Brett Ratner

The Rush Hour 3 director talks to The Advocate about his latest blockbuster and why people think he is a bear.

Brett Ratner is

everywhere right now. With exposure including a

multipage spread earlier this year in Vanity

Fair--where he is a contributing photographer--and

special features in industry standard Variety,

the prolific director has charmed his way onto

Tinseltown's A-List.

With his first

seven films, including the Rush Hour franchise and

X-Men: The Last Stand, netting roughly

$1 billion, Ratner is one of Hollywood's most bankable

directors. The 37-year-old—who has romanced such

women as supermodel Naomi Campbell and Rebecca

Gayheart—is also among its most in-demand

socially.

As Ratner sits

down to discuss Rush Hour 3, which heads to

theatres August 10, he is full of questions. While he

sings praises for series stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker,

Ratner gets an education in gay lingo and makes a

shocking revelation.

Ratner: So, during my last gay interview, the

guy was on the Internet and said, “I'm looking at you

right now, and you're a bear.” What's a bear?

The Advocate: For starters, it means you're hairy. There's no hair on my ass. I have no hair on my

balls. So why am I a bear?

Is there hair on your chest? [Pulls down his collar] A little bit, but

barely. Look at my legs! [Pulls up his pant

leg] Look at my legs. I'm not a hairy "bear." I don't

even have hair on my back!

Maybe you're a "cub"? Like a teddy bear?

The term "cub" implies you're younger, you're fuzzy. So they'd like me in prison?

Maybe? I've never been to prison. Are there bear bars?

Oh, definitely. And only bears go in there? Hmm. I'll have to

check it out. [Laughing]

The author, Paul Pratt, and Brett Ratner

So what brings you back to the Rush Hour series? I love Jackie and Chris. They're my friends.

I've known them for years and years and years. They're

a great comedic duo. There are very few of them that

exist in the history of film. The combination of Jackie's

physical comedy and Chris's verbal comedy, it's just an

amazing combination. I love making these movies.

They're fun.

Rush Hour 3 follows a trend in action films. Being gay has

increasingly become a punch line. It happens several

times in this film. Which ones? Where? I don't remember.

What about when the girl takes off her wig and

Chris Tucker becomes angry and accuses her of being a man? No, no! That's from my personal experience. My

first blow job was from a man, but I didn't know it

was a man. That's where that comes from. It's based on

personal experience. It happens to a lot of people.

Is that common knowledge? No! Well, among my friends, but I'm not

homophobic or uptight about it. That happens to a lot

of heterosexuals. You meet a girl in a bar, and it

turns out she's not a girl. I think a girl should tell you

if she's a girl or a man--that way it's your

preference. It's comedy. Look, in this movie we don't

pull any punches. We make fun of black people. We make fun

of Chinese people. We make fun of French people. We make fun

of gay situations. We make fun of whites. It doesn't

matter. It's the type of movie it is. It's a

fish-out-of-water comedy. You have to have those types

of situations to have the comedy. That specific idea was

because it's happened to me. It's happened to my

friends. We'll get together with a girl, and it'll

turn out to be a guy. The reaction is “Oh,

shit!” if you're not gay, which is funny, I

think. Getting into the situation is funny. I laugh

whenever I see one of my friends talking to a girl, and

I'll ask, “Is that a man or a woman?” It's

funny, especially if you don't know about it. If you

know about it, fine. If that's your preference…

I never expected that answer. I know! I know. I'm too good an interview. Did

you expect me to challenge you?

Let's do some word association. I'll name people

you've worked with or know. You tell me the first thing

that comes to mind. Madonna. Gay. [Both laugh] No. Madonna? Brilliant!

Britney Spears. I haven't worked with her…but I'd like

to. [Giggle]

Why? Because she's hot? No, just because she's complex. She's talented.

I like her music. I think she's good. I think she's a

little lost and confused right now, but she's good.

Naomi Campbell. Nuts. [Giggle]

In a good way or a bad way? Good way. I like nutty people. Who else?

Roman Polanski? [He plays a cop that gives Chris

and Jackie a body cavity search in Rush Hour 3.] Legend! I mean, he's my hero. The guy is

like…He's a fan of Rush Hour. That's how I got

him to be in it. We're friends, but we met because he

saw Rush Hour and loved it. Then we became

friends. I asked him to be in the movie, and he said,

"OK, you'd better write a sequel." I called to tell

people, and they said “Roman Polanski is not going to

be in this movie.” I said, "Yes, he is," but

they didn't get it. You don't like the finger up the

butt? Is that the gay thing you mentioned?

That's one of the things. But that feels good sometimes!