Zhang Yimou tried to use martial arts to talk about Chinese culture, Chinese people. What do they think, what do they want and what do they hope.
I need to talk about Chinese culture. We have deep, strong philosophy and culture. I want to share some information, tell the worldwide audience.
You can use martial arts to tell a different story. Ang Lee used martial arts in ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ to talk about love.
I remember when I was 11, I did some Kung-fu demonstrations in Hong Kong in 1974.
I stepped into the martial arts movie market when I was only 16.
I’ve been learning martial arts since I was 8 years old.
My wife wanted my children to have some Chinese culture and education. She believes the children need to learn two languages and two cultures.
When I lived in Hong Kong, I felt that Hong Kong is my family.
Usually action films have a formula: good guy gets in trouble, his wife dies, friends have problems, so he goes to the mountain, learns martial arts, comes back, and kills the bad guy.
My manager introduced me to the ‘Rise to Honor’ team. I was curious about what it took to be involved in video games, a completely new form of entertainment to me.
I am so happy because I want more people to like martial arts movie not just martial arts audience. Even martial arts can be used in comedy, in drama, in horror movies, in different kinds of movies.
In the States, you can buy Chinese food. In Beijing you can buy hamburger. It’s very close. Now I feel the world become a big family, like a really big family. You have many neighbors. Not like before, two countries are far away.
Tibetan Buddhism, has inspired me and accelerated my understanding of life.
My wife is the boss at home, and my daughters are the bosses. I am just the worker. We are a very warm family and very happy.
And lot of Asian audiences and reporters don’t like me to act as a bad guy. But I think I want to become an actor, I want to try different way.
Hong Kong film audiences are very quiet. It’s their culture.
I do some of my stunts for the things I have learned. But if it is for something I have never learned, then I use a double.
When you have a friend you work with for 15 years, you become like brothers.
I can feel very brave through all the action scenes in front of the people who are on the set, but when a girl comes close to me my face turns red because I’m so shy.
This film ‘Hero’ talks about the peace of Chinese people.