MANILA, Philippines - On our last visit to Hong Kong as a family, my husband and I brought our kids to the Avenue of Stars, where the bronze statue of Bruce Lee stands and where the handprints of Jackie Chan are contained in a plaque for permanent display. While staring at these attractions, it suddenly occurred to me that outside of America, Hong Kong is one of the very few cities around the world that has successfully conquered Hollywood.
Though long gone, Lee is largely considered as the actor who put Asians on the Hollywood map, becoming somewhat of a cult legend. During my grade school days, I remember watching every Bruce Lee movie (Enter The Dragon, The Return of Dragon, Fist of Fury and The Way of the Dragon), with my siblings. I also remember my Kuya Joy and all my other neighborhood kuyas in Kamuning, all wanting to be the next Bruce Lee — beefing up their bodies, improvising chako from steel tubes and chains and practicing martial arts endlessly as if they were preparing to attack some real-life gangsters. Even now, I somehow still recall the piercing sadness I experienced upon receiving the news of his mysterious and untimely death.
Chan, whose blockbuster movies I have never failed to watch, like Lee, also built his wildly successful career on strong foundations of martial arts and acting. Chan, however, set himself apart with a brand of action-comedy cinema that is uniquely his. While Lee was all brute and passion, Chan was cute, funny and self-deprecating.
Curious about how Chan came to be, I did my research and found out that he was educated at the China Drama Academy, where he excelled in acrobatics and became part of a performance group made of the school’s star pupils. He went on to appear in a few films as a child, before beginning his adult career as a stuntman in some of Lee’s films. Chan enjoyed success in Hong Kong before breaking into Hollywood, through his films Rumble in the Bronx (1995), Supercop (1996), Rush Hour (1998) and Shanghai Noon (2000). He has also directed over 10 films and voiced characters in blockbuster animation films, such as Mulan (Chinese release) and Kung Fu Panda. Because of his phenomenal success, Chan has earned the freedom to explore other film genres, such as drama, to avoid being typecast as a kung fu action star, and has dabbled in music and singing as well (yes, Chan sings!) He has achieved role model status because of his consistently wholesome persona and is also known for championing philanthropic — educational efforts. He is currently a UNICEF goodwill ambassador (my kind of man!)
Another global star with roots in Hong Kong is my father-image crush Chow Yun-fat of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon fame. Chow grew up poor, eventually quitting school and taking on odd jobs to support his family. He struck gold when he responded to a newspaper acting advertisement. He became a household name in Hong Kong following roles in a number of soap operas and a popular gangster hit series. Chow’s big break into the silver screen came in 1986 when he starred in John Woo’s gangster action-melodrama, A Better Tomorrow, which took Asia by storm. He then went on to star in many other films of the “heroic bloodshed” genre, before making it big in Hollywood through the success of critically-acclaimed Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), which won an Oscar. He followed this up with Bulletproof Monk (2003) and Curse of the Golden Flower (2006) and appeared as well in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007). Throughout his career, Chow has struggled to be regarded as a serious dramatic actor in Hollywood. He has appeared in over 110 films and 24 television series.
Although born in Malaysia, the talented Michelle Yeoh first became a household name in Hong Kong, where she is also currently based. Originally trained in dance, (you can see this in the graceful way she carries herself), Yeoh had to give up dreams of becoming a professional ballet dancer after a spinal injury, and instead earned a B.A. degree in creative arts with a minor in drama. She won the Miss Malaysia beauty pageant at the age of 21 and represented her country at the 1983 Miss World pageant in London. She was discovered by a Hong Kong film production company, D&B Films, after appearing in a television commercial with Chan. She was featured in action and martial arts films, doing most of her own stunts (my kind of girl!), before marrying Dickson Poon of the D&B Group in 1987. She took a hiatus from acting (a big mistake, I think), and returned only after they divorced in 1992. The timeless beauty became known for her roles in the James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and was catapulted to superstar status after the success of Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008). Her latest cinematic endeavor is The Lady where she portrays Burmese icon, Aung San Suu Kyi, a role I firmly believe is meant for her and nobody else.
The Hong Kong government saw to it that these iconic stars of Hong Kong be given the honor they deserve at the Avenue of Stars. I think it is about time that we in the Philippines do the same for Filipinos who, through the values of discipline, excellence and hard work, have made our country proud in the international scene — such as in the persons of Manny Pacquiao, Lea Salonga, Freddie Aguilar, Arnel Pineda, Charice and Jed Madela. Not only will we give these Philippine celebrities due recognition; we will also be inspiring young Filipinos to strive harder to gain international status as the best in their chosen fields of endeavor.
(E-mail author at dotgancayco@ymail.com or text 0927-5000833.)