Character Names In HK Modern Actioners

[Guest kungfusamurai]

I don't recall if this topic came up. What's up with the modern actioners from HK, where it seems like the characters have the same anglo names as the actors themselves? Is that because it's easier for the actors to acknowledge their adopted names? Or are the producers trying to blur the boundaries between the film characters and the actor by using their own names?

It's odd because you rarely see that in Hollywood or North America in general (TV, Film, etc...). Maybe one exception is Tony Danza, who's been in a series or two where his characters are named Tony.

KFS

[Guest moviegyrl]

I'm glad you brought this up! I find it entirely annoying that the American re-dubs of nearly all Jackie's '80s-'90s flicks use his own name for the character! The same thing was done with the U.K. dub of Jet's HIGH RISK. The character sported a uniform with the name, "Kit," embroidered on a pocket. Yet, he was called "Jet" in the dub! :x

I've come up with two possible reasons for the confusion:

1) Perhaps Jackie, for some strange reason, doesn't respond to his character's name, while he's dubbing a film in the studio >D -- albeit, many of his '80s flicks were dubbed by another guy (who also voiced his character in the Jackie cartoon).

OR...

2) The Hollywood think-tank stupidly believes that the American movie audience can't tell one Asian from another. :x So, they refer to the star character by the actor's own name. :rolleyes