Often referred to as the martial arts icon, Jackie Chan is known for his toughness. However, in one of his interviews in 1996, Chan admitted that the English language often presented a challenge for him. During his conversation on the ROD show, Chan expressed his belief that English is the most difficult language in the world, highlighting the struggles he faced when he first moved to the United States.
Upon arriving in California, Chan had no knowledgeable of the English language, which made it difficult for him to navigate daily life and obtain basic necessities.
When Jackie Chan faced difficulties because of his limited knowledge of English
Jackie Chan humorously recalled that his English vocabulary was limited to phrases like “Hello, my name is Jackie Chan.” Even simple tasks such as ordering food became daunting for him. In fact, Chan’s language barrier also impacted his career in Hollywood. While filming the movie “Rush Hour,” he was still in the process of learning English, leading to numerous bloopers during shooting.
Despite his expertise in action scenes, Chan found dialogue scenes to be incredibly challenging. Frustrated by the expectation of delivering lines perfectly, he humorously questioned if he could speak “Jackie Chan English.”
The language barrier did impose limitations on Chan’s choice of roles in Hollywood. Although he showcased versatility and promise, his limited command of English restricted him to niche roles. While he excelled in action-packed performances, his potential for other types of characters was often hindered.
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Jackie Chan shared his unique technique to avoid talking to Americans
During the interview, Jackie Chan revealed how he was scared to talk to Americans when he was not exactly familiar with the language. Sharing how he wanted to avoid any small talk with strangers, Chan shared an anecdote. He said, “American people very polite. You know they open the elevator. they always came “Good Morning” (winks). While Chan replied “Hi! Good Morning.” But then some people further asked him, “Where you from?”
And that scared him. Unable to even find the words to construct a reply, Chan said that he usually replied in one word like “Ahhh… Hong Kong.” However, the strangers often went ahead to share their experiences or take of Hong Kong “Ah Hong Kong, nice place, tablalalala…”
But unable to understand anything they speak, Chan used to get all confused. Hence, to avoid interacting with people, the martial arts icon came up with his own unique technique. He shared, “The next time people walk in elevator I just pretend to tie my shoes.”
However, over the course of his career, Chan mastered the English language. Sharing how he learned the language by listening to folk songs, watching films and television series, and imitating everything he heard, the actor finally solidified his place in Hollywood by mastering fluency in English.
Source: YouTube
