A brilliant performer in the league of Bruce Lee, Chow Yun-Fat and Jackie Chan, Jet Li is one of the most respected figures in the genre of martial-arts cinema today. Martial Edge catch up to one of the worlds biggest martial arts stars
Martial Edge: In Hero you were, literally, gliding through the forest, it was dangerously fanciful. But the change here with Unleashed is stylistically it's dark and grungy; it's in-your-face action. For instance, there's a quite memorable fight scene in a very narrow apartment hallway and another one in a bleak, drained swimming pool.
Jet Li: In the hall fight, we thought of that on the set and it work so very well. It was so very close to fight there. We were very, very specific in all of our moves and choreography. The first big difference in all is we have a different choreographer, and that always make things different no matter what. For Hero we had three good guys. But for [Unleashed] I just call Woo-Ping to ask him to do it because he know how to do it. The martial arts you use in the film is the best way to help the story and the character. In the beginning Danny just fights like an animal, but when he grows up and when he understands a little bit of life and his character, he gains control of his body and knows he doesn't want to hurt people.
Martial Edge: Aside from the stylistic change, Unleashed is sort of a transitional movie for you in terms of your acting. And that was something you've been very much trying to get producers to let you do. You've been intent to show people Jet Li, the actor, not just the action star. Which leads me to the question, do you foresee a time where you would do a film where it doesn't have any martial arts?
Jet Li: Well, it is funny because that is the kind of question I receive ever since I started making action films. It is always a question I ask to me. The reality, the truth is: whether the studio is in Asia or America, they are a business, and they look at you they see you already prove you can do action films, and you just do action films and continue, continue. And this is until one day you can prove you can do the other more than action, then they will give you roles to play different. Myself, I think, yes, without action I want to do drama film because that is the dream come true.
Martial Edge:The trick is finding the opportunity to be able to show people. There is in Unleashed maybe forty-five minutes where there's no fighting. But then for you to do that for a whole film, do the studios see it as a big risk?
Jet Li: This kind of movie is unusual. This is why I say the studio doesn't want to make it because they're not sure. They believe Jet Li fans only want to see Jet Li fight. Over that, they're not sure, you know? If I am the studio president who is in charge of the studio, drama is Tom Hanks, comedy is Jim Carrey, and action is me. So if it is something else, oh yes, they are taking a risk. But one day I am going to prove. That's why I always try to prove myself. [Unleashed] in the States the studios didn't want. We bring the idea to the studios and nobody want to make it. That's why I bring it to Europe to make this film, to find the opportunity to prove that I can do more than just fighting.
Martial Edge: How did Unleashed come about?
Jet Li: A few years ago, Luc gave me some ideas about doing a different kind of action film. There were so many other ideas to which I say I don't like that kind of action film. I say I want to do something I never have a chance to play. And I have an idea, a message. And two days later I have the idea, what if I play a dog? And they all say, "OK, cool." (He laughs)
Martial Edge: And a big plus for you was they were willing to risk going with a large segment of the film where you get to really play your character. I'm thinking it's maybe forty-five minutes.
Jet Li: And we had originally more than that! I mean, we shot more than that. They cut whole bunch of that because they thought it ran too long.
Martial Edge: Maybe we will see it on the DVD?
Jet Li: I hope that the DVD in the future has these scenes. Because my character learns how to read a clock tell time, they show me walking on the street and riding stuff, drinking stuff. (He laughs) So, they teach me a lot about Danny's life because this guy is very violent in the beginning, and they sort of move to bring me back. That's the balance, I want to say. Some people say I only know martial arts and practice. In a way, this is no different than with an animal. More powerful though is love and family. This is safe to Danny, and that's the whole idea.
Martial Edge: Your character Danny [who, since he was a child, has been held captive and trained to fight whenever his collar is removed] is just crazed when the collar is removed. The camera really gets close in on your eyes. How did you go about establishing his movements?
Jet Li: First of all, I think Luc found a wonderful acting coach from London. She [is] a wonderful advisor. She flew over here and worked with me two months before the shooting. First we need to study how to do this. And so she often tell me I need to forget who I am and mentally and put myself in the place of being eight to ten years old. I had to make myself empty and build it back. We spent a few weeks just to make myself empty, and we find different ways. One way was to put a mask on myself and do something crazy, crazy stuff home. (He laughs) And we studied how dogs react. We study a lot of different kind of dogs. We went to the, how do you say? Dog pound. We try to build up Danny's world.
Martial Edge: And you then brought the character to Woo-Ping?
Jet Li: Yes, when we build up Danny's world, that is what I tell Woo-Ping. I say, "Danny is this kind of person. How [does] he think?" So, what kind of martial arts can we use to help him? You know, different personalities use different kind of martial arts. Usually there is a bad guy style and a cop has a copy style. And I have usually a Jet Li style with my moves. But this time we try to do it just like a dog in the beginning. They really use their eyes to show their emotion with their barking. So when they fight they are very concentrated and simple. They go at you and punch, punch, punch, punch until he feel safe and then he go on to the second one. That is the martial art design for Danny. When the collar on, we try to make Danny's action [like] a puppy. But when the collar off, he's very wild. People like to see me wild. (He laughs)
Martial Edge: Do you think that's why [for America] they changed the title [from Danny the Dog in Europe ] to Unleashed? I mean, do you think they could have still released it here in America as Danny the Dog and people would still go see it, instead of thinking your audience is going to bank on the title alone? Do you fell the really had to make it as Jet Li is "Unleashed"?
