sleep all the time. And spend time with my wife.

I know you're married. Do you think about having kids?

If it happens naturally. I don't want to just do it. If you really want to have a baby, then you do it for the baby. But I guess I'll deal with it if it happens by accident or coincidence.

What do you do to keep in shape?

Swimming, hiking. I don't do kung fu. I'm not Jackie Chan. I like more peaceful activities like tai chi. It's more fun for me.

But in your movies, you pack heat. Do you ever go to shooting ranges?

No, never. Too scary. As an actor, you have to imagine that when you're holding a gun, you're the toughest guy in the world. But in real life, I'm not. Only in front of the camera.

I heard there was a Chow Yun-Fat look-alike contest in Singapore, and the winner could win tickets to The Corruptor.

Really? I didn't know about that. But it's a very good idea. The local people there have good ideas. I'd like to see that.

After Anna and the King, are you going right into King's Ransom, the John Woo film?

Well, first he has to do Mission: Impossible 2. But I'm excited about [making King's Ransom]. It's going to be a romance and an action film. We both want to pay more attention to the characters and the story line than the action. When you're getting older like I am, you don't want to do as much action. I need a really good reason to do it.

OK, last question. You always get asked this, but what's with the oral fixation?

In Hong Kong, everyone walks around with a toothpick in their mouth. Because they eat a lot of dim sum. Because the pastry gets caught in your teeth. John Woo really wanted me to do it so he made it my trademark. Like Clint Eastwood with his cigar. In Kurosawa movies, his actors chew on a weed. This is just the culture of the Chinese people. Just like you holding a pen. It's a national habit. So it's realistic for me to chew on the toothpick. It's something people can relate to. If they can't relate to what I do on-screen, then why am I doing it?

©1998 Mr. Showbiz. All rights reserved.