Rush Hour cast: Here's where Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker are now

Jackie Chan (Inspector Lee)

When it comes to comedic timing, Jackie Chan really packs a punch. Known for doing a majority of his own stunts, he seamlessly blends physical comedy with inventive martial arts choreography. As Inspector Lee, he became an international star when teamed up with the boisterous Chris Tucker to crack the case — as well as some jokes.

Already an established actor in Asian and European markets, Chan first started gaining attention in North America with the release of Rumble in the Bronx (1995). This film caught the eye of director Brett Ratner, inspiring him to cast Chan as the lead in Rush Hour and making him a household name worldwide. Chan continued the series with Rush Hour 2 (2001) and Rush Hour 3 (2007).

"Every time I call Chris, he is on the beach," Chan told Entertainment Weekly ahead of the release of Rush Hour 3. "He says, 'Jackie, I love you, but I am so tired. I am still tired from the last movie.' I say back to him, 'How can you be tired? It was so many years ago and I am the one who is old.'"

Chan found similar success when teaming up with Owen Wilson for Shanghai Noon (2000) and its sequel Shanghai Knights (2003). He continued starring in many films across the globe for Asian markets as well as American audiences, like Around The World in 80 Days (2004), The Spy Next Door (2010), and the voice of Master Monkey in the Kung Fu Panda movies. 

He showed off his dramatic acting chops in the 2010 remake of 1984's The Karate Kid with Jaden Smith. He started doing less stunt work as it took a toll on his body, but Chan continued his extensive industry career as a producer, director, and occasional actor. Audiences got a taste of his vocal skills in Rush Hour with Edwin Starr’s "War," but Chan is also an accomplished singer. He's released more than 20 albums in multiple languages and has even sung the theme songs to some of his films. In 2002, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and immortalized his hand and footprints at the TCL Chinese Theatre (formerly Grauman's Chinese Theatre) in 2013. He held the Guinness World Record for most credits in one movie for 2012’s Chinese Zodiac and also for most stunts by a living actor.

In addition to acting, he's been involved in multiple film production companies, movie theaters, restaurants, philanthropic causes, and even racing teams. Animated action fans can check out Chan's more recent voice-over work as the voice of Splinter in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) and Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024).

Chan is married to Joan Lin, with whom he shares a son, Jaycee Chan. He also fathered a daughter, Etta Ng Chok Lam, with Elaine Ng Yi-Lei.

Chris Tucker (James Carter)

The fast-talking comedian Chris Tucker is known for his signature loquacious speed, so it’s no wonder Jackie Chan had trouble understanding him. Initially appearing several times on HBO's Def Comedy Jam, Tucker's big-screen debut came about in 1994 with House Party 3. He soon gained even more notoriety by costarring with Ice Cube as Smokey in the stoner comedy Friday (1995) and rose to interstellar prominence as the iconic radio host Ruby Rhod in 1997's The Fifth Element. Later that year, he first paired with director Brett Ratner in the film Money Talks before teaming up again in 1998 for Rush Hour and the subsequent sequels Rush Hour 2 and Rush Hour 3. 

At the time of the Rush Hour franchise, Tucker was one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, which left him feeling like he had hit a ceiling. He then chose to take a step back from acting for several years but continued doing comedy, traveled the world, and explored humanitarian causes. He made brief returns to Hollywood with small roles in Silver Linings Playbook (2012) and Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (2016). Tucker broke a seven-year hiatus with his appearance as Nike exec Howard White in Ben Affleck's movie Air (2023) — a role he helped develop since he was already friends with White due to their connection with the Chris Tucker Foundation's annual celebrity golf tournament fundraiser. 

Tucker still does comedy on the road, but when the Los Angeles Times asked him why he chooses not to work in movies more often, he said: "I'm a perfectionist. I get bored doing something just for the money. It's not fun. I want to be all the way into something. I want to work with great writers and producers and scripts. It comes down to working with creative people who are willing to let you do your thing. I like to have things tailor-made for me. The Rush Hour movies were tailor-made for where I was at the time. But now I'm going to be producing and writing more of my stuff." In an interview with Classix 102.9 ATL, he also expressed interest in writing a book about his experiences and joked that he would play himself in a movie about his life.

Tucker and his ex-wife Azja Pryor have a son named Destin who is following in his father's footsteps and graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta in 2021 where he studied film.

Tom Wilkinson (Thomas Griffin/Juntao)

Renowned British actor on stage and screens, Tom Wilkinson (spoiler) played the secret villain in Rush Hour who kidnaps the Chinese Consul's daughter and leads a notorious crime syndicate.

Wilkinson displayed his acting talents with the surprise British smash The Full Monty (1997) for which he won a BAFTA award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. After Rush Hour, he appeared in a variety of well-received films, including Shakespeare in Love (1998), Girl With a Pearl Earring (2003), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Batman Begins (2005), and The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014).

