Movies

‘Rush Hour 2’ Left Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan Naked on the Streets

Audiences couldn’t wait to see Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan reunite on ‘Rush Hour 2.’ But why did the stars find themselves left naked on the street during filming?

by Robert Yaniz Jr.

Published on March 23, 2022

2 min read

The Rush Hour movies made Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan one of the most popular big-screen pairings in years. The 1998 film combined Chan’s stuntwork with Tucker’s improv-heavy comedy to great success. Meshing these two elements together could have gone wrong and, in fact, threatened the production at times. But in the end, Rush Hour was a hit that kicked off a franchise. Imagine Chan and Tucker’s surprise with where Rush Hour 2 left them.

‘Rush Hour’ stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker grasp each other hands in a smiling pose — ‘Rush Hour’ stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker | Jeremy Bembaron/Sygma/Sygma

‘Rush Hour 2’ was one of the biggest box office hits of 2001

Released in August 2001, Rush Hour 2 proved to be a very different animal from the first one. Whereas the first film was something of a sleeper hit, the sequel — which marked the return of director Brett Ratner — carried a ton of expectations. Fans had discovered how well the unlikely pairing of Chan and Tucker worked. And so Rush Hour 2 became a runaway hit with $347 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.

The film picks up soon after the end of the first movie, with Lee (Chan) and Carter (Tucker) on vacation in Hong Kong. This time, Carter is the one out of place, just as Lee felt when he arrived in Los Angeles. But Rush Hour 2 doesn’t stay in Hong Kong long. The film is much more of a globe-trotting adventure than its predecessor. And that fact left Chan and Tucker in a very awkward position at one point during filming.

Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker were once left naked in Hong Kong

At first, Lee and Carter’s vacation goes off without a hitch. But before long, Lee gets caught up in a case involving the mysterious Ricky Tan (John Lone). And after Tan’s thugs attack them at a massage parlor, Lee and Carter are dumped — completely naked — on the streets of Hong Kong. In one shot, the two disgraced cops are left on the side of the road and eventually make their way back to police headquarters covering themselves with newspaper.

But it wasn’t just movie magic that made it look like Chan and Tucker were wandering the streets of Hong Kong undressed. In fact, the Rush Hour 2 production was unable to block the street off for filming. So they simply ran the cameras and had the actors run through the actually busy streets anyway. It isn’t the only thing Ratner shot guerrilla-style, as he also reportedly snuck the footage of Tucker’s Michael Jackson performance into the movie too.

Will Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker reunite for ‘Rush Hour 4’?

It’s safe to say Chan and Tucker went through a lot together on the set of the Rush Hour movies. The actor’s endured long shoots, fight choreography, and even — as it turns out — a naked sprint through Hong Kong. But after three hit movies, fans still aren’t satisfied. Could Chan and Tucker ever come back together to make Rush Hour 4?

Over the years, the potential for another chapter has popped up. And while the actors’ salaries would probably make Rush Hour 4 a costly endeavor, it’s not out of the realm of possibility. After all, both men have expressed their interest. And with nostalgia running rampant, dusting off this franchise after more than 15 years sounds likely.