Jackie Chan and Steve Coogan: "World" Travelers

Lately, we're used to seeing popular martial arts master/actor Jackie Chan hanging out with a cute blonde dude with a broken nose (Owen Wilson) in their "Shanghai" movies. Well, the jovial, upbeat actor now appears with another partner, English TV. superstar Steve Coogan, in the family action adventure Around the World in 80 Days.   Jackie plays Passepartout whose real name is Lau Xing (don't ask...it's explained in the film). On the run, he poses as a valet for wacky but genius inventor Phileas Fogg (Coogan) and soon they are off on a world-wide adventure with a dual purpose, to win Fogg's bet that he can, indeed travel around the world in only 80 days (this is around 1872 so that's a very big deal) and Lau Xing's need to return a stolen Buddha statue to his home village in China.

When TeenHollywood chatted with the friendly, joking duo in Beverly Hills recently, Steve, (a handsome, dark-haired guy) was casual in glasses, tee-shirt and jeans. Jackie was as laid-back as he gets (he's very enthusiastic about well..everything!) but after drinking a bottle of water.. he simply crushed it flat with his hands! He didn't seem to realize that we were gawking at him with our mouths open. He evidently does this all the time! All this power and he chooses to be a softie when it comes to teens and kids.

Picture Jackie making wild gestures to illustrate everything he says. This "jumping bean" can't really keep still. Calm Steve just looks on with kind amusement.

TeenHollywood: What did you guys learn from each other on this film?

Jackie: He taught me English. (he's kidding).

Steve: I think that what I learned from Jackie is to concentrate more. Jackie is very focused.   People always say that men can do one task and women can do a lot of things all at one time. Jackie is the only guy that I've met that can do lots of different things in his head all at the same time. So, I'd be standing in position doing a scene and Jackie would be saying his dialogue and at a certain point, I'd have to move to let the camera pass and I'd always forget. In the middle of the scene, he'd just stick his foot out like this and give me a nudge and I'd be thinking, 'Why is he nudging me?' And I'd go, 'Oh yeah, of course, I've got to move.' But he'd be saying his lines at the same time.

Jackie: I think that I've been doing movies for too long. I've been directing myself for twenty years. The problem and why I'm not directing anymore is because when I'm on the set (as an actor), I'm still directing. When someone speaks, I'm not acting anymore. I'm watching the camera. 'Cut, cut, cut. Again.' 'Rolling, action.' I'm concentrating on the lighting, what she's saying and whatever everyone else is doing. Sometimes, I scare the stunt guys. So I just said, 'No. I've got to stop directing.' (Jackie still choreographs and directs his marvelous action sequences). I've done it for all of these years, and that's why I know everything on the set.

TeenHollywood: Jackie, you fight an "evil" female baddie in this. Is it any different for you to fight a woman than a man?

Jackie: I just treat women like men. I've been in a fight with four women in 'Hammer of God.' Four women and I'd never really fight women, boom! I got kicked. I said, 'No. Don't do it again.' Boom! They do it again. Then I started fighting back and treating them like men. (In this film, the fight is) comedy and also it's an action sequence.

TeenHollywood: So it was your idea to break her super long finger nails then?

Jackie: (grinning) Oh, yes.

TeenHollywood: This is a huge film with tons of locations and crew members. Were there really 700 people in the crew in Thailand?

Steve: Yes. Well, certainly for me, it's unusual. What was amazing was lunch time when you're feeding seven hundred people outside with those huge tents and sort of four star food. It was raining. But it was beautiful food. They say an Army marches on its stomach. And they fed people properly. I mean, I don't know if Jackie is used to doing stuff for that much money in Hong Kong.

Jackie: Twenty years ago, I shot with two thousand people on the set. We didn't have any special FX or computer graphics. I had to use all students on the set. I'd always have a big budget. In Asia, at that time, it was like $5 million US dollars and it was like, 'Wow, that's the biggest budget.' It's cool for me. I'm used to it. I'm used to controlling a big crew on a set.

Jackie: How did you, Steve, a big TV star in England, get involved in a movie with Jackie Chan?

Steve: I'd seen (director) Frank Coraci's 'The Wedding Singer.' I liked his work. I knew Jackie was already attached to the movie and I think that I was a maverick choice because I'm not a name and there are other people who have a bigger profile than me in America and internationally, established English actors. But I did a screen test and Frank liked what I did. Then he turned around to all the other people, Walden Media, who were kind of wanting to make absolutely sure. They were like, 'If you're sure this is the right guy, then we'll back you.' It's nice that they trusted him and that they didn't say, 'Well, we'll just get a guy who's got a high profile and will make the film more commercial.' They said, 'Well, we've got Jackie Chan and we know what Jackie does. Jackie has the skills that he brings and he's an international movie star.' So they said, 'Maybe we can take a risk with this guy.' Frank wanted me because he'd seen another movie that I did called '24 Hour Party People' and he really liked me. So that's how I got involved.

TeenHollywood: Jackie, had you heard of Steve before this movie?

Jackie: Honestly, no. Before, when we were talking of 'Around The World In 80 Days,' I thought, 'Yes. I'm going to do this movie. Am I (playing) Phileas Fogg?' 'No, you're not Phileas Fogg.' 'Then who am I?' They said there were a few choices (for Fogg) One was Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson). I said, 'Mr. Bean? No.' He doesn't look like Phileas Fogg.

Steve: Yes. Rowan Atkinson. And probably Hugh Grant at one point.

