Jackie Chan credits five Hollywood stars with inspiring his comedy style. Much of Chan’s success both in Hong Kong and in international markets is built on his consistent and distinctive approach to comedy in his films. But while Chan has always managed to stand apart from the crowd when it comes to other martial arts stars, many of his ideas – by his own ission – originated with other actors.
In the early stages of Jackie Chan’s acting career, his movies were nothing like Rumble in the Bronx, Project A, or any of the other iconic films he’s known for today. In the aftermath of Bruce Lee’s death, Hong Kong filmmakers were intent on finding a suitable replacement for the Dragon. Among the choices to fill this role in the martial arts industry was a young and Jackie Chan. But when emulating Lee in a string of kung fu movies didn’t do his career or the studio any favors, Chan changed course and began to develop his own image, which helped turn him into a martial arts sensation. What he ultimately created is owed to the influence of five different actors. Here’s who they were.
Harold Lloyd
Harold Lloyd, the actor who inspired Superman’s Clark Kent alter ego in DC Comics, was one of the biggest stars of the silent film era. Not unlike Chan himself, Lloyd is ed for doing his own stunts in his movies. It was this aspect of his films that made his comedy so effective. Lloyd would put himself in peril hanging off of cars and dangling off rooftops. According to Chan, Lloyd was one of the actors he “stole” from when he was younger [via The Guardian.]
Gene Kelly
Gene Kelly burst onto the scene in the 1940s and remained an A-list Hollywood star for two decades. During this time, Kelly headlined a number of romantic musicals, such as Singin’ in the Rain and An American in Paris. Obviously, his chosen genre of films contrasts greatly with Jackie Chan’s work, but parallels between them can be found in his dancing scenes. In fact, Chan has even said that he “totally copied” from Kelly, whose impressive athletic ability perfectly went hand-in-hand with the dancing choreography of his films [via Mental Floss]. This aspect of his image had a lot to do with what made him so popular and is also what made Chan take notice of him.
Fred Astaire
Another dancer with a strong influence on Chan was Fred Astaire. Astaire was Kelly’s biggest rival in the musical genre and an actor who enjoyed a similar – if not greater – level of stardom. But whereas Gene Kelly would show off his acrobatic prowess and jump through the air during dance numbers, Astaire made a name for himself as a more refined and elegant ballroom dancer. One thing in particular that Chan liked about him was how he improvised with the objects around him, which is exactly what Chan does with his own movies. On the subject of Astaire, Chan explained, “he can move the light post and slide to the piano and dance with a chair. I try to use everything around me.”
Buster Keaton
If there’s anything close to a Hollywood equivalent of Jackie Chan, it’s Buster Keaton. Described by Chan as “the best” of his trade, Keaton was a silent movie legend adept at both comedy and action. During the height of his career, the actor had no shortage of memorable performances, including 1926’s The General. Keaton was renowned for his remarkable athleticism and willingness to put himself in danger for stunts that typically led to tremendous laughter from moviegoers. The inspiration Chan took from Keaton is evident in films like Project A and The Young Master, which copy stunts and gags from Keaton’s movies.
Charlie Chaplin
In a 1995 interview, Chan mentioned two actors that he wanted to be like in the 1970s; one was Keaton and the other was none other than Charlie Chaplin [via Charlie Chaplin's accident-prone protagonists, animated expressions, slapstick humor, and tendency to play the relatable “everyman” character all go to show just how much he has in common with Jackie Chan.