Jacky Woo: Not lost in translation

Besides being Japanese and actors, guess what Jacky Woo and Ken Watanabe have in common.

Well, they both need an interpreter when being interviewed. I should know. When I interviewed Watanabe (and co-stars Ziyi Zhang and Michelle Yeoh) in New York in December 2005 for Memoirs of a Geisha (in which he plays a rich Chinese), an interpreter sat beside him even if, at the time, Watanabe did speak fairly good English.

The other day, upon the request of my friend Joe B., I interviewed Jacky for Iskul Bukol...20 Years After, OctoArts Films/M-Zet TV Productions’ entry at the 2008 Metro Filmfest, and a pretty interpreter was around to help him out because he speaks very limited English and Filipino (“Konting lang,” he said).

No, Jacky wasn’t lost in the translation.

Like Watanabe (and most Japanese), Jacky is soft-spoken and polite, softly bowing to stress a point instead of raising his voice or gesturing pointedly.

Asked if he has met Watanabe, Jacky smiled.

“I directed him in a film years ago before he became very popular,” he said. “He’s very quiet, no talking. Very good actor. He can act even with just his eyes.”

In Iskul Bukol (which reunites the zany trio of Tito, Vic & Joey, directed by Tony Reyes from a screenplay by Bibeth Orteza), Jacky plays the Yakuza nemesis of Vic Sotto.

Does he know any Yakuza?

“Yes, many.”

Some scenes were shot in Cambodia but Jacky wasn’t there because he was in China shooting a historical show for a big Japanese TV station intended for international airing. He flew direct to the Philippines from China to shoot for Iskul Bukol.

Since 1998, Jacky has shot 10 movies here, most of the time acting in, directing and producing (or co-producing) them. The first was Total Aikido with John Regala and Aya Medel. He has starred with top Filipino actors like Robin Padilla in Alab ng Lahi and Cesar Montano in Panaghoy sa Suba, playing mostly action roles. Doing comedy in Iskul Bukol is a welcome change for Jacky who is serious off camera.

What does he love about the Philippines that he keeps coming back?

“The people are very nice and friendly.”

And what is the difference between shooting in Japan and shooting in the Philippines?

“Almost the same. Work in Japan is very systematic; nobody goes to the set late. In the Philippines, the people are more friendly, that’s why I love it here. In Japan, the people are very serious. If you commit mistakes, the director will get mad.”

In Japan, Jacky directs TV shows (mostly for NHK) and films. He doesn’t act.

But in China, Singapore, Korea and the Philippines, he’s known more as an actor than as director.

His father is half-Chinese and half-Japanese, and his mother is pure Japanese.

Asked if he speaks Chinese, he smiled. “Konti lang.”

In his made-in-RP movies, somebody dubs his dialogue in Filipino. In his office here, he hires a Filipino tutor but he hardly has time to sit down with him for long because he’s always traveling.

“But in Korea, I deliver my lines in Korean. It’s easier because the language sounds like Japanese. What they do is make me memorize my Korean dialogue and when shooting starts, I speak like a real Korean.”

He said that he’s the only one in the family who is in showbiz. He has two brothers. At age three, he was trained in martial arts by his paternal grandfather. He was discovered by a talent scout in Japan while he was walking on the street.

Being a martial artist/actor, didn’t he have a hard time doing comedy?

“Vic helped me a lot. He’s funny. I enjoyed doing Iskul Bukol. It was fun!”

After Iskul Bukol, he’s going dramatic in his next movie, an indie titled Walang Hanggang Paalam, where he plays the Japanese lover of Lovi Poe.

Asked what the plot is about, he begged off.

“I won’t tell you. There’s a twist in the ending.”

How do Filipino women differ from Japanese women?

“Japanese women are more strict.”

Has he been in love with a Filipina?

Jacky Woo simply smiled and asked me to guess.

He made no comment and the interpreter simply smiled.

He wasn’t lost in the translation.

By the way, when is he going to direct Ken Watanabe again?

“Soon. I’m now finishing the script.”

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