By Evan Henerson > Staff Writer

At 54, he's China's most prominent Jackie-of-all-trades.

That's Jackie Chan: businessman, humanitarian, goodwill ambassador, mentor, world traveler. (photo gallery)

"When I'm not working, I travel around China, building a school or for charity," says Chan. "Besides that, I have my clothing business, my restaurant business, coffee business. I'm the Far East agent for Segway, helping the Olympics, helping Expo 2010. Sometimes they give me one-day holiday, I'm like, `What (am) I gonna do?' "

Well, he can - and does - make another movie.

"The Forbidden Kingdom," which opened Friday, finds Chan's drunken pilgrim, Lu Yan, trying to help a New York teenager (played by Michael A. Angarano) return a fighting staff to the imprisoned Monkey King (Jet Li). The wall-to-wall action choreography is by legendary director Woo-Ping Yuen.

It's the first time martial arts masters Chan and Li have appeared in the same film. "The Forbidden Kingdom" also reunites Chan, for the first time in 30 years, with Yuen, who directed Chan in "The Drunken Master" in 1978.

Chan, who has appeared in nearly 100 films and directed more than 15, opens an interview by confessing that this one makes him uneasy. "Did you like it?" he asks. "Really?

LA.COM: Didn't you?

CHAN: I don't know. You know, every time when I'm making an American film, I doubt it. I finish "Rush Hour," I say, "I don't like the movie. I don't like the dialogue. I don't like the action." I just say my career is done for American market. Boom! Finished. Big hit. Everybody's happy, including my manager. "See, we told you." Every time I say I don't like (it), they're so happy.

Q: What didn't you like about "Forbidden Kingdom"?

CHAN: I don't know. I have no idea. This one's totally new. It's not like "Shanghai Noon," "Police Story" or "Rush Hour." This is maybe too much Chinese. I don't know. This time, I am scared. Not scared, just not sure.

Q: Did you enjoy making the film?

CHAN: I enjoyed making it because I would never make this kind of movie. Drunken master bowing to the Monkey King, Monkey King and Jade Emperor. ... I enjoyed making it, especially working with Jet Li.

Q: Off screen, are the two of you at all alike?

CHAN: No. Different. I'm more active. He's more quiet. Most of the time, he (meditates). Different character, exactly like in the movie. He's a silent monk.

Q: What about your styles of fighting?

CHAN: My style (is) more Chinese chop suey: little this, little that. Since I was young, I learned northern style and then later southern style, hapkido, judo, tae kwon do, boxing, acrobatic, all kinds of things. (Li) is just northern style. That's all.

I remember the first day we (were) on the set. Everybody's so excited, "Wow! Two action stars together." Then when we're on the set, we're just, "Hi. Good morning." We know (each other) for long time. (So it's) not so exciting.

Q: Talk about that fight scene between the two of you.

CHAN: After Woo-Ping Yuen choreographed the action sequence, he says, "OK, please take a look." They show me twice. Then I look at Jet Li. "Suppose I make fun." OK. We don't need rehearsal. Just shoot. Everybody's so shocked. After (the) first take, director (Rob Minkoff) comes out and says, "Can you guys slow down a little bit." I look at Jet. "Jet, why you so fast? You want to show off. I want to show off, too. OK, let's slow down. After two takes, we know the tempo. We know the rhythm. We know the camera angle. We know what (the) director wants.

Q: Are you still doing all your own stunts?

CHAN: Yes, yes, yes. It's more easy than the real fighting. You have a lot of wire work and also now, making a Hollywood film, you have (a) stand-in, and we have doubles to show us what we do. For us, more difficult is the English. Also, for me, the accent is a difficult thing.

Q: Which part of your body has been broken most often?

CHAN: Nose. And finger because finger is always right on (the) floor. Also ribs, crack, crack, crack.

Now, making American films is different. They have a safety captain on the set. They make sure everything is safe. It still hurts - bruises, bumps, ouch.

Q: What parts of "Forbidden Kingdom" were challenging to you?

CHAN: Nothing. I mean (I've done) everything. My old days of "Drunken Master" (were the) same thing. Now I'm just master, not young boy anymore. I think the challenge is (playing) the old guy from New York (in) the book store. I think about Marlon Brando (in "The Godfather"), the way he walks in the garden before he dies. That's the challenge. Nine hours makeup every day for five days. I really (hate) the director (for that), but I agreed to do it.

Evan Henerson (818) 713-3651

evan.henerson@dailynews.com

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