JS: Ken, we are on the outskirts of Berlin, Germany, on set for Around the World in 80 Days. How did you get to be working on this film?

KL: As you know well one of the locations for Around the World in 80 Days is Thailand. We were shooting on location from Mid-March to Mid-April there. Once the shooting location was determined Jackie asked me to accompany him during the shoot because I can speak Thai and no one else in our group can. So I would be a lot of help on set and also away from the set.

JS: (Laughing) Oh, so your fighting skills are not needed but your language skills are very much in demand during the making of this film…

KL: (Laughing) At that time, first of all, yes… Once the Thailand shoot was ending I was all prepared to come on back to Hong Kong but Jackie asked me if I wanted to come to Germany and work behind-the-scenes rigging stunts and some wire work plus also Jackie mentioned that there would be some good fight sequences for this film so I decided that I would come along for the whole shoot and here we are now in Germany.

JS: So as well as working behind the camera with the JC Stunt Team you will also be fighting Jackie in the movie?

KL: Yes, there will be an interesting fight scene coming up. I play one of the villains and so do many of the JC Stunt Team members. The fight scene takes place in an art gallery. I think it is these kind of fight sequences that are very much the JackieChan-Style and also the JC Stunt Team-Style… Definitely something that the fans and the audience seem to enjoy.

JS: You are enjoying working on this movie then? We are in your private trailer right now and I bet you wish you could have one of these back on the Hong Kong movies, right?

KL: Definitely! Already we can see many luxuries inside that are unheard of in Hong Kong. There are many differences between the Hong Kong and Hollywood film industries… budget and luxuries such as this trailer are just two things to mention. I am really enjoying working on this film. Yes, there is still as much pressure involved, as all films have a deadline and a budget whether it is ten million or one hundred but it is very enjoyable…

JS: You worked on Rush Hour? What was that like?

KL: I can say that Rush Hour was not as enjoyable as this film. I say that because Jackie was under a great amount of pressure during the filming of that movie. As you know well, Rush Hour was Jackie’s comeback movie for Hollywood after previous failed attempts their and sometimes the atmosphere was not relaxed and happy. I also remember during the making of Rush Hour that we all stayed in Jackie’s house. All the JC Team stayed together.

JS: Plus you got to kick Chris Tucker in the head in Rush Hour as well…

KL: (Laughing) Yes, I enjoyed that!

JS: Rush Hour was a valuable experience for both you and Jackie then?

KL: Yes it was. I would say that it was a valuable experience for me and for the JC Team and a big eye-opener for Jackie in many ways….

JS: If you ask Jackie about Rush Hour he will admit that he doesn’t like the film but he was happy to experience everything to do with that movie. With pressure and stress it sometimes brings the best out of you - in this case it obviously did for Jackie because Rush Hour was so huge at the box-office.

KL: Yes, you’re absolutely right! There were a lot of problems during the making of Rush Hour mainly due to Jackie not having complete control… but in the end he came through and it was such a great success. Of course, these days, no matter what Hollywood film it is - Jackie is very much in control - things have definitely changed since the days of Rush Hour.

JS: Where were you born and raised?

KL: I was born in Laos, Cambodia. The year was 1959. But in the mid-1970s, when I was fifteen years old, my family upped and moved to Thailand, we were refugees then.

JS: How did you get into the Martial Arts?

KL: All kids like fighting! (laughing). I was always fighting as a kid at school… not necessarily hitting hard but playing although, of course, sometimes there were real hard fights. I remember near my house there were some Thai-Boxing instructors who encouraged kids like us to learn and so I did…

JS: Was it tough training?

KL: Yes it was but as a kid it was fun as well… Unfortunately at that time my parents didn’t really agree with me training and fighting but it was certainly a good foundation for later on… I also got into Tae Kwon Do as I grew up but still trained in Thai-Boxing even if it was remembering my drills and the training methods I was taught as a kid and combined them with Tae Kwon Do.

JS: What is your training regime when you are not working on a movie?

KL: It never changes! That’s the secret! Your regime shouldn’t change… My training is the same as when I am working on a movie and when I am not working at all… using sandbags, lifting up light weights, running fast, jogging in a moderate speed and, of course, stretching, kicking and all my Thai-Boxing drills…

JS: What was your first movie in Hong Kong?

KL: It was back in 1983 or 1984… something like that. The film was a comedy and Tsui Hark was the Director and also starred in the film alongside Sam Hui, Teddy Robin and Joey Wong. The film title in English is roughly translated as Labour King… Something like that.

JS: Ah yes…. I know the film. In the West it is known as Working Class. In that film you got to fight Sam Hui didn’t you and your character was a kickboxer.

KL: Yes that’s right! Tsui Hark and also the Producers wanted Sam Hui to fight a real kickboxer so I was chosen because of my track record as a kickboxing champion in Hong Kong.

JS: How many full contact fights did you in Hong Kong?

KL: Not many really… only seven or eight but they were all knockouts and no one else was available to fight me afterwards so I retired. That was a long time ago now… maybe 1982, 1983… but still, because of the fights I got my chance to work in the movie industry…

by Richard Cooper.

For the rest of the interview please see JADE SCREEN VOL. 2, ISSUE 1

BUY THE MAGAZINE HERE.