The buddy cop genre has been popular for quite some time. Lethal Weapon-style films have found a successful formula by combining two actors with little in common at first glance. There will be exciting action and hilarious antics in the best scenarios. Moviegoers flocked to see Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in Rush Hour in the late ’90s, and the film became an instant hit.
Fans of Rush Hour may not be aware of the direct connection between the film’s most memorable line and the first meeting of the film’s two leads. However, the story is not summarised by a single memorable line. Tucker’s first impression of Chan was unfavorable and nearly scuttled the operation.
Chris Tucker’s Big Break
Brett Ratner had only directed one film before Rush Hour, 1997’s Money Talks. Chris Tucker’s breakthrough performance in that film propelled him to the role of a leading man for the first time.
And its moderate success probably made reuniting the director and actor for Rush Hour an easy call for all involved. Not even martial arts legend Jackie Chan in the other lead role could have ensured the film’s success.
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The movie, which premiered on September 18th, 1998, features Jackie Chan, a Hong Kong police officer who goes to Los Angeles to find a missing girl. He reluctantly joins forces with a fiery LAPD detective to solve the crime.
According to Box Office Mojo, Rush Hour made $245 million worldwide on a budget of $33 million. Unsurprisingly, Chris Tucker called it the most significant film he’s ever created on the radio show East Coast Drive with Bongani and Mags.
Chris Tucker’s Initial Impression of Jackie Chan
For both Tucker and Chan, Rush Hour has the potential to be a blockbuster hit. However, they didn’t exactly get off to a flying start. In an interview broadcast on East Coast Drive, Tucker admitted that his meeting with Chan was a major factor in developing the scene most often cited when discussing Rush Hour.
“I was kind of scared because [Jackie Chan] didn’t say anything in the first meeting when we met each other… We were in a meeting, talking about the movie. Jackie didn’t say anything the whole time. He was just nodding his head. I pulled the director aside after the meeting, and I was like, ‘Does he speak English? There’s no way we can do this movie if he doesn’t speak English.”
The actor further expressed that to work with Chan, he needed the Chinese action hero to speak in English so they communicate.
“I got to have him communicating with me. ‘He’s just checking you out. He’s Chinese. That’s what they do.’ ‘I need him to say something.’ So that was the whole thing I came up with ‘Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?’ The first time I met him I was like, ‘Does he understand English? Does he speak English?’ I just took that, and that was the movie right there.”
Chris Tucker’s impatience with Chan’s radio silence exemplifies a significant cultural gap. The practice of maintaining silence is highly valued in many Asian cultures. Chan was likely listening to everything said in the meeting and thinking about how to respond before he spoke. Tucker’s anger is understandable, though, considering the language barrier.
Source: East Coast Drive
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