Celebrity Parade With Jeanne Wolf

Apr. 18, 2008 — -- Jackie Chan

"Forbidden Kingdom" brings you kung fu with the stars. For the first time, the masters of big screen kicking and punching - Jackie Chan and Jet Li - face off. And it was a love fest, even during the fight scenes. Jackie tells Parade, "Jet and I just went at it. We moved so fast, the director said he was afraid he'd have to re-shoot in slow motion." Which martial artist was the best? Jackie just smiles.

Chan admits that in spite of his world-wide success, he's still not exactly a famous face in Hollywood. "I have a lot of money," he says. "I go to the watch company, and I buy seven diamond watches, all cash. I buy a Porsche and a Ferrari in one day. I buy everything. I'm the king. I come to America, and this reporter asks me, 'What's your name?' "Jackie Chan." 'Jackie who?' "Jackie Chan." 'Oh, that's like Bruce Lee?'"

Even though he's been injured many times doing stunts, Chan probably won't stop taking chances in every film he does. "I just ask myself, when I stop - I don't know," he says. "Maybe I get another broken leg and then stop for six months. Then I think I totally will rest. But, I forget how old I am. I still am moving around. I have to teach people how to fight. And I'm moving around. I think that's what makes me young."

Kristen Bell

Kristen Bell is a hoot as a spoiled diva in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall." Kristen coldly dumps her boyfriend in the romantic comedy. In real life, she's gone through it herself. Kristen told Parade, "Anybody, who claims they've never been dumped, is lying." The tough scenes for Bell were the ones that are both sexy and silly. She says, "It was nerve wracking because I knew eventually my dad would be watching the movie."

As for playing a diva, Bell insists it wasn't type-casting. "I think that we played a lot with the stereotypes of an actress or an actor, truth be told," she says. "It's such a vanity driven profession that you can't deny that you get a little delusional about your place in the world. It's hard to keep your head screwed on straight. Even just me being an actress, I'll attest to that. People want to bring you lunch. And you forget, I can get my own lunch. And I can and I will because I'm independent."

Kristen loved filming on location in Hawaii, especially because she got a chance to surf for the first time. "I was so good at it," she says, "And I couldn't believe it. I'm not very athletic. I've always been so small that I just got dominated in any sport. I couldn't even hang with all the big kids. But surfing is a solo sport and based solely on balance and your perspective of the waves."

Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr. finally gets an action figure as the star of "Iron Man." Downey told Parade, "I knew I could play a comic book superhero. I kept saying to myself, 'When do I get my turn?'" Life is good for Downey who's on the straight and narrow after spending time in prison for abusing drugs. Robert says, "I finally saw the writing on the wall. There's nothing glamorous about nearly killing yourself. Drugs are a death machine."

Downey admits that one of his biggest losses during the years he was an addict was his 7-year relationship with Sarah Jessica Parker. "I was so selfish," he says. "I liked to drink and do drugs which was the furthest thing from what she is. She gave me a home and understanding. She tried to help and she was so miffed when I couldn't get my act together."As for his current marriage to film exec Susan Levin, Downey says, "Before I met her, I just didn't give a damn. What changed is that I cared. She's my life partner."

For more on famous faces, go to Parade.com.