What did Jackie Chan say about Hollywood? Veteran actor thinks big studios are full of 'business guys'

Jackie Chan is opening up about the dire status quo of Hollywood.

During a recent Q&A session in Locarno, Switzerland, the Rush Hour actor said he thinks Hollywood is obsessed with money nowadays, which in turn impacts quality filmmaking.

“I think the old movies are better than today,” Jackie Chan said. “Right now, a lot of big studios, they’re not filmmakers, they’re business guys. They invest 40 million and think, ‘How can I get it back?’ And you can’t go over. It’s very difficult to make a good movie now.”

The actor was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 78th Locarno Film Festival. Clad in a traditional gown, he accepted the award on stage before thanking his collaborators, team, family, and fans.

Jackie Chan says he's terrified he'll lose his life in a stunt: Read more

As reported by Deadline, the actor was conversing with Giona Nazzaro, the head of Locarno, where he reminisced on his past projects and recounted some entertaining stories about his early days in the industry. However, he mainly reflected on his dedication to his stuntmanship and how he learned some of his most dangerous stunts.

“In all of Asia, only two directors can do everything: the writing, directing, acting, stunt coordinating, stunt fighting, and editing. Only two,” he began. “One is Sammo Hung, the second one is Jackie Chan.” He continued, “And I’m better because I know how to sing.”

Jackie Chan, now 71, also confessed hours ago that he's fearful of succumbing to some of his dangerous stunts. The seasoned actor, who began his career as a stuntman before pivoting to thespianism, said during the same Q&A session:

"I’m no Superman. I am scared. Before a stunt, I go: ‘Am I going to die this time?'" He continued: "The audience doesn’t know about the rain, the producer, or that the budget was cut. They just want a good movie. I always remember that, so I try to make every scene perfect."

At the age of 66, while working on Vanguard in 2019 with director Stanley Tong, the actor nearly drowned while filming a Jet Ski scene. As reported by USA Today at the time, the actor did not sustain any injuries, though he was stuck under the water.

"We wanted to show the outtakes to prove that even though Jackie is 66 years old, he's a professional actor and loves action," Tong told the outlet at the time. "He still wants to try anything himself. That's his passion and dedication and devotion to the film industry."

He continued,

"He was stuck under the water because of a big rock behind him. And he couldn't come up. I was very scared. But as the safety people picked Jackie out of the water. I saw him breathing and move. I said, 'Thank God!' I was crying at that time. Jackie said that the current was so strong he couldn't move and he got pushed against the big rock," says Tong, noting the star eventually pulled himself out of the hazardous jam. "Jackie said that all he could think of was 'Stay calm.' "

Despite laughing the incident off, the director told the outlet that Jackie Chan later confessed to him that he was "really scared," though the very next day, he was up for shooting the water sequence once again.

"He said, 'Let's do it,' " said Tong. "It's the Jackie Chan spirit. He said he would just have to be careful that it didn't happen again."

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