#SHOWBIZ: Jackie Chan's unexpected English teacher: Country music
HONG KONG: Jackie Chan learned English through country music.
The 71-year-old actor, who grew up in Hong Kong and whose native language is Cantonese, found it easier to follow the lyrics of the genre because the songs are typically quite "slow."
During an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show on Tuesday (June 3), he said: "I learn English in country songs because country songs are slow."
Jackie then went on to sing the chorus from Willie Nelson's 'Always on My Mind', which sparked cheers from the audience and thrilled the host.
Kelly exclaimed: "I just got serenaded by Jackie Chan! That's how I'm going to take this day away."
In 1998's Rush Hour, Jackie was famously asked by co-star Chris Tucker: "Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?"
And the Karate Kid: Legends star admitted he didn't have "a clue" what his castmate was saying throughout the film.
He said: "The whole movie, I didn't know what Chris Tucker was saying. Not a clue."
Jackie admitted his dialogue was "different" in "every shot" due to his struggles to grasp what was being said.
He explained: "My dialogue coach sits right behind the camera. Every scene, every shot, different dialogue. Every shot was different. Every time I just watched behind the camera, the dialogue coach went, 'Your turn. Okay, let's go.'"
Kelly asked him if there was an "improv moment" when he didn't understand what a fellow Rush Hour cast or crew member was saying, and he admitted there were many.
Jackie recounted: "The worst thing was when they said 'Cut. Take a rest. Jackie'. Then I turned around and said to my dialogue coach, 'What did he say?' They speak so fast!"
In his latest movie, Karate Kid: Legends, Jackie returns as Mr Han and mentors his young nephew Li (Ben Wang) in martial arts after he is subjected to bullying at school in New York City.
He admitted he didn't need any training because he has been learning fight choreography since the 1960s.
Jackie, who joined the Karate Kid franchise in 2010 alongside Jaden Smith, said: "I don't need to anymore. I've been training every day for 64 years. I've been fighting, fighting, fighting."
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