Jackie: They showed me the video of Steve and I said, 'Oh yeah, he looks like the gentleman.' They said, 'His name is Steve Coogan, and he's big in England.' I said I didn't know him, but it didn't matter. One day we were filming in Berlin where there's a large amount of British tourists and they were like screaming, 'Ahhhh! Steven Coogan!' 'Ah, okay, he's big.'

Steve: I paid one guy like $50 to shout Steve Coogan! (jokes)

TeenHollywood: Jackie, you have your cartoon show "Jackie Chan Adventures" so you're big with kids. Is that important to you?

Jackie: A long, long time ago, I'm doing violent action movies and dirty things for movies. Later on, when I had a kid, I thought, 'Should I let my kid see this movie? No.' Why should other kids see it too? So from that time on, you can see how my movies changed to healthy action and not violent anymore. I learned from the fans. I learned from the media. I learned from my son. Sometimes, my wife says, 'No. Don't show this.' So, I said, 'Next movie, I'll never do that again.' So, I care about children and I wanted to be a cartoon character and someone from Disney or someone called me about doing a Jackie Chan cartoon and I said, 'Even if it's no money, I'm going to do it,' because sometimes it's not all about the money. I think that I made the right decision to do 'Jackie Chan Adventures.' And I only get $10,000 for the royalties or something like that. It doesn't matter.

TeenHollywood: So whether kids will like it is a big part of your decision in choosing a film?

Jackie: Yeah. I think that fifteen years ago, I made the right decision. Do more for the kids. More charity for the kids. Then more and more for the kids. I'm always looking for a script with not just a dark side. It's always a happy go lucky script. I hope that someone calls me tomorrow and goes, 'Can we remake "The Sound of Music"?' Yes. Right now we need those kinds of things. I mean, there's too many violent movies out there already. Violent doesn't always mean not good. Some movies are made for adults and are also educational. When I look at 'Saving Private Ryan,' that educates. (It says)Please, no more war. I chose to make 'Around The World In 80 Days' and those kinds of things. I make happy movies and let the children know what happened a hundred years ago. Right now we can travel around the world in one day.

TeenHollywood: Arnold Schwarzenegger is in this. Can you talk a bit about him?

Jackie: I tried to work with Arnold many years ago. [Sylvester] Stallone, Arnold, Steven Segal, but it doesn't work out. Even Jet Li. Everyone tries to bring everyone together, but we never have the right script. I met Arnold at a party in Hollywood and got to know him. Then I finally talked to him. He's not that tough. In the movie, he's always, 'I'll be back.' He's not that tough. He's a very lovable person. He makes a lot of jokes. He mostly stays in the corner playing chess.

Steve: I sat between Jackie Chan on one side and Arnold Schwarzenegger on the other side, in a hot tub. That was weird. It was kind of a sandwich. That's when I phoned home because I figured that'd be worth telling people about. It was great fun doing that stuff. It was quite odd. I remember at the time thinking, because he's like a tree trunk. He's got no fat, there's none there. I remember, 'I've got to go and sit between them.' And I'm not a big guy. I hear, 'Steve, are you ready,' and I thought, 'I'll just do a few press ups to just maybe get a little bit more going on,' because in between those two, I look like a stick. (Jackie laughs but doesn't disagree).

TeenHollywood: Did either of them give you advice on fitness? (Jackie starts crushing another water bottle!)

Steve: Jackie talked about how he runs and does a lot of cardio stuff. But, Jackie is not like a monk. He'll go have dinner and a drink, but then work really hard.

TeenHollywood: There are a lot of bigtime actors doing cameos in this movie. Owen and Luke, Arnold, John Cleese, Oscar-winner Kathy Bates playing Queen Victoria...

Jackie: Kathy Bates! That was exciting. I phoned home. On the set, I looked up and went, 'Kathy Bates!' Then I tried to calm down. Then she came over and said, 'Jackie, can I have an autograph for my son.' I said, 'Yes.' Then I called my wife and said, 'Kathy Bates is on the set.' There were so many cameos.

TeenHollywood: For audiences who aren't that familiar with your work, Steve, how did you get into the business and are you a family man?

Steve: Well, I have a seven year old daughter. I got involved in comedy because I'd watch the TV and do voices and do impressions of movie stars and stuff.   I was trained as an actor in drama school. After that I started doing standup comedy. I did that for a few years, and then I got into writing for television. I would write TV shows and appear in those TV shows. I'd do a sitcom and this starts to win awards and then I did a big stage show doing a lot of different characters where I'd run on and off stage and change. Then I started to do more acting in films. I've been professional for sixteen years.

TeenHollywood: Jackie. You are a U.N. goodwill ambassador. What does that mean for you?

Jackie: Yes. I've been doing so many things for children and things, and even before they invited me, I was already helping the U.N. children. (Note: in Germany, the Berlin Bear is a special mascot of the city. Tourists buy the teddy bears as souvenirs, etc. There are also statues, etc.) On the streets of Berlin, there were so many bears. They represent love, unity, friendship. I brought a hundred and twenty bears to Hong Kong. It's everywhere you go. They're painted and everything. Then I donated $1 million for UNICEF, for the children.

TeenHollywood: Jackie, what has been the worst injury you've had?

Jackie: In Yugoslavia, a fractured skull in a fall. I was jumping to a tree. There were two castles. I was supposed to jump from tree to tree and bang! land on the second castle and then I let go of the tree and run. It was more than two hundred feet. I jumped and the tree broke, and boom. I never thought the tree would break.

TeenHollywood: Okay, Steve. Did you do any stunts for "Around the World"?

Steve: Me? No. I just watched him and thought, 'He's crazy man.' The most dangerous thing that I did was fall off of a table. I was quite impressed with it. You see what he does and then you think, 'Ah, I won't bother.'

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Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.