Talking With Michael Angarano

by Fibe Ma and Katharine Schroeder

Nineteen year-old New York native Michael Angarano is Jackie’s co-star in The Forbidden Kingdom, which is currently filming in China. Michael has a long list of television and film credits and has been acting since the age of five. We caught up with him on the set of The Forbidden Kingdom and talked to him about his experience working with Jackie:
 
Q:  When you found out you were going to be working with Jackie, did you have any preconceived ideas about what it would be like?
 
MICHAEL:  Well, I knew he was going to be a fun guy to be around because I’ve seen all the movies he does and I knew it was going to be great. But I didn’t know what kind of relationship I was going to have with him. Put it this way, I wasn’t sure how he was going to see me or think of me. But now we’ve gone through the shooting and spent those long nights together, I think we’ve gotten to like each other on a more personal level.
 
Q:  So you’re having fun working with Jackie?
 
MICHAEL:  Oh yeah!  And his whole crew too.  Everyone is really nice. It’s like a big family.
 
Q:  Tell us about the stunts in this movie.
 
MICHAEL:  Well, I want to take advantage of the fact that I’m able to – or at least I think I’m able to -  do most of the stunts and there’s really no reason for me not to do them. I won’t do it if it’s something that’s out of my league as far as technique, especially with martial arts, but for the most part I’m trying to learn everything I can.
 
Q:  Have you ever done action before?
 
MICHAEL:  I’ve done action, but not really to this extent.
 
Q:  Did you ride a horse for this film?
 
MICHAEL:  Yes. This was my first time riding.
 
Q:  Were you scared?
 
MICHAEL:  Well, we had horse training for like a week, but….a week when you’ve never been on a horse before…. (laughs)  and I’m from Brooklyn. I’m not from horse country. But on my very first take I was pretty scared. It was a gallop too. A full-fledged gallop with only one hand. I tried not to be scared. The thing is, I trust everybody and if they didn’t think I could do it, I don’t think they would put me in that position.
 
Q:  Well, you know that Jackie completely trusts his stunt team.
 
MICHAEL:  Well, it’s the stunt team that really knows if you’re able to do it physically. If your knees are getting tired or if you’re not thinking about it the right way, you know they’re the guys who know what you’re going through physically. They’re the guys who are looking out for you the most.
 
Q:  Did you ever study martial arts before?
 
MICHAEL: No, but I always wanted to.
 
Q:  Do you think you’ll study martial arts after this film?
 
MICHAEL:  Oh definitely!  Well, I was with Woo Ping only two weeks before we started but wow! It’s so much fun. I’m the most flexible I’ve ever been, that’s for sure. 
 
Q:  Well, we know you’re busy, so thanks for taking some time to talk with us.
 
MICHAEL:  You’re welcome! Any time.
 
You can read more about Michael Angarano at his official website here. Check JackieChan.com at a later date to see photos of Michael on the set of the movie. (No Forbidden Kingdom photos are being released yet.)

Text and photos ©2007 The JC Group. All Rights Reserved.