I’d seen Grandmaster Chiu Chi Ling in Steven Chow’s masterpiece “Kung Fu Hustle.” Chiu was hilarious as The Tailor, who doesn’t seem like much of a warrior until he flies the brass rings from his clothes-rack onto his muscular forearms.

But I had no idea how to find him, or if he spoke any English, until I discovered he was teaching Hung Gar Kung Fu in Northern California. He sent me a very formal audition tape, in which it seemed like he had no idea I was actually making a comedy about air-drumming, so I went up to visit with him and clarify. He made me tea at his home, and we did our best to communicate. When I finally tried to ask if he knew this was a comedy about air-drumming, and not a serious kung fu film, he stood up and air-drummed for me, laughing.

He is a warm, loving, lovable guy, and I loved getting him to beat up Tim & Eric with an apron as a bonus scene. A few years after making the movie, he even did an improvised air-drum-kung-fu dance performance with me to Steely Dan’s “Aja,” with drumming by the invincible Steve Gadd.