“Hollywood Had Turned Me Into Something Silly”: Jackie Chan Once Drew a Critical View of His Maiden American Project That Turned Into a Box-Office Disaster

Being the pioneer of martial arts in Hollywood films after Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan needs no introduction. And if by any chance, one does not know about Chan; they have been probably living under a rock. Born in Hong Kong, Chan is globally known as the king of action comedy.

Despite growing up in tough conditions, Chan has worked hard enough to make an impact in the world. Not only has he made a name for himself, but he has also played a major role in spreading Asian culture and martial arts to different parts of the world.

Miffed by his early days in Hollywood

Jackie Chan is a renowned star, not only in Hong Kong but across the globe now. He has flown on the wings of success in Hollywood too. However, Chan didn’t always glitter like gold in Hollywood. He had to taste the dust first.

During his early days in Hollywood, Chan encountered multiple failures. Despite being an enormous star in the east, his movies were miserably failing to make a name in the west. His first American production movie, The Big Brawl in 1980, was a flop. Followed by that was Chan’s second attempt at Hollywood; The Protector in 1985. Just like the first one, this was a flop, too.

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It wasn’t just because of the lack of success that made Jackie take a step back from Hollywood. Several factors led to that decision. Chan wasn’t satisfied with the scripts or roles that were offered to him. They didn’t have the “Jackie Chan” touch, and the actor wasn’t comfortable doing what was being asked. Expressing his disappointment, the actor had once said, “Hollywood had turned me into something silly, so I returned home to make my kind of movies.”

Jackie Chan made a grand comeback

After the debacle in the early 80s, Chan took a break from the west for more than a decade. It wasn’t until 1995 that the Asian superstar decided to give Hollywood another shot. But this time around, he wanted to do it on his terms.

Jackie Chan tested the waters of the American market with a movie from a Hong Kong-based production. The 1995 movie, Rumble in the Bronx, turned out to be a massive commercial success. It carried the essence of a typical Jackie Chan movie.

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After that, Jackie finally got his due recognition in Hollywood. He bagged back-to-back movies like Rush Hour and Shanghai Knights from American productions. The success of these news movies ended up getting him the sequels. And the rest, as they say, is history.