The actor explained to Contactmusic in 2009 that he didn't sign on to more commercial movies like Rush Hour for the money. "For me at least, there's only one shot you have at a movie, and that's your best shot. If you can't give it that, don't go," he said. "They're paying you! You gotta do a job for them. They don't want somebody strutting around on the set going, 'I'd rather be somewhere else.'"

He earned his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor in 2001's In the Bedroom and Best Supporting Actor for Michael Clayton in 2007. As for television, he won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for playing Benjamin Franklin in the 2008 HBO miniseries John Adams. No stranger to political programming, he received another Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. in 2011's The Kennedys. Wilkinson and his wife, actress Diana Hardcastle, also played husband and wife onscreen in the miniseries.

Wilkinson died in 2023 at age 75, survived by his wife and their two daughters, Alice and Molly. In a full circle moment, his last onscreen appearance was reprising his role as Gerald in the 2023 sequel miniseries The Full Monty.

Ken Leung (Sang)

Every great villain has an evil right-hand man, but, in Rush Hour, Ken Leung's Sang is more of an evil ambidextrous man. This henchman puts up one hell of a fight and serves as a formidable foe against both Chan and Tucker.

Born in New York City, Leung eventually caught the acting bug while at NYU. Though his first film was Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995), Rush Hour is the movie that gave him a jump-start. When asked how the film shaped the direction of his career, he told Asia Society: "Well, for one, people thought I was a martial artist from Hong Kong. I would say the most significant impact it had on my career was orienting me to the industry in terms of confidence. Brett Ratner was disarmingly relaxed and trusting, which gave me confidence that I'm sure impacted future relationships and situations." This relationship led to three more collaborations with director Ratner in the films The Family Man (2000), Red Dragon (2002), and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006).

Beyond the silver screen, he made his Broadway debut in Thoroughly Modern Millie as part of the original 2002 cast. His television career notably included roles on The Sopranos, Lost, and HBO's financial series Industry. He also cut into the horror scene in 2004's Saw and M. Night Shyamalan's Old (2021). He played a brief role as Admiral Statura in Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens (2015) alongside Carrie Fisher. He can be seen as Commander Zhao of the Fire Nation in the live-action Netflix adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Leung has been married to Nancy Bulalacao since 2005, with whom he has a son. In 2019, Leung mourned the loss of his brother who drowned in Thailand. The actor spent two years writing an essay to his son about the hardship of this experience, which was published by GQ.

Tzi Ma (Consul Solon Han)

Chinese consul Solon Han moves from Hong Kong to Los Angeles, only to have his daughter kidnapped and his world turned upside down. Luckily Tzi Ma's own journey from Hong Kong to Staten Island was not as harrowing. The youngest of seven children, he worked at his family-owned restaurant in the '70s.

With a career spanning more than four decades, Ma's first film role came with the 1979 drama Cocaine Cowboys with Jack Palance and Andy Warhol. He ramped up his résumé with action flicks like RoboCop 2 (1990) and disaster movie Dante's Peak (1997) before his role in Rush Hour. After joining Michael Caine in The Quiet American (2002), he worked with the Coen brothers in the 2004 remake of The Ladykillers. The year 2007 brought a reunion with Ratner, Tucker, and Chan when Ma returned for Rush Hour 3. 

Ma's film work continued with Arrival (2016), The Farewell (2019) with Awkwafina, Netflix's Tigertail (2020), and the live-action Disney remake of Mulan (2020), Believer 2 (2023), and Five Blind Dates (2024). He's no stranger to the small screen either, appearing in everything from The Cosby Show to 24 to American Dad. Ma joined a reimagining of the 1970s series Kung Fu for the CW in 2021, which ran for three seasons and notably featured a cast of primarily Asian American actors.

Ma has been married to actress Christina Ma since 1994.

Julia Hsu (Soo Yung)

Making her feature film debut at age 11, Julia Hsu plays Soo Yung, the abducted daughter of Han. She shows she's no easy prey, having learned how to throw a punch or two from Jackie Chan's Lee. Though audiences certainly enjoyed this damsel distressing her drivers by singing Mariah Carey's "Fantasy" in the film, she did not grow up to be a singer.

After Rush Hour, Hsu only filmed an independent short called Three Exits (2001) before retiring from acting. Though Soo Yung returned for Rush Hour 3, Hsu did not, with Zhang Jingchu taking over the role. Meanwhile, Hsu attended the University of Southern California in her hometown of Los Angeles. There, she studied business administration and then moved on to work in HR for companies like Hulu and Snapchat. 

Elizabeth Peña (Det. Tania Johnson)

Bomb squad technician Tania Johnson has a short fuse but a caring spark in her eye. Elizabeth Peña's Tania shared the screen with LAPD frenemy Carter, pushing his buttons and really setting him off. Born in New Jersey, her family lived in Cuba until returning to the States and attending High School of the Performing Arts in Manhattan with classmate Ving Rhames. Her film career began in 1979 with El Super and continued with Down & Out in Beverly Hills (1986), La Bamba (1987), and psychological horror Jacob's Ladder (1990).

