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Wikipedia

Donnie Yen

September 22, 2023

In this Hong Kong name, the surname is Yen. In accordance with Hong Kong custom, the Western-style name is Donnie Yen and the Chinese-style name is Yen Chi-tan.

Donnie Yen Ji-dan[1][3] (Chinese: 甄子丹; born 27 July 1963) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, action director and politician.[4][5] He is regarded as one of Hong Kong's top action stars.[6]

Donnie Yen
甄子丹
Yen attending the Hong Kong Derby 2023 raceday as the "BMW Hong Kong Derby Ambassador" at the Sha Tin Racecourse on 19 March 2023
Member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
Assumed office
March 2023
Personal details
Born
Yen Chi-tan[1]

(1963-07-27) 27 July 1963 (age 60)
Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
CitizenshipHong Kong (1963–1974, 2009–present)
United States (1974–2010)[2][1]
Spouses
  • Leung Zing-ci
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1993; div. 1994)​
  • ​
    (m. 2003)​
Children3
Parents
Occupation
  • Actor
  • martial artist
  • action director and choreographer
  • film director
  • producer
AwardsFull list
Websitewww.donnieyen.asia
Martial arts career
Style
Chinese name
Chinese甄子丹

Yen is credited by many for contributing to the popularisation of Wing Chun in China.[7][8] He portrays Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man in the Ip Man film series, which has garnered box office success. He has also gained international recognition for playing Chirrut Îmwe in Rogue One (2016) and Xiang in XXX: Return of Xander Cage (2017), as well as Commander Tung in Mulan (2020) and Caine in John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023).

Early life Edit

Yen was born on 27 July 1963 in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. His mother, Bow-sim Mark, is a Fu Style Wudangquan (internal martial arts) and Tai Chi grandmaster, while his father, Klyster Yen (甄雲龍), was a newspaper editor.[9] When he was two years old, his family moved to Hong Kong and then to the United States, settling in Boston when he was 11.[10] He attended Newton North High School.[11]

His younger sister, Chris Yen, is also a martial artist and actress, and appeared in the 2007 film Adventures of Johnny Tao: Rock Around the Dragon.

At a young age, under the influence of his mother, Yen developed an interest in martial arts and began experimenting with various styles, including t'ai chi and other traditional Chinese martial arts.[12] At age 16, Yen began practising Wushu after his parents sent him to Beijing to train with the Beijing Wushu Team.[12]

When Yen decided to return to the United States, he made a side-trip to Hong Kong, where he met action choreographer Yuen Woo-ping.[12]

Yen also came from a family of musicians. His mother is a soprano, in addition to being a martial arts teacher in Boston, while his father is a violinist.[13] From a young age, he was taught by his parents to play musical instruments, including the piano.[14][15]

Career Edit

Beginnings to the 1990s Edit

Yen's first step into the film industry was when he landed his first starring role in the 1984 film Drunken Tai Chi.

After filming Drunken Tai Chi and Tiger Cage (1988), Yen made his breakthrough role as General Nap-lan in Once Upon a Time in China II (1992), which included a fight scene between his character and Wong Fei-hung (played by Jet Li).[12] Yen had a starring role in the film Iron Monkey in 1993. Yen and Li appeared together again in the 2002 film Hero, where Yen played a spear (or qiang) fighter who fought with Li's character, an unnamed swordsman.[12] The film was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2003 Academy Awards.

In 1995, Yen starred as Chen Zhen in the television series Fist of Fury produced by ATV, which is adapted from the 1972 film of the same title that starred Bruce Lee as Chen Zhen. Yen later reprised his role as Chen Zhen in the 2010 film Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen by replacing Jet Li who starred as Chen Zhen in the prequel film Fist of Legend, which was released in 1994.

In 1997, Yen started the production company Bullet Films, and made his directorial debut[16] in Legend of the Wolf (1997) and Ballistic Kiss (1998), in which he played the lead character. At age 34, Yen almost went bankrupt. Films produced by his own production company and directed by him were critically acclaimed but did not do well at the box office. Yen was forced to borrow money from loan sharks and his production crew to get by.

2000s: Breakthrough success Edit

Yen later went back to the United States, where he was invited to choreograph fight scenes in Hollywood films, such as Highlander: Endgame (2000) and Blade II (2002). His choreography and skills impressed the directors, and they invited him for cameo appearances in both movies.[17]

In 2002, Jet Li was filming the movie Hero and insisted to the director (Zhang Yimou) that he wanted Yen to play the role of Sky, his adversary, due to Yen's martial arts ability. Li personally invited Yen back from Hollywood to star in the movie, marking the second time the two actors appeared onscreen together since Once Upon a Time in China II ten years earlier.[18] In 2003, Yen played one of the antagonists against Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson in Shanghai Knights.

 
Yen in Seoul in 2005

Yen choreographed most of the fight animation in the 2004 video game Onimusha 3, which featured actors Takeshi Kaneshiro and Jean Reno. Yen continued to be active in Hong Kong cinema in the 2000s, starring as Chu Zhaonan in Tsui Hark's wuxia epic film Seven Swords, and as Ma Kwun in Wilson Yip's brutal crime drama film SPL: Sha Po Lang in 2005. Both films were featured at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival. Later that year, Yen co-starred with Nicholas Tse and Shawn Yue in Wilson Yip's Dragon Tiger Gate, an adaptation of Wong Yuk-long's manhua series Oriental Heroes. Yen also worked as action choreographer in Stormbreaker, starring Alex Pettyfer. Yen continued to work with Wilson Yip in Flash Point (2007), in which he starred as the lead character and served as producer and action choreographer for the film. He won the award for Best Action Choreography at the Golden Horse Film Awards and the Hong Kong Film Awards for his performance in Flash Point.

In 2008, Yen starred in Ip Man, a semi-biographical account of Ip Man, the Wing Chun master of Bruce Lee. Ip Man marked Yen's fourth collaboration with director Wilson Yip, reuniting him with his co-stars in SPL: Sha Po Lang, Sammo Hung and Simon Yam. Ip Man became the biggest box office hit to date featuring Yen in the leading role, grossing HK$25 million in Hong Kong and 100 million yuan in China.[19][20]

From 2010 to 2015 Edit

In 2010, Ip Man 2 was released. Similar to the first movie, it was directed by Wilson Yip.

In August 2011, while Yen was on a vacation with his family in the United States, he reportedly received an invitation by producer Avi Lerner to star in The Expendables 2. It was stated that Yen was considering the offer, had many films at hand, and would wait until deciding whether the script appealed to him.[21] Later on, Yen revealed to the Hong Kong media that he had rejected the role.[22]

In 2011, Yen revealed that he was venturing into other genres of movies and had taken up two comedy roles in a row, in All's Well, Ends Well 2011 and All's Well, Ends Well 2012, and would be working with Carina Lau in the former and Sandra Ng in the latter. Both films obtained huge critical and box-office success and proved Yen's versatility as an actor.

Yen took a six-month break in the second half of 2011 after the filming of The Monkey King, where he portrayed the title character and main protagonist Sun Wukong, replacing Jet Li once again, in which the film was released during the Chinese New Year period in January 2014,[23][24] he explained that he wanted to spend more time with his family and be with his children more as they grew up.

 
Yen at the New York Film Festival in 2012

In 2012, Yen returned to the movie industry and commenced the filming of Special ID, in which he played the main lead, an undercover cop, and also took on the role of action choreographer. In 2013, it was reported that Yen would be playing the lead role for Iceman, a sci-fi action film dealing with time travel and which was filmed in 3D. Yen confirmed that MMA would be used in both of the aforementioned films.[25]

In February 2013, the Weinstein Company confirmed that it had purchased the rights to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon sequel and contacted Yen to play the male lead. In March 2013, Hong Kong magazines surfaced photos of Harvey and Bob Weinstein traveling to Hong Kong to meet with Yen and persuade him to accept the offer. It was reported that Yen was considering the role and quoted as saying, "The first is that my schedule this year is very packed. The second is that the first film is already such a classic. I am afraid of the pressure, that the original cannot be surpassed."[26]

In May 2013, during the annual Cannes Film Festival, the Weinstein Company announced that Yen would play the lead role of Silent Wolf in the Crouching Tiger sequel, titled Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny, alongside leading female action star Michelle Yeoh reprising her role as Yu Shu Lien, and with director Yuen Woo-ping, Yen's mentor. It was revealed that the movie would be filmed in both English and Mandarin to appeal to the international market.[27]

It was also revealed during the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon II press conference that the Weinstein Company had obtained rights to Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, was planning a remake and was negotiating with Yen, George Clooney, and Zhang Ziyi to star in the film.[28][29] Yen declined the offer due to scheduling conflicts for the filming of Ip Man 3.