Jet Li: In Europe they still use Danny the Dog, but in the States they say, it doesn't work, that title, because they afraid maybe Danny the Dog is Disney movie. You know, Danny the Dog as a family Disney movie. (He laughs). So that's why the still want to keep the action fans to see the movie. So they say Unleashed. So, but what is important is when the hardcore fans see this film, they get what they want to see. They get Jet Li, but they get more than that. There really is more than that, and that's the fun.
Martial Edge: You've said before that the reason why you move forward in your career and in your life is that you're not at all afraid. You're just truly happy. With Danny, who is a very feeling and emotive character, did you have any inhibitions about portraying those aspects?
Jet Li: Really, no. I [am] just not afraid. I believe love is most powerful over fighting. Just love is most powerful. There is something cooler than action. What is cooler than martial arts is love. And when I became a Buddhist I have no fear. Because I'm a Buddhist, I understand the universe. I've learned the universe, how it works; human life, how it works. Whether you're a rich man or you're a poor man, you're born and you're going to die. From that day, you have already started to die, so that is the journey. And whether you will become nothing or you will become very famous one minute you are famous and then it can go down to nothing. What means famous? It can be nothing. From younger it goes to older and everybody goes through the journey. There is nothing to be afraid. The number is from zero to one hundred, it is always there. (He laughs) So, just one moment. Every day you try, in that moment, to do your best, because you cannot control the result. We are just a lot of beautiful material put together and we know that only good things are coming, but the decision for good is in this moment.
Martial Edge: You are a Tibetan Buddhist?
Jet Li: Yes. I learn all kinds but mostly Tibetan. One of my masters is Tibetan and one is Zen.
Martial Edge: Do you spend a lot of time in meditation?
Jet Li: Yes, every day.
Martial Edge: How much time? Once or twice a day?
Jet Li: Really I would say, wherever I go, whenever I take the car somewhere or I get some coffee, I meditate every day. The longest I took was ten days in New York City in a temple. Ten days every morning from ten o'clock until ten o'clock at night, silent for ten days sleeping on the floor with a hundred people. (He laughs)
Martial Edge: When you're preparing, how can you concentrate on doing the best right now?
Jet Li: Strongly is your philosophy. You understand life. So, then you're not afraid how this look. A lot of lawyers and managers say, "You want to take this movie? It doesn't work. No studio want to pay you money. Nobody want to make this movie, and that is it, I don't care, nothing." But look, I say, "Maybe we do this movie until the end of the day where I get paid zero, nothing." They say, "OK, fine. We will do it." So, until today I got zero pay. But if I do a commercial action film? Two years ago I got a lot of a million dollars. (He laughs) A lot of numbers to put in the bank already. So, I don't care. I want to do something I believed to do. Here, nobody wanted to make this movie. I go to Europe. To some friends of mine I say, "Will you help me do this? Will you help me make this movie to come out?" And they say, "Let him go. Let him believe."
Martial Edge: Ironically, unlike a Buddhist, Hollywood has a lot of concern for the past and the future.
Jet Li: (He laughs) Yes. And I as a Buddhist am always think to try to be my best now. I do not much think about that past and I can't too much of the future because I can not control it. For this movie, this Friday, we don't know the result. So, but I tell myself, I already tried and I have proved I do my best during the shooting. After that, there is a loss of control. Maybe somebody like it this percentage and maybe somebody like it this other percentage a little. I don't know. There are a lot of things you don't know. Even if you want to go in this direction, the other people, they go in that direction. So, the result will come out automatically. So, you do your best and there is nothing to be afraid
Martial Edge: One of the nice surprises in Unleashed is the presence of Kerry Condon. She's the one who really helps Danny find his new life, as it were. How did you guys find Kerry?
Jet Li: I think that Luc had a very good vision, a very good eye, so that's why [he found] the right girl, actress, from Ireland acting on the stage. And what she bring to this part: she is very genuine. She is in life that kind of person. Shooting or not shooting, she is just, "Hi, are you happy!?" (He laughs) Without her, I don't know what we do. She [is] so very wonderful and genuine.
Martial Edge: She really comes across on the screen. When she's there, it gives the movie a feeling of fun.
Jet Li: Yes. We didn't talk a lot behind the scenes when we weren't working. We did so because with our characters we didn't want to feel very close. I didn't want to feel very close to her. We decided this. Because when it is too close, and then when it goes to being on screen you're suddenly pretending. (He laughs) We just keep it original with us. We just didn't talk off screen. But on screen, everything was just for the first time. When I have ice cream, when we laugh it is so real, and just real feeling of meeting her comes out. The truth of her heart comes out.
Interviews 
A brilliant performer in the league of 
Jet Li: In the hall fight, we thought of that on the set and it work so very well. It was so very close to fight there. We were very, very specific in all of our moves and choreography. The first big difference in all is we have a different choreographer, and that always make things different no matter what. For Hero we had three good guys. But for [Unleashed] I just call Woo-Ping to ask him to do it because he know how to do it. The martial arts you use in the film is the best way to help the story and the character. In the beginning Danny just fights like an animal, but when he grows up and when he understands a little bit of life and his character, he gains control of his body and knows he doesn't want to hurt people. 
worked with me two months before the shooting. First we need to study how to do this. And so she often tell me I need to forget who I am and mentally and put myself in the place of being eight to ten years old. I had to make myself empty and build it back. We spent a few weeks just to make myself empty, and we find different ways. One way was to put a mask on myself and do something crazy, crazy stuff home. (He laughs) And we studied how dogs react. We study a lot of different kind of dogs. We went to the, how do you say? Dog pound. We try to build up Danny's world. 
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