Her career continued with Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995) and Lone Star (1996) before joining the cast of Rush Hour. During an interview with Bobbie Wygant, Peña discussed her surprise at how much she enjoyed switching gears to a new-to-her genre: "I've never done an action picture and I normally don't go see action pictures; and I went to see this movie and I was blown away by the fact that I thought it was hysterically funny." Peña joked, "There was so much testosterone on the set I would go home and shave at the end of the day."

Peña's signature smoky vocal talents can be heard in The Incredibles (2004) as the voice of Mirage, and she had a memorable role on Modern Family as Gloria's mother. She starred in and directed an episode of Resurrection Blvd, earning her spot as the fourth Latina to join the Directors Guild of America.

Peña died in 2014 at age 55, leaving behind her husband Hans; two children, Fiona and Kaelan; and a career that spanned nearly four decades.

Rex Linn (FBI Agent Dan Whitney)

FBI Agent Dan Whitney ends up with his mustache in a twist when his plan to get rid of Lee and Carter spectacularly backfires. Before tackling crime in Rush Hour, he climbed the ranks in guest spots on TV until a notable role in the movie Cliffhanger (1993).

Often playing a man in uniform throughout his career, he was a natural fit for Rush Hour. In a 2020 interview with Rich Eisen, Linn described the film as "One of my favorites." Rex recounted a scene featured in the outtakes where Tucker kept flubbing his line about Chelsea Clinton, "About 13 takes later, he says it right...I completely vapor-locked. I told him I didn't know what my line was." He continued, " We started laughing, so it was that every day on that movie."

Linn's longest stint with a badge was as Det. Frank Tripp on CSI: Miami from 2003 to 2012. He's also had successful runs on Better Call Saul and Young Sheldon.

Linn has been dating actress/singer Reba McEntire since 2020. The pair met in 1991 on the set of The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw but kept in touch over the years until their romance ignited. They played spouses on the show Big Sky and continued working together on Reba McEntire's The Hammer (2023).

Mark Rolston (FBI Agent Warren Russ)

It seems that acting was in Mark Rolston's blood — and it's quite often blue. In addition to playing Special Agent Warren Russ in Rush Hour, his commanding prowess frequently had him portraying a man of the law throughout his expansive career.

He first gained recognition in Aliens (1986) as Private Drake and then as Hans in Lethal Weapon 2 (1989). Rolston first crossed paths with Tzi Ma for RoboCop 2, but, oddly enough, years prior, he dubbed the American voice for Jackie Chan's early films like Drunken Master (1978).

"Jackie Chan is the gentleman of all gentlemen," Rolston told City Pulse. "He's a legend! He's extraordinary to watch. Even if I wasn't on-set that day, I'd go watch this guy. It's extraordinary. He's a human cat. He can climb up s---, latch onto stuff. He's nimble, malleable. It's unbelievable what this guy can do."

High-profile hits like The Shawshank Redemption (1994) and The Departed (2006) have showcased his big-screen talent. Rolston has also proven to be a prolific voice actor for animation and video games, often playing villains like Lex Luthor. He rejoined former Rush Hour castmate Rex Linn on CSI: Miami for several episodes and has also appeared in various iterations of Star Trek. Star Wars fans can also catch him as Captain Hale on Ahsoka.

Rolston has one child with his ex-wife and actress Sally Hughes and three children with his current wife Georgina O'Farrill. He keeps active on social media and fans can follow his food blogging and cat pics on Instagram.

Philip Baker Hall (Capt. Bill Diel)

In the '90s, the LAPD were arguably the most hated cops in America. Philip Baker Hall's gruff Captain Diel took out all that hate on Carter by pranking him with an imposter promotion. Known for his gravitas and gravelly voice, Hall's distinctive characters kept him acting for half a century, though he didn't start until he was in his 30s. Beginning his career with theater in Los Angeles, his film debut came in 1970's Cowards, which screened at Cannes.

Playing a cop in Rush Hour wasn't his first time sporting a badge. He's known for his hilarious deadpan portrayal of Lt. Joe Bookman, the "library cop" on episodes of Seinfeld. After that chapter closed, many doors opened for him.

Hall snagged numerous guest roles on TV where he met Paul Thomas Anderson. The two then often collaborated in films like Hard Eight (1996), for which he got an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Male Lead. Teaming up again for Boogie Nights (1997) and Magnolia (1999), Hall earned two SAG Award nominations for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture. His other iconic appearances in cinema include Say Anything (1989), Ghostbusters II (1989), and The Truman Show (1998).

After the success of Rush Hour, he filmed scenes for the sequel that ended up getting cut and is uncredited for the third film. "The first one was definitely fun," Hall recalled to The A.V. Club. "That’s a fun scene I had in that one, and I enjoyed that."

On June 12, 2022, Hall died of emphysema at age 90, having never retired from acting. He is survived by two daughters, Patricia and Darcy, with his first wife, Mary-Ella Holst. In 1981, he married Holly Wolfle and had two more daughters, Adella and Anna, as well as four grandchildren.