Yet further proof that Hugh Jackman is the kind of guy you want to bring home to Mom. Check him out singing a country western song in the Mandarin dialect on The Jay Leno Show, late March. Apparently it took him two months to learn the tune.
Jackman appeared on Leno to speak about one of his many upcoming projects, Wayne Wang's (The Joy Luck Club) Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. The story, based on the novel by Lisa See
, is about two girls in 19th century China who develop a secret code as a means of dealing with ever-present oppression against women. Jackman who plays a Night Club Singer in the film, had nothing but great things to say about filming in Shanghai, including encountering a bit of culture shock in how spontaneous the Chinese are when shooting. At one point in the shoot, he thought he was speaking to a tourist in a crowd, unaware the cameras were actually rolling until Wang yelled "CUT!", much to his surprise.
, is about two girls in 19th century China who develop a secret code as a means of dealing with ever-present oppression against women. Jackman who plays a Night Club Singer in the film, had nothing but great things to say about filming in Shanghai, including encountering a bit of culture shock in how spontaneous the Chinese are when shooting. At one point in the shoot, he thought he was speaking to a tourist in a crowd, unaware the cameras were actually rolling until Wang yelled "CUT!", much to his surprise.As always, the Asian-American social movement predictably is hyper-sensitive, feeling that he has presented the Chinese culture in a negative light with a faux Chinese accent he put-on during his appearance when describing the locals. Honestly, who cares? Political correctness is so 1995. Let's just laugh at ourselves and be on with it! My flawless Asian complexion can't handle the stress of pointlessly dwelling on matters. And this is coming from someone who proudly wears his Chinese heritage on his sleeve.
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan isn't due in theatres until 2011, which is far too long a wait to see Jackman speaking and singing in Chinese on the big screen. Cannot wait. Thanks Bee!
impressed! i look forward to the film. i just hope it isn't...well, hyped-up orientalism. sorry, but i am more pc about that stuff. power politics and all that jazz. :p
ReplyDeleteHugh Jackman is soo yummy on soo many levels. He can really do no wrong. I'm offended that people can not see that he's truly a genuine human being and is so respectful to other cultures.
ReplyDeleteAlso, there is nothing politically incorrect about what he did. He just sang a song in a language which he does not speak. Like Weezer did with BoA's Meri Kuri and how a good portion of us sound like when we're singing along to Dancehall.
Agreed and agreed. It's entertainment. If anything what he's doing is breaking down barriers. Actors act and sometimes they mimic accents. That's what they do!
ReplyDelete