I am a big fan of Jet Li. That fact is not lessened by his decision to turn down the part of Seriph in The Matrix or the lead in CR,HD. Why would he turn down such roles..?
But there was a reason why I couldn’t do Crouching Tiger, and it dates back to ten years ago.
When I first met Nina in 1989, on the set of Dragon Fight, we fell in love right away. Our feelings for each other were very strong. People wondered how long it would last.
We wondered about this as well. One day, when we were talking, I said to Nina: “Let’s not rush into anything. What I mean is, if we still feel this way about each other ten years from now, I think we should get married then.”
And she replied: “Alright. If you ask me then, I promise that the answer will be yes.”
“Well, if that’s the case,” I said, “then let me make another promise to you. If we ever decide to start a family, I will take a break from my career. Through every month of your pregnancy I give my word that I will not make any movies, until the child is born. I plan to be by your side the whole time.” It was a man’s promise.