In the June 1999 issue of Playboy, Samuel L. Jackson said: “There's still an element that wants to hold down the number of ethnic people in movies. When Rush Hour became a big hit, a lot of the white executives were saying “That Jackie Chan movie is going through the roof!” I'd ask “What Jackie Chan movie?” They'd say “Rush Hour” and I'd say “That's not a Jackie Chan movie. It's a Chris Tucker movie.” They'd say “No, Jackie Chan's really big in America.” I'd say “What the f**k are you talking about? The last two movies Jackie Chan released here didn't make $5 million. All of a sudden this opens at almost $20 million? Those are black people coming to see Chris Tucker.” They never even considered it. If they were to try doing Rush Hour II without Chris, they'd see how much they would make.”
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