By Tim Saunders on
Jackie Chan is going round the world for charity with two very special friends – a couple of toy pandas named Chan La and Chan Zy.
The action star was in London recently to promote his new film, The Karate Kid, and found the time to visit Build-a-Bear to select his two companions.
“Yesterday, my assistant Victoria told me about an idea that she had,” writes the star. "Since she started working with me, she’s had the opportunity to travel all over the world. So to make the journey more fun, she told me that she wanted to buy a small stuffed animal and take pictures with it all over the world. To me, it’s nothing exciting because I am in a different country everyday! I told her it was a very good idea, but what if we took it around the world and at the end, auction it for charity? Everybody loved this idea! But I’m scared that at the end, it will be hard for me to say goodbye.
“So first, I picked out two pandas. Victoria reminded me that we would have to bring TWO pandas all over the world with us – but that was okay with me because I don’t want the pandas to be lonely! I looked at many different bears but in the end, I chose the pandas because they speak to me. I feel a connection with them. I have already adopted two real pandas. Also I am in Kung Fu Panda! Plus it represents my country. No matter what, every time I see a panda on TV I like to laugh! I love pandas!”
Chan put two signed hearts in the bears, and began their world tour by posing for photos outside some of London’s greatest landmarks. And if you are wondering about what the bear’s names mean, just say them together – “La-Zy”.
“I am very happy about this project,” says Jackie. “I think for the future, I will put together a photo album with different country landmarks and every celebrity that the pandas have met. I can show you the photos of the landmarks, but the celebrity photos I will keep a secret. I will reveal the celebrity photos when I auction the two panda bears! I am also collecting flag pins from every country to put on the pandas’ clothes. How fun! Even some of my twitter followers say that they will make twitter accounts for my pandas! LA and ZY have already met Claire Forlani, Dougray Scott, Jaden Smith and Willow Smith. I wonder who else they will meet?”
To see photos and read Jackie’s full blog, click here.
Copyright © 2010 Look to the Stars