Yen earned HK$220 million (US$28.4 million) from four films and six advertisements in 2013.[30]

In late March 2015, Ip Man 3 was announced. Yen reprised his role as the titular character, Bruce Lee's martial arts master, Ip Man. Retired boxer and former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson was confirmed to join the cast.[31] Yen mentioned that he was a big fan of Tyson, watched many of his professional boxing bouts, and was excited to work with him. Tyson stated during a press conference that he was a huge fan of Yen and has watched Ip Man and Ip Man 2 more than three times each and was honored to be invited for the final installment of the trilogy.[32]

Principal photography for Ip Man 3 began on March 25, 2015, and the finished movie was released in December 2015 in parts of Asia and around the world in early 2016 to generally favorable reviews.

From 2016 to 2019 Edit

 
Yen in February 2018

In 2016, Yen co-starred in the Star Wars anthology film Rogue One as Chirrut Îmwe, the Zatoichi-like blind transient warrior.[33] On February 12, 2016, it was confirmed that Yen would once again replace Jet Li for the third time as Xiang in the upcoming action film XXX: Return of Xander Cage (after Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen in 2010 and The Monkey King in 2014).[34][35][36][37]

For the promotion of XXX: Return of Xander Cage, Paramount focused marketing efforts on Yen in China and most parts of Asia, placing him at the front of the film posters ahead of Vin Diesel, and shared clips and reviews of Yen's performance in the movie on the popular Chinese social media site Weibo.[38] Paramount's efforts worked very well in China. The film was number one in its opening weekend with $61.9 million,[39] and crossed the $100 million mark in just six days with $22.2m coming from Valentine's Day alone after rave reviews praising Yen's performance swept through Chinese social media, driving moviegoers to the cinema.[40][41]

Yen's performance in both Rogue One and XXX: Return of Xander Cage received extremely positive responses from critics and general audiences. For XXX: Return of Xander Cage, many media sites including Variety, Los Angeles Times, Screen Anarchy and Budomate praised Yen's performance and credited him as the highlight of the movie and stealing every scene he is in.[42][43] In the case of Rogue One, other than praises from critics, Yen's performance was also applauded by audiences worldwide. In an official poll on the Star Wars webpage, in which more 40,000 people voted, Yen's character Chirrut Îmwe was voted as audiences' favorite Rogue One character.[44]

While Yen was filming XXX: Return of Xander Cage in Canada, he received many offers from Hollywood studios and directors. At the same time, Hong Kong director Wong Jing personally flew to Canada to invite Yen to star in his film Chasing the Dragon, a remake of the award-winning film To be Number One. Yen eventually accepted the offer and played a non-traditional role of a villain with limited fighting scenes and the opportunity to work alongside Andy Lau.

In September 2017, Chasing the Dragon was released with extremely positive reviews from critics, citing Yen's versatility as an actor and his incredible portrayal of the late Ng Sek Ho, the main character of the film.[45] Chasing the Dragon was also a huge hit with audiences in most parts of Asia. In Hong Kong, Chasing the Dragon is ranked as one of the top 5 Hong Kong films in 2017.[46]

In 2017, Yen received a call from old friend Jet Li and Alibaba CEO Jack Ma about a potential collaboration on a short martial arts film known as Gong Shou Dao - to promote a new form of Taiji as an olympic sport in the future.[47] Yen was on holiday with his wife to celebrate their anniversary, but cancelled his plans to take part in the film. Yen declined any salary for this participation for GSD as he stated that "friendship is not measured by money" and that he hopes his participation can help promote Chinese martial arts to worldwide audiences. In return, Li and Ma surprised Yen and his wife Cissy, by helping to celebrate their wedding anniversary on the set. The full GSD 20 minutes short film was released on 11 November - China's Singles' Day, debuting on Youku and Li's official Facebook page, garnering a total of more than 100 million views worldwide.[48] Netizens in China praised Yen's speed and technique in the film, with most audiences (over 190,000) voting Yen as the highlight of the short film.[49]

In late 2017, Yen began filming Big Brother, a mixed martial arts film where Yen plays a high school teacher with unconventional methods and a dark past.[50]

In 2017, a live-action film adaption of the video game Sleeping Dogs was announced, with Yen playing the lead character Wei Shen.[51] In February 2018, Yen confirmed the continued production of the film through social media.[52]

In 2019, Yen reprised his role as Ip Man for the final time in Ip Man 4: The Finale. During the Hong Kong protests of that year, protesters urged a boycott of the film, citing the pro-Beijing stances of Yen, co-star Danny Chan, and producer Raymond Wong.[53] Nonetheless, the film was a box office success, grossing over three times its budget of $52 million[54][55] and becoming the highest-grossing Chinese film of all time in Malaysia as well as the third-highest-grossing Chinese film in North America in five years.[56][57]

Career from 2020 to present Edit

In March 2020, as part of the press tour for Disney's live-action remake of Mulan, when Yen was asked by reporters whether he was interested in appearing in a superhero movie, Yen revealed that he had been offered a role in Warner Brothers' Justice League and Aquaman films by Zack Snyder, but turned it down due to scheduling conflicts. The role offered was that of Nuidis Vulko, which eventually went to Willem Dafoe.[58] Yen joined the cast of John Wick: Chapter 4 which was released in March 2023.[59]

Martial arts history, style and philosophy Edit

Yen has displayed skill in an array of martial arts, being well-versed in Tai Chi, Boxing, Kickboxing, Jeet Kune Do, Hapkido, Mixed martial arts, Taekwondo, Karate, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Hung Ga, Sanda, Judo, Shaolin Kung Fu, Wudang quan, Wing Chun, and Wushu.[60]

Yen describes himself as a mixed martial artist.[4] He learned Shaolin Kung Fu and Wudang quan from a young age under his mother's tutelage.[61][62] He then wanted to learn Taekwondo in his teenage years, earning a 6th Dan in the process. At the time, the Beijing Wushu Team had a scout in the United States and invited Yen over to Beijing, China, where he began training at the Beijing Sports Institute, the same facility where champion-turned-actor Jet Li trained; this is where the two of them crossed paths for the first time. Yen is widely credited for bringing mixed martial arts (MMA) into mainstream Asian cinema by choreographing MMA in many of his films since the early 2000s. The first Chinese UFC champion Zhang Weili stated that Yen's films introduced her to MMA.

Upon his return to the United States, Yen won gold medals in various wushu competitions.[63]

Yen later went on to discover and seek knowledge on other martial arts styles; he would later obtain black and purple belts from Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, respectively, and went on to study Parkour, Wrestling, Muay Thai, Kickboxing, and Boxing under various trainers. His exposure to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) was heightened when he went back to the United States from 2000 to 2003. While making his Hollywood debut, he also took time off to learn the various martial arts forms.[64][65] Yen's progress was evident when he returned to Asia, where he implemented his newfound knowledge of MMA, showcased in films such as SPL: Sha Po Lang (2005), Flash Point (2007), and Special ID (2013).

Near the end of 2007, Yen added a new martial arts system to his arsenal. He was offered the role of Wing Chun grandmaster and mentor of film star Bruce Lee, Ip Man, in a 2008 film named after the grandmaster. He worked hard and studied Wing Chun under Ip Man's eldest son, Ip Chun, for 9 months before tackling the role.[66] Ip Chun has since praised Yen for his effort, his skills as a martial artist, and his ability to grasp the full concept of Wing Chun much faster than anyone else he has taught.[67]

Yen believes that combining many martial arts together will produce the most effective and harmonious style. Yen has said, "When you watch my films, you're feeling my heart."[68] He believes in practical combat, and in his opinion, MMA is the most authentic type of practical combat.[69]

Yen was a rebel in his youth due to the huge expectations and pressures from his parents, as his mother is the founder of the Chinese Wushu Research Institute in Boston, and his father was a scholar and a musician.[70] Yen joined a Chinatown gang in Boston in his early years. He was a very curious teenager who sought to exchange martial arts knowledge with people from different martial arts backgrounds, which led to him gaining profound knowledge in practical martial arts and having a reputation as a street brawler.

Other martial arts stars such as Jackie Chan and Jet Li have also stated that Yen may be the best fighter in terms of practical combat in the Asian cinematic universe.[71][72]

World class fighters, such as former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Cung Le and former World Boxing Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson, who have worked with Donnie Yen in the films Bodyguards and Assassins and Ip Man 3, respectively, have both claimed that Yen is an incredible martial artist and would do well in authentic combat.[73] While filming Ip Man 3, crew members were worried that Tyson, who had been a professional boxer, would accidentally injure Yen. However, it was ultimately Yen who fractured Tyson's finger while using his elbow to block Tyson's punches.[74] Tyson insisted on finishing the scene before he was treated in hospital.[75]

Action choreography Edit

Donnie Yen was considered one of the premiere action choreographers in the world, having been invited by Hollywood to choreograph blockbusters such as Blade II, Highlander: Endgame, and Shanghai Knights. In Asia, he is the action choreographer for most of his movies and has won multiple awards for his action choreography.

Yen's most famous works include films such as Flash Point and SPL: Sha Po Lang. He has mentioned that the main differences in filmmaking in Asia and Hollywood are with regards to freedom and control. In Asia, the action choreographer takes over the scene during the fight scene. This means that for action scenes filmed in Asia, the choreographer becomes the director and is in full control over camera placements, camera angles, and the relationship between the drama and the action; therefore the main director is not needed at all. While in Hollywood, on the other hand, Yen explains that the action choreographer simply choreographs the actions with the director, who still maintains full control of such settings and camera angles.[76]

Yen's work as a choreographer won him the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Action Choreography at the 27th Hong Kong Film Awards and the Golden Horse Award for Best Action Choreography at the 2008 and 2011 Golden Horse Awards.

Yen was the fight choreographer for the 2010 film Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen. For this film, Yen mentioned that he included Jeet Kune Do elements as a tribute to Bruce Lee, who played Chen Zhen in the 1972 film Fist of Fury.[77] Furthermore, he incorporated many MMA elements in the film, coupled with the utilisation of Wing Chun. Yen also stated that the concept behind Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do is similar to that of MMA, hence the incorporation of many forms of martial arts was a necessity in the film.[78]

He won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Action Choreography four times, being one of the most frequent winners of this coveted award. He has won awards for his choreography in films such as The Twins Effect, SPL: Sha Po Lang, Flash Point, and Kung Fu Jungle.[79] Although uncredited, Donnie Yen was also action co-choreographer for Hong Kong Film Award winners such as Ip Man, Ip Man 2, and Bodyguards and Assassins.

Bodybuilding and transformation for roles Edit

 
Donnie Yen regaining his physique in 2016 for XXX: Return of Xander Cage, after losing weight for Ip Man 3 and Rogue One.

Yen is renowned for his physical fitness, strength, and speed achieved through his use of a strict and disciplined fitness regime.[80]

However, despite his muscular build, Yen has gained tremendous attention for his dedication to his roles and for the lengths to which he goes to achieve the physical build and appearance of the characters he plays. In 2007, Yen lost over 14 kg (30 pounds) to reach the weight of 54 kg (120 pounds) to better portray the slender Ip Man and the techniques of wing chun, which focuses on techniques and not strength.[81] He did so through a very strict regimen of limiting himself to a plain diet consisting mainly of vegetables.[82]

In 2010, still fresh off Ip Man 2, Yen was cast as Chen Zhen in Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen, which was originally portrayed by Bruce Lee. He had to regain his muscular physique for the role and took 6 months through a precise and dedicated diet routine.[83] He maintained this bulk and physique while filming The Lost Bladesman, in which he plays Guan Yu, a Chinese general known for his size and spear-fighting abilities.[84]

In 2015, Yen reduced his muscular physique yet again to reprise the role of Ip Man in Ip Man 3 and for his role as the blind warrior monk Chirrut Îmwe in Rogue One.[85] For his role as Xiang in XXX: Return of Xander Cage opposite Vin Diesel, Yen rebuilt his physique.[86]

Personal life Edit

Yen met his first wife, Hong Kong advertising executive Leung Zing-ci (Chinese: 梁靜慈), in 1990. The couple began dating in 1990. After three years of dating, they married secretly in the United States in November 1993. The marriage ended in less than a year. After their divorce was finalized, Leung realized that she was pregnant with their son, Jeff, who was born in 1995.[87][88]

Yen later married former beauty queen Cissy Wang after three months of dating in 2003. The couple have two children, Jasmine and James.[87]

Yen has stated that he is a big fan of the MMA organization Ultimate Fighting Championship and has watched almost every UFC event available. In various interviews, he has mentioned that he would have loved to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship if he did not have a recurring shoulder injury.[89]

Philanthropic work Edit

In 2012, Donnie Yen and his wife Cissy Wang co-founded Go.Asia, an online charity platform encouraging people to participate in charity work and serve local communities.[90]

In October 2014, Donnie Yen was invited to be a guest speaker in front of a crowd of 20,000 youths for WE Day Vancouver, where he spoke about the hardships he faced growing up and how he overcame difficulties to become the reigning martial arts star.[91]

In 2015, Yen visited refugee camps in Thailand, bringing donations and gifts for the refugees.[92] Yen is also an ambassador for the international charity Save the Children.

In December 2015, Yen established a charitable fund, Yen's Honour Protection Fund, with the purpose of empowering celebrities to use the law to defend their honor and reputation. Yen said the fund "[seeks] to assist and render help to everyone who needs it, most importantly to heal and repair the hearts and dignities which have been affected." This fund was established after Yen won a lawsuit against Geng Weiguo (AKA Tan Bing), who defamed Yen and hired netizens to threaten Yen's family.[93]

In February 2020, in light of the coronavirus pandemic in China and the rest of the world, Donnie Yen stepped in to donate HK$1 million to frontline medical workers in Wuhan. He also produced and dedicated a short clip to thank all medical workers in China in their fight against the coronavirus; the clip was uploaded on Chinese social media site, Weibo, where Yen has over 11 million followers. He also donated a painting done by himself and his two children, to the frontline medical workers.[94]

Politics Edit

In 2023, Yen was appointed to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference as a representative of the "Literature and Arts" sector, replacing outgoing fellow action star Jackie Chan.[95] He stated that he was a Chinese patriot and requested that his film roles in Hollywood must positively represent the Chinese.[96]

Yen said of the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests that it was not a protest, "It was a riot."[97]

Filmography Edit

Main article: Donnie Yen filmography

Awards and nominations Edit

Year Award Category Nominated work Result
1993 Hong Kong Film Awards Best Supporting Actor Once Upon a Time in China 2 Nominated
2002 Taurus World Stunt Awards Best Fight Iron Monkey Nominated
2003 Golden Horse Awards Best Action Choreography The Twins Effect Won
2004 Hong Kong Film Awards Best Action Choreography Won
2006 Hong Kong Film Awards Best Action Choreography SPL: Sha Po Lang Won
2007 Hong Kong Film Awards Best Action Choreography Dragon Tiger Gate Nominated
Golden Bauhinia Awards Best Action Choreography Won
Golden Horse Awards Best Action Choreography Flash Point Won
2008 Hong Kong Film Awards Best Action Choreography Won
Taurus World Stunt Awards Best Action in a Foreign Language Film Won
2009 Beijing College Student Film Festival Best Actor Ip Man Won
Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actor Nominated
Huabiao Film Awards Outstanding Abroad Actor Won
2010 Hundred Flowers Awards Best Actor Bodyguards and Assassins Nominated
2011 Hong Kong Film Awards Best Action Choreography Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen Nominated
3rd Macau International Movie Festival Best Actor The Lost Bladesman Won
Golden Horse Awards Best Action Choreography Dragon Won
2012 Hong Kong Film Awards Best Action Choreography Nominated
2014 Hong Kong Film Awards Best Action Choreography Special ID Nominated
8th Asian Film Awards Asian Outstanding Actor — Won
2015 Youku Night Awards 2014's Most Influential Actor — Won
15th Huading Awards Best Actor The Monkey King Won
Hong Kong Film Awards Best Action Choreography Kung Fu Jungle Won
2017 Foshan Film Awards Best Actor — Won
Lifetime Achievement Award — Won

References Edit

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Further reading Edit

  • Juul, Matt, "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story's Donnie Yen Talks Boston Roots : The martial arts movie icon opens up about joining the Star Wars universe, his connection to Boston, and more.", Boston magazine, December 14, 2016.

External links Edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Donnie Yen.
  • Official website
  • Donnie Yen at IMDb
  • "An Action Star Moves to the Lead," New York Times article
  • Donnie Yen profile page at Hong Kong Cinemagic

September 22, 2023
donnie, this, hong, kong, name, surname, accordance, with, hong, kong, custom, western, style, name, chinese, style, name, chinese, 甄子丹, born, july, 1963, hong, kong, actor, martial, artist, action, director, politician, regarded, hong, kong, action, stars, 甄子. In this Hong Kong name the surname is Yen In accordance with Hong Kong custom the Western style name is Donnie Yen and the Chinese style name is Yen Chi tan Donnie Yen Ji dan 1 3 Chinese 甄子丹 born 27 July 1963 is a Hong Kong actor martial artist action director and politician 4 5 He is regarded as one of Hong Kong s top action stars 6 Donnie Yen甄子丹Yen attending the Hong Kong Derby 2023 raceday as the BMW Hong Kong Derby Ambassador at the Sha Tin Racecourse on 19 March 2023Member of the Chinese People s Political Consultative ConferenceIncumbentAssumed office March 2023Personal detailsBornYen Chi tan 1 1963 07 27 27 July 1963 age 60 Guangzhou Guangdong ChinaCitizenshipHong Kong 1963 1974 2009 present United States 1974 2010 2 1 SpousesLeung Zing ci m 1993 div 1994 wbr Cissy Wang m 2003 wbr Children3ParentsKlyster Yen father Bow sim Mark mother OccupationActormartial artistaction director and choreographerfilm directorproducerAwardsFull listWebsitewww wbr donnieyen wbr asiaMartial arts careerStyleJeet Kune DoBoxingKickboxingMuay ThaiTaekwondoHapkidoJudoBrazilian Jiu JitsuWing ChunTai ChiHung GaSandaKarateWrestlingWushuChinese nameChinese甄子丹TranscriptionsStandard MandarinHanyu PinyinZhen ZǐdanWade GilesChen1 Tzŭ3 tan1Tongyong PinyinJhen Zǐh tanIPA ʈʂe n tsɨ ta n Yue CantoneseYale RomanizationYan Ji daanJyutpingJan1 Zi2 daan1Canton RomanizationYen1 Ji2 dan1IPA jɐ n tsǐː taːn Yen is credited by many for contributing to the popularisation of Wing Chun in China 7 8 He portrays Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man in the Ip Man film series which has garnered box office success He has also gained international recognition for playing Chirrut Imwe in Rogue One 2016 and Xiang in XXX Return of Xander Cage 2017 as well as Commander Tung in Mulan 2020 and Caine in John Wick Chapter 4 2023 Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2 1 Beginnings to the 1990s 2 2 2000s Breakthrough success 2 3 From 2010 to 2015 2 4 From 2016 to 2019 2 5 Career from 2020 to present 3 Martial arts history style and philosophy 3 1 Action choreography 3 2 Bodybuilding and transformation for roles 4 Personal life 4 1 Philanthropic work 4 2 Politics 5 Filmography 6 Awards and nominations 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External linksEarly life EditYen was born on 27 July 1963 in Guangzhou Guangdong China His mother Bow sim Mark is a Fu Style Wudangquan internal martial arts and Tai Chi grandmaster while his father Klyster Yen 甄雲龍 was a newspaper editor 9 When he was two years old his family moved to Hong Kong and then to the United States settling in Boston when he was 11 10 He attended Newton North High School 11 His younger sister Chris Yen is also a martial artist and actress and appeared in the 2007 film Adventures of Johnny Tao Rock Around the Dragon At a young age under the influence of his mother Yen developed an interest in martial arts and began experimenting with various styles including t ai chi and other traditional Chinese martial arts 12 At age 16 Yen began practising Wushu after his parents sent him to Beijing to train with the Beijing Wushu Team 12 When Yen decided to return to the United States he made a side trip to Hong Kong where he met action choreographer Yuen Woo ping 12 Yen also came from a family of musicians His mother is a soprano in addition to being a martial arts teacher in Boston while his father is a violinist 13 From a young age he was taught by his parents to play musical instruments including the piano 14 15 Career EditBeginnings to the 1990s Edit Yen s first step into the film industry was when he landed his first starring role in the 1984 film Drunken Tai Chi After filming Drunken Tai Chi and Tiger Cage 1988 Yen made his breakthrough role as General Nap lan in Once Upon a Time in China II 1992 which included a fight scene between his character and Wong Fei hung played by Jet Li 12 Yen had a starring role in the film Iron Monkey in 1993 Yen and Li appeared together again in the 2002 film Hero where Yen played a spear or qiang fighter who fought with Li s character an unnamed swordsman 12 The film was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2003 Academy Awards In 1995 Yen starred as Chen Zhen in the television series Fist of Fury produced by ATV which is adapted from the 1972 film of the same title that starred Bruce Lee as Chen Zhen Yen later reprised his role as Chen Zhen in the 2010 film Legend of the Fist The Return of Chen Zhen by replacing Jet Li who starred as Chen Zhen in the prequel film Fist of Legend which was released in 1994 In 1997 Yen started the production company Bullet Films and made his directorial debut 16 in Legend of the Wolf 1997 and Ballistic Kiss 1998 in which he played the lead character At age 34 Yen almost went bankrupt Films produced by his own production company and directed by him were critically acclaimed but did not do well at the box office Yen was forced to borrow money from loan sharks and his production crew to get by 2000s Breakthrough success Edit Yen later went back to the United States where he was invited to choreograph fight scenes in Hollywood films such as Highlander Endgame 2000 and Blade II 2002 His choreography and skills impressed the directors and they invited him for cameo appearances in both movies 17 In 2002 Jet Li was filming the movie Hero and insisted to the director Zhang Yimou that he wanted Yen to play the role of Sky his adversary due to Yen s martial arts ability Li personally invited Yen back from Hollywood to star in the movie marking the second time the two actors appeared onscreen together since Once Upon a Time in China II ten years earlier 18 In 2003 Yen played one of the antagonists against Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson in Shanghai Knights nbsp Yen in Seoul in 2005Yen choreographed most of the fight animation in the 2004 video game Onimusha 3 which featured actors Takeshi Kaneshiro and Jean Reno Yen continued to be active in Hong Kong cinema in the 2000s starring as Chu Zhaonan in Tsui Hark s wuxia epic film Seven Swords and as Ma Kwun in Wilson Yip s brutal crime drama film SPL Sha Po Lang in 2005 Both films were featured at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival Later that year Yen co starred with Nicholas Tse and Shawn Yue in Wilson Yip s Dragon Tiger Gate an adaptation of Wong Yuk long s manhua series Oriental Heroes Yen also worked as action choreographer in Stormbreaker starring Alex Pettyfer Yen continued to work with Wilson Yip in Flash Point 2007 in which he starred as the lead character and served as producer and action choreographer for the film He won the award for Best Action Choreography at the Golden Horse Film Awards and the Hong Kong Film Awards for his performance in Flash Point In 2008 Yen starred in Ip Man a semi biographical account of Ip Man the Wing Chun master of Bruce Lee Ip Man marked Yen s fourth collaboration with director Wilson Yip reuniting him with his co stars in SPL Sha Po Lang Sammo Hung and Simon Yam Ip Man became the biggest box office hit to date featuring Yen in the leading role grossing HK 25 million in Hong Kong and 100 million yuan in China 19 20 From 2010 to 2015 Edit In 2010 Ip Man 2 was released Similar to the first movie it was directed by Wilson Yip In August 2011 while Yen was on a vacation with his family in the United States he reportedly received an invitation by producer Avi Lerner to star in The Expendables 2 It was stated that Yen was considering the offer had many films at hand and would wait until deciding whether the script appealed to him 21 Later on Yen revealed to the Hong Kong media that he had rejected the role 22 In 2011 Yen revealed that he was venturing into other genres of movies and had taken up two comedy roles in a row in All s Well Ends Well 2011 and All s Well Ends Well 2012 and would be working with Carina Lau in the former and Sandra Ng in the latter Both films obtained huge critical and box office success and proved Yen s versatility as an actor Yen took a six month break in the second half of 2011 after the filming of The Monkey King where he portrayed the title character and main protagonist Sun Wukong replacing Jet Li once again in which the film was released during the Chinese New Year period in January 2014 23 24 he explained that he wanted to spend more time with his family and be with his children more as they grew up nbsp Yen at the New York Film Festival in 2012In 2012 Yen returned to the movie industry and commenced the filming of Special ID in which he played the main lead an undercover cop and also took on the role of action choreographer In 2013 it was reported that Yen would be playing the lead role for Iceman a sci fi action film dealing with time travel and which was filmed in 3D Yen confirmed that MMA would be used in both of the aforementioned films 25 In February 2013 the Weinstein Company confirmed that it had purchased the rights to Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon sequel and contacted Yen to play the male lead In March 2013 Hong Kong magazines surfaced photos of Harvey and Bob Weinstein traveling to Hong Kong to meet with Yen and persuade him to accept the offer It was reported that Yen was considering the role and quoted as saying The first is that my schedule this year is very packed The second is that the first film is already such a classic I am afraid of the pressure that the original cannot be surpassed 26 In May 2013 during the annual Cannes Film Festival the Weinstein Company announced that Yen would play the lead role of Silent Wolf in the Crouching Tiger sequel titled Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Sword of Destiny alongside leading female action star Michelle Yeoh reprising her role as Yu Shu Lien and with director Yuen Woo ping Yen s mentor It was revealed that the movie would be filmed in both English and Mandarin to appeal to the international market 27 It was also revealed during the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon II press conference that the Weinstein Company had obtained rights to Akira Kurosawa s Seven Samurai was planning a remake and was negotiating with Yen George Clooney and Zhang Ziyi to star in the film 28 29 Yen declined the offer due to scheduling conflicts for the filming of Ip Man 3 Yen earned HK 220 million US 28 4 million from four films and six advertisements in 2013 30 In late March 2015 Ip Man 3 was announced Yen reprised his role as the titular character Bruce Lee s martial arts master Ip Man Retired boxer and former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson was confirmed to join the cast 31 Yen mentioned that he was a big fan of Tyson watched many of his professional boxing bouts and was excited to work with him Tyson stated during a press conference that he was a huge fan of Yen and has watched Ip Man and Ip Man 2 more than three times each and was honored to be invited for the final installment of the trilogy 32 Principal photography for Ip Man 3 began on March 25 2015 and the finished movie was released in December 2015 in parts of Asia and around the world in early 2016 to generally favorable reviews From 2016 to 2019 Edit nbsp Yen in February 2018In 2016 Yen co starred in the Star Wars anthology film Rogue One as Chirrut Imwe the Zatoichi like blind transient warrior 33 On February 12 2016 it was confirmed that Yen would once again replace Jet Li for the third time as Xiang in the upcoming action film XXX Return of Xander Cage after Legend of the Fist The Return of Chen Zhen in 2010 and The Monkey King in 2014 34 35 36 37 For the promotion of XXX Return of Xander Cage Paramount focused marketing efforts on Yen in China and most parts of Asia placing him at the front of the film posters ahead of Vin Diesel and shared clips and reviews of Yen s performance in the movie on the popular Chinese social media site Weibo 38 Paramount s efforts worked very well in China The film was number one in its opening weekend with 61 9 million 39 and crossed the 100 million mark in just six days with 22 2m coming from Valentine s Day alone after rave reviews praising Yen s performance swept through Chinese social media driving moviegoers to the cinema 40 41 Yen s performance in both Rogue One and XXX Return of Xander Cage received extremely positive responses from critics and general audiences For XXX Return of Xander Cage many media sites including Variety Los Angeles Times Screen Anarchy and Budomate praised Yen s performance and credited him as the highlight of the movie and stealing every scene he is in 42 43 In the case of Rogue One other than praises from critics Yen s performance was also applauded by audiences worldwide In an official poll on the Star Wars webpage in which more 40 000 people voted Yen s character Chirrut Imwe was voted as audiences favorite Rogue One character 44 While Yen was filming XXX Return of Xander Cage in Canada he received many offers from Hollywood studios and directors At the same time Hong Kong director Wong Jing personally flew to Canada to invite Yen to star in his film Chasing the Dragon a remake of the award winning film To be Number One Yen eventually accepted the offer and played a non traditional role of a villain with limited fighting scenes and the opportunity to work alongside Andy Lau In September 2017 Chasing the Dragon was released with extremely positive reviews from critics citing Yen s versatility as an actor and his incredible portrayal of the late Ng Sek Ho the main character of the film 45 Chasing the Dragon was also a huge hit with audiences in most parts of Asia In Hong Kong Chasing the Dragon is ranked as one of the top 5 Hong Kong films in 2017 46 In 2017 Yen received a call from old friend Jet Li and Alibaba CEO Jack Ma about a potential collaboration on a short martial arts film known as Gong Shou Dao to promote a new form of Taiji as an olympic sport in the future 47 Yen was on holiday with his wife to celebrate their anniversary but cancelled his plans to take part in the film Yen declined any salary for this participation for GSD as he stated that friendship is not measured by money and that he hopes his participation can help promote Chinese martial arts to worldwide audiences In return Li and Ma surprised Yen and his wife Cissy by helping to celebrate their wedding anniversary on the set The full GSD 20 minutes short film was released on 11 November China s Singles Day debuting on Youku and Li s official Facebook page garnering a total of more than 100 million views worldwide 48 Netizens in China praised Yen s speed and technique in the film with most audiences over 190 000 voting Yen as the highlight of the short film 49 In late 2017 Yen began filming Big Brother a mixed martial arts film where Yen plays a high school teacher with unconventional methods and a dark past 50 In 2017 a live action film adaption of the video game Sleeping Dogs was announced with Yen playing the lead character Wei Shen 51 In February 2018 Yen confirmed the continued production of the film through social media 52 In 2019 Yen reprised his role as Ip Man for the final time in Ip Man 4 The Finale During the Hong Kong protests of that year protesters urged a boycott of the film citing the pro Beijing stances of Yen co star Danny Chan and producer Raymond Wong 53 Nonetheless the film was a box office success grossing over three times its budget of 52 million 54 55 and becoming the highest grossing Chinese film of all time in Malaysia as well as the third highest grossing Chinese film in North America in five years 56 57 Career from 2020 to present Edit In March 2020 as part of the press tour for Disney s live action remake of Mulan when Yen was asked by reporters whether he was interested in appearing in a superhero movie Yen revealed that he had been offered a role in Warner Brothers Justice League and Aquaman films by Zack Snyder but turned it down due to scheduling conflicts The role offered was that of Nuidis Vulko which eventually went to Willem Dafoe 58 Yen joined the cast of John Wick Chapter 4 which was released in March 2023 59 Martial arts history style and philosophy EditYen has displayed skill in an array of martial arts being well versed in Tai Chi Boxing Kickboxing Jeet Kune Do Hapkido Mixed martial arts Taekwondo Karate Muay Thai Wrestling Brazilian jiu jitsu Hung Ga Sanda Judo Shaolin Kung Fu Wudang quan Wing Chun and Wushu 60 Yen describes himself as a mixed martial artist 4 He learned Shaolin Kung Fu and Wudang quan from a young age under his mother s tutelage 61 62 He then wanted to learn Taekwondo in his teenage years earning a 6th Dan in the process At the time the Beijing Wushu Team had a scout in the United States and invited Yen over to Beijing China where he began training at the Beijing Sports Institute the same facility where champion turned actor Jet Li trained this is where the two of them crossed paths for the first time Yen is widely credited for bringing mixed martial arts MMA into mainstream Asian cinema by choreographing MMA in many of his films since the early 2000s The first Chinese UFC champion Zhang Weili stated that Yen s films introduced her to MMA Upon his return to the United States Yen won gold medals in various wushu competitions 63 Yen later went on to discover and seek knowledge on other martial arts styles he would later obtain black and purple belts from Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu respectively and went on to study Parkour Wrestling Muay Thai Kickboxing and Boxing under various trainers His exposure to Mixed Martial Arts MMA was heightened when he went back to the United States from 2000 to 2003 While making his Hollywood debut he also took time off to learn the various martial arts forms 64 65 Yen s progress was evident when he returned to Asia where he implemented his newfound knowledge of MMA showcased in films such as SPL Sha Po Lang 2005 Flash Point 2007 and Special ID 2013 Near the end of 2007 Yen added a new martial arts system to his arsenal He was offered the role of Wing Chun grandmaster and mentor of film star Bruce Lee Ip Man in a 2008 film named after the grandmaster He worked hard and studied Wing Chun under Ip Man s eldest son Ip Chun for 9 months before tackling the role 66 Ip Chun has since praised Yen for his effort his skills as a martial artist and his ability to grasp the full concept of Wing Chun much faster than anyone else he has taught 67 Yen believes that combining many martial arts together will produce the most effective and harmonious style Yen has said When you watch my films you re feeling my heart 68 He believes in practical combat and in his opinion MMA is the most authentic type of practical combat 69 Yen was a rebel in his youth due to the huge expectations and pressures from his parents as his mother is the founder of the Chinese Wushu Research Institute in Boston and his father was a scholar and a musician 70 Yen joined a Chinatown gang in Boston in his early years He was a very curious teenager who sought to exchange martial arts knowledge with people from different martial arts backgrounds which led to him gaining profound knowledge in practical martial arts and having a reputation as a street brawler Other martial arts stars such as Jackie Chan and Jet Li have also stated that Yen may be the best fighter in terms of practical combat in the Asian cinematic universe 71 72 World class fighters such as former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Cung Le and former World Boxing Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson who have worked with Donnie Yen in the films Bodyguards and Assassins and Ip Man 3 respectively have both claimed that Yen is an incredible martial artist and would do well in authentic combat 73 While filming Ip Man 3 crew members were worried that Tyson who had been a professional boxer would accidentally injure Yen However it was ultimately Yen who fractured Tyson s finger while using his elbow to block Tyson s punches 74 Tyson insisted on finishing the scene before he was treated in hospital 75 Action choreography Edit Donnie Yen was considered one of the premiere action choreographers in the world having been invited by Hollywood to choreograph blockbusters such as Blade II Highlander Endgame and Shanghai Knights In Asia he is the action choreographer for most of his movies and has won multiple awards for his action choreography Yen s most famous works include films such as Flash Point and SPL Sha Po Lang He has mentioned that the main differences in filmmaking in Asia and Hollywood are with regards to freedom and control In Asia the action choreographer takes over the scene during the fight scene This means that for action scenes filmed in Asia the choreographer becomes the director and is in full control over camera placements camera angles and the relationship between the drama and the action therefore the main director is not needed at all While in Hollywood on the other hand Yen explains that the action choreographer simply choreographs the actions with the director who still maintains full control of such settings and camera angles 76 Yen s work as a choreographer won him the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Action Choreography at the 27th Hong Kong Film Awards and the Golden Horse Award for Best Action Choreography at the 2008 and 2011 Golden Horse Awards Yen was the fight choreographer for the 2010 film Legend of the Fist The Return of Chen Zhen For this film Yen mentioned that he included Jeet Kune Do elements as a tribute to Bruce Lee who played Chen Zhen in the 1972 film Fist of Fury 77 Furthermore he incorporated many MMA elements in the film coupled with the utilisation of Wing Chun Yen also stated that the concept behind Bruce Lee s Jeet Kune Do is similar to that of MMA hence the incorporation of many forms of martial arts was a necessity in the film 78 He won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Action Choreography four times being one of the most frequent winners of this coveted award He has won awards for his choreography in films such as The Twins Effect SPL Sha Po Lang Flash Point and Kung Fu Jungle 79 Although uncredited Donnie Yen was also action co choreographer for Hong Kong Film Award winners such as Ip Man Ip Man 2 and Bodyguards and Assassins Bodybuilding and transformation for roles Edit nbsp Donnie Yen regaining his physique in 2016 for XXX Return of Xander Cage after losing weight for Ip Man 3 and Rogue One Yen is renowned for his physical fitness strength and speed achieved through his use of a strict and disciplined fitness regime 80 However despite his muscular build Yen has gained tremendous attention for his dedication to his roles and for the lengths to which he goes to achieve the physical build and appearance of the characters he plays In 2007 Yen lost over 14 kg 30 pounds to reach the weight of 54 kg 120 pounds to better portray the slender Ip Man and the techniques of wing chun which focuses on techniques and not strength 81 He did so through a very strict regimen of limiting himself to a plain diet consisting mainly of vegetables 82 In 2010 still fresh off Ip Man 2 Yen was cast as Chen Zhen in Legend of the Fist The Return of Chen Zhen which was originally portrayed by Bruce Lee He had to regain his muscular physique for the role and took 6 months through a precise and dedicated diet routine 83 He maintained this bulk and physique while filming The Lost Bladesman in which he plays Guan Yu a Chinese general known for his size and spear fighting abilities 84 In 2015 Yen reduced his muscular physique yet again to reprise the role of Ip Man in Ip Man 3 and for his role as the blind warrior monk Chirrut Imwe in Rogue One 85 For his role as Xiang in XXX Return of Xander Cage opposite Vin Diesel Yen rebuilt his physique 86 Personal life EditYen met his first wife Hong Kong advertising executive Leung Zing ci Chinese 梁靜慈 in 1990 The couple began dating in 1990 After three years of dating they married secretly in the United States in November 1993 The marriage ended in less than a year After their divorce was finalized Leung realized that she was pregnant with their son Jeff who was born in 1995 87 88 Yen later married former beauty queen Cissy Wang after three months of dating in 2003 The couple have two children Jasmine and James 87 Yen has stated that he is a big fan of the MMA organization Ultimate Fighting Championship and has watched almost every UFC event available In various interviews he has mentioned that he would have loved to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship if he did not have a recurring shoulder injury 89 Philanthropic work Edit In 2012 Donnie Yen and his wife Cissy Wang co founded Go Asia an online charity platform encouraging people to participate in charity work and serve local communities 90 In October 2014 Donnie Yen was invited to be a guest speaker in front of a crowd of 20 000 youths for WE Day Vancouver where he spoke about the hardships he faced growing up and how he overcame difficulties to become the reigning martial arts star 91 In 2015 Yen visited refugee camps in Thailand bringing donations and gifts for the refugees 92 Yen is also an ambassador for the international charity Save the Children In December 2015 Yen established a charitable fund Yen s Honour Protection Fund with the purpose of empowering celebrities to use the law to defend their honor and reputation Yen said the fund seeks to assist and render help to everyone who needs it most importantly to heal and repair the hearts and dignities which have been affected This fund was established after Yen won a lawsuit against Geng Weiguo AKA Tan Bing who defamed Yen and hired netizens to threaten Yen s family 93 In February 2020 in light of the coronavirus pandemic in China and the rest of the world Donnie Yen stepped in to donate HK 1 million to frontline medical workers in Wuhan He also produced and dedicated a short clip to thank all medical workers in China in their fight against the coronavirus the clip was uploaded on Chinese social media site Weibo where Yen has over 11 million followers He also donated a painting done by himself and his two children to the frontline medical workers 94 Politics Edit In 2023 Yen was appointed to the Chinese People s Political Consultative Conference as a representative of the Literature and Arts sector replacing outgoing fellow action star Jackie Chan 95 He stated that he was a Chinese patriot and requested that his film roles in Hollywood must positively represent the Chinese 96 Yen said of the 2019 2020 Hong Kong protests that it was not a protest It was a riot 97 Filmography EditMain article Donnie Yen filmographyAwards and nominations EditYear Award Category Nominated work Result1993 Hong Kong Film Awards Best Supporting Actor Once Upon a Time in China 2 Nominated2002 Taurus World Stunt Awards Best Fight Iron Monkey Nominated2003 Golden Horse Awards Best Action Choreography The Twins Effect Won2004 Hong Kong Film Awards Best Action Choreography Won2006 Hong Kong Film Awards Best Action Choreography SPL Sha Po Lang Won2007 Hong Kong Film Awards Best Action Choreography Dragon Tiger Gate NominatedGolden Bauhinia Awards Best Action Choreography WonGolden Horse Awards Best Action Choreography Flash Point Won2008 Hong Kong Film Awards Best Action Choreography WonTaurus World Stunt Awards Best Action in a Foreign Language Film Won2009 Beijing College Student Film Festival Best Actor Ip Man WonHong Kong Film Awards Best Actor NominatedHuabiao Film Awards Outstanding Abroad Actor Won2010 Hundred Flowers Awards Best Actor Bodyguards and Assassins Nominated2011 Hong Kong Film Awards Best Action Choreography Legend of the Fist The Return of Chen Zhen Nominated3rd Macau International Movie Festival Best Actor The Lost Bladesman WonGolden Horse Awards Best Action Choreography Dragon Won2012 Hong Kong Film Awards Best Action Choreography Nominated2014 Hong Kong Film Awards Best Action Choreography Special ID Nominated8th Asian Film Awards Asian Outstanding Actor Won2015 Youku Night Awards 2014 s Most Influential Actor Won15th Huading Awards Best Actor The Monkey King WonHong Kong Film Awards Best Action Choreography Kung Fu Jungle Won2017 Foshan Film Awards Best Actor WonLifetime Achievement Award WonReferences Edit a b c Quarterly Publication of Individuals Who Have Chosen To Expatriate as Required by Section 6039G Federal Register Internal Revenue Service 10 November 2010 Retrieved 23 July 2022 This listing contains the name of each individual losing their United States citizenship during the quarter ending September 30 2010 Last name Yen First name Chi Middle name initials Tan How much do you know about Donnie Yen star of the Ip Man series South China Morning Post 26 July 2019 Archived from the original on 27 July 2019 Retrieved 7 January 2022 Martial arts superstar Donnie Yen reveals past financial struggles South China Morning Post 14 July 2019 Retrieved 17 July 2019 This source uses the spelling Ji dan a b Lim Dennis 23 January 2011 Enter the Teacher to the Dragon of Martial Arts Films The New York Times Retrieved 17 December 2011 Berwick Stephan 23 December 2000 Donnie Yen The Evolution of an American Martial Artist Kung Fu Magazine Retrieved 11 May 2015 Sonia Kolesnikov Jessop August 19 2009 An Action Star Moves to the Lead Retrieved 13 October 2009 Nytimes com Mike Miller 12 December 2016 Why Rogue One Star Donnie Yen Performed All of His Amazing Fight Scenes Blind PEOPLE com Retrieved 26 November 2017 Zhang Rui 1 December 2016 Donnie Yen leaves hand and foot prints in Hollywood China org cn www china org cn Retrieved 26 November 2017 Donnie Yen Biography 1963 Biography Film Reference Retrieved 2 April 2009 Donnie Yen Biography Biography Starpulse Archived from the original on 8 October 2012 Retrieved 2 April 2009 Donnie Yen 甄子丹 20 July 2014 Visited my old high school in Boston www facebook com Retrieved 11 March 2023 a b c d e Franklin Wallis Oliver 28 February 2023 Hong Kong s Ageless Action Hero GQ Retrieved 2 March 2023 The Legend of Westernised Chen Zhen The Piano Virtuoso WuJing Org 22 December 2009 Archived from the original on 5 April 2016 Retrieved 24 August 2011 Donnie Yen Biography DonnieYen Net Archived from the original on 4 August 2011 Retrieved 23 August 2011 Donnie Yen shows off his moves on the Piano 23 December 2009 Archived from the original on 8 November 2016 Retrieved 2 April 2009 Stephan Berwick s The Evolution of an American Martial Artist Martial Arts article DonnieYen com Archived from the original on 27 March 2009 Retrieved 2 April 2009 A Grandmaster Practice Makes Perfect January 8 2016 Business Weekly Taiwan Retrieved 9 January 2015 HKMDB China Box Office January 12 18 2009 Box Office statistics Box Office Mojo Retrieved 2 April 2009 Hong Kong Box Office December 18 21 2008 Box Office statistics Box Office Mojo Retrieved 2 April 2009 Ozman Hugo 21 August 2011 Donnie Yen Joining The Cast of THE EXPENDABLES 2 Twitch Films Archived from the original on 15 August 2012 Retrieved 21 August 2011 Donnie Yen rejects Expendables 2 411mania 21 August 2011 Retrieved 21 August 2012 permanent dead link Brown Todd 25 March 2010 Soi Cheang Tapped To Direct 3D MONKEY KING Donnie Yen And Jet Li Eyed Up For Key Roles ScreenAnarchy Retrieved 7 January 2021 Young Al 18 May 2010 Donnie Yen is The Monkey King ScreenAnarchy Retrieved 7 January 2021 Leeder Mike 19 February 2013 Donnie Yen Special Identity Impact Online Archived from the original on 24 September 2015 Retrieved 17 May 2013 Donnie Yen mulls lead role in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon sequel Donnie Yen Asia 12 March 2013 Archived from the original on 16 June 2013 Retrieved 15 May 2013 Han Angie 16 May 2013 Crouching Tiger Sequel Shooting Next Spring Michelle Yeoh and Donnie Yen to Star Slash Film Weinstein Company Retrieved 19 May 2013 Fleming Mike 19 May 2013 Cannes Before Action Starts On Crouching Tiger 2 Harvey Weinstein Woos Donnie Yen And Yuen Wo Ping For Seven Samurai Deadline Hollywood Retrieved 23 May 2013 Yahoo News Singapore 22 May 2013 Donnie Yen in Akira Kurosawa remake Yahoo News Singapore Retrieved 23 May 2013 Louis Koo is highest earning actor of 2013 Yahoo News Asia 25 December 2013 Retrieved 13 March 2014 Reilly Luke 24 March 2015 MIKE TYSON CGI BRUCE LEE TO FEATURE IN IP MAN 3 IGN com Archived from the original on 22 October 2018 Retrieved 13 April 2015 PR News Wire 8 May 2015 Mike Tyson Joins Ip Man 3 To Fight With Donnie Yen PR News Wire Retrieved 10 May 2015 Rogue One The Daring Mission Has Begun Cast and Crew Announced StarWars com 15 August 2015 Retrieved 16 August 2015 Brown Todd 1 January 2016 Tony Jaa Jet Li and Deepika Padukone Join Vin Diesel In XXX THE RETURN OF XANDER CAGE Twitch Archived from the original on 21 January 2016 Vin Diesel photos Facebook 12 February 2016 Archived from the original on 16 November 2017 Retrieved 17 February 2016 Donnie Yen Takes Over Jet Li s XXX The Return of Xander Cage Role 12 February 2016 Archived from the original on 18 February 2016 Retrieved 12 February 2016 Marsh James February 12 2016 Donnie Yen In Jet Li Out Of XXX THE RETURN OF XANDER CAGE Twitch Archived from the original on February 13 2016 Retrieved February 12 2016 Busch Anita 13 February 2017 Fifty Shades 97 7M Debut XXX Big In China Lego Batman John Wick Open International Box Office The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved 13 February 2017 Brzeski Patrick 12 February 2017 China Box Office XXX Return of Xander Cage Opens to Massive 61 9M The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved 13 February 2017 Papish Jonathan 14 February 2017 V Day Box Office La La XXX Win China Film Insider Tartaglione Nancy 15 February 2017 XXX Return Of Xander Cage China Box Office Muscles Past 100M In First 6 Days Deadline com Marsh James 19 January 2017 xXx Return of Xander Cage Review Screen Anarchy Retrieved 7 July 2017 Barker Andrew 19 January 2017 Film review xXx Return of Xander Cage Variety Retrieved 7 July 2017 Star Wars 18 May 2017 Star Wars Who is your favorite Rogue One Character Star Wars Retrieved 9 July 2017 Edmund Lee 28 September 2017 Film review Chasing the Dragon Donnie Yen Andy Lau play notorious criminals Crippled Ho Lee Rock in slanted biopic Retrieved 28 November 2017 Sina 19 October 2017 Film review Chasing the Dragon Runner up beating The Foreiger as Runner Up for China s National Holiday releases Retrieved 28 November 2017 Horwitz Josh 10 November 2017 Jack Ma is using Singles Day a symbol of crass commercialism to revitalize Tai Chi in China Quartz Retrieved 27 November 2017 Jet Li FB Admin 12 November 2017 Gong Shou Dao Full Movie Facebook Retrieved 28 November 2017 Sina 28 November 2017 Gong Shou Dao Donnie Yen wins popularity poll Archived from the original on 1 December 2017 Retrieved 28 November 2017 Bona JJ 1 November 2017 Donnie Yen to deliver MMA in Kam Kar wai s Big Brother cityonfire com Retrieved 27 November 2017 Busch Anita 2 March 2017 Donnie Yen To Headline Sleeping Dogs For Neal Moritz s Original Film Deadline Hollywood Retrieved 2 March 2017 Star Wars Donnie Yen says Sleeping Dogs movie in production Eurogamer 5 February 2018 China Box Office Rise of Skywalker Fizzles While Ip Man 4 Keeps Packing Punches 30 December 2019 Frater Patrick 5 October 2018 Busan Hot Titles at the Asian Film Market Variety Archived from the original on 7 October 2018 Retrieved 7 October 2018 Ip Man 4 The Finale 2019 The Numbers Retrieved 7 January 2019 Ip Man 4 is the highest grossing Chinese film of all time in Malaysia Ip Man 4 The Finale becomes third highest grossing Chinese film at North American box office in five years Donnie Yen Was Almost in Aquaman IGN com 12 March 2020 Retrieved 13 March 2020 Fleming Mike Jr 3 June 2021 Donnie Yen Joins Keanu Reeves In Lionsgate s John Wick 4 Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on 29 June 2021 Retrieved 1 July 2021 The Many Talents Of Donnie Yen Asian Journal USA 10 October 2022 Retrieved 23 June 2023 Mark Bow sim 1980 Advanced Sword Mark Bow sim 1981 Wushu Basic Training Donnie Yen The Next Martial Arts Icon Goldsea Asian American 21 September 2012 Retrieved 11 May 2015 Jiu Jitsu with a Chinese Touch in Movies Gracie Magazine 13 October 2011 Retrieved 13 October 2011 Questions with Flash Point Star Donnie Yen Rotten Tomatoes Retrieved 17 December 2011 甄子丹对 叶问 票房无信心 耍咏春拳赚口碑 网网网络 Archived 28 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine 叶问前传 首映 叶准改口赞甄子丹学咏春很快Ip Chun says Yen learns Wing Chun Fast 人民网 People s news People s Daily Archived from the original on 30 September 2011 Retrieved 17 December 2011 Donnie Yen s Philosophy Donnie Yen s Official website Donnieyen com Archived from the original on 3 December 2011 Retrieved 17 December 2011 Interview Donnie Yen on Flash Point s Revolutionary Choreography Wu Jing Org Archived from the original on 29 December 2011 Retrieved 17 December 2011 Donnie Yen the last Dragon Fighting Master Archived from the original on 20 May 2015 Retrieved 21 May 2015 Jet Li talks Donnie Yen and Jackie Chan feels that his films may have misled youngsters to learn martial arts People cn Retrieved 8 December 2015 Jackie Chan says Donnie Yen is legit Wemedia Retrieved 2 February 2017 UFC s Cung Le Talks with World Wushu Champion Alfred Hsing about Donnie Yen and Mixed Martial Arts Validated Response Retrieved 21 May 2015 Donnie Yen Fractures Mike Tyson s Finger While Shooting IP MAN 3 Twitchfilms Archived from the original on 22 May 2015 Retrieved 24 January 2016 Zhang Rui 20 May 2015 Kung fu star Donnie Yen breaks Mike Tyson s finger China Internet Information Center Archived from the original on 23 May 2015 Retrieved 18 November 2021 Donnie Yen Quotes San Francisco Bay Guardian 3 December 2008 Retrieved 14 May 2015 Donnie Yen Making New Moves for Return of Chen Zhen Wu Jing org 27 May 2010 Archived from the original on 31 May 2010 Retrieved 27 May 2010 Donnie Yen Returns for an Interview I m Chen Zhen Put Ip Man Behind Wu Jing org 22 September 2010 Archived from the original on 25 September 2010 Retrieved 22 September 2010 34th Hong Kong Film Awards Nomination and Winner list HKFAA 19 April 2015 Retrieved 20 April 2015 Donnie Yen Fitness Routine 11 July 2011 Archived from the original on 18 September 2016 Retrieved 7 July 2016 Donnie Yen Bringing Ip Man to life Wing Chun illustrated 15 April 2013 Retrieved 7 July 2016 Grandmaster Yip Man Plot Revealed at Shanghai Press Conference Wu Jing org 14 July 2008 Archived from the original on 10 May 2008 Retrieved 7 July 2016 陈嘉上再拍 陈真 甄子丹替下李连杰 sohu com 4 April 2009 Retrieved 15 August 2011 Donnie Yen Feeling Pressured to be The Lost Bladesman Wu Jing org Archived 10 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine Donnie Yen Asked to Lose 30 Pounds for Ip Man 3 Jayne Stars 6 March 2015 Retrieved 7 July 2016 Donnie Yen Instagram Post Body Transformation for xXx 3 Donnie Yen Instagram 1 June 2016 Retrieved 7 July 2016 a b Wai Yee Yip 16 January 2016 Donnie Yen s secret to a happy marriage listen to his wife The Straits Times Donnie Yen Owes Nothing to His Ex Wife Jayne Stars 30 November 2012 Donnie Yen would love to compete in UFC Reddit 22 September 2016 Retrieved 21 September 2016 Donnie Yen amp Cissy Wang support Asia new charity online platform Go Asia www go asia to prove to the world that Every Act Counts Dot Asia www dot asia 27 July 2012 Retrieved 14 February 2018 Donnie Yen is a Guest Speaker on We Day We Day 23 October 2014 Archived from the original on 15 March 2015 Retrieved 12 May 2015 Donnie Yen identified as Ip Man in refugee camps Bendijin 2 March 2015 Archived from the original on 18 May 2015 Retrieved 12 May 2015 Donnie Yen to set up Charitable Organization after vindication Sina Cn 3 December 2015 Retrieved 6 December 2015 Ip Man star Donnie Yen donates HK 1 million to frontline medical workers in Wuhan South China Morning Post 19 February 2020 Retrieved 3 March 2019 Hong Kong professionals join mainland China advisory body with Xia set to bow out South China Morning Post 18 January 2023 Retrieved 13 March 2023 Chu Karen 17 June 2021 Shanghai Donnie Yen Describes Shooting Fