"I learn English in country songs" - Jackie Chan talks about being a Willie Nelson fan and how he finally earned his black belt

In a June 3 episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, Jackie Chan revealed that he learned English from country songs when he first moved to the U.S. from Hong Kong. Chan revealed that when he moved to the U.S. at the dawn of the 1980s, he struggled to understand the directors on set and had to rely on his dialogue coach to translate.

"I learn English in country songs, because country songs (are) slow.

He went on to serenade Klarkson with the chorus of a Willie Nelson classic, Always on My Mind, prompting the audience to applaud. Clarkson, while responding to his efforts, said,

"I'm sorry, I just got serenaded by Jackie Chan, that's how I'm going to take this day away."

This is not the first time Chan has addressed his struggle with learning American English. In a December 2022 interview, Chan revealed that when he first went to America to film, he would read lines in his dreams since it would take him a month just to memorize a single line.

He added,

"Many words that I wanted to say, I couldn't. It was very frustrating."

Chan struggled with intonation and sounding natural when speaking English and mentioned that he only received praise when he got his English lines correct, and not when his action sequences and scenes were good.

More about Jackie Chan's move to Hollywood

In the 1980s, Karate star Jackie Chan was one of the most well-known stars in Hong Kong but found it difficult to stay in the country due to the corruption in the Hong Kong film industry. Chan considered moving to Hollywood, tried his luck there, and entered the American film market with The Big Brawl in 1980. Although the film didn't achieve the success he had hoped for, his next film, The Cannonball Run in 1981, performed better commercially.

In 1985, Chan's The Protector didn't connect with American audiences, so he decided to refocus on the Hong Kong industry. Eventually, Chan's Hollywood breakthrough came in 1995 with Rumble in the Bronx, which established Jackie as a signature for martial arts blended with comedy. The film's success paved the way for future big products such as the Rush Hour series.

Trending

In a December 2012 interview, the action star called the US "the most corrupt" country in the world, arguing that Chinese citizens should keep criticisms of their country to themselves.

"If you talk about corruption, the entire world, the America, has no corruption? (It is) the most corrupt country in the world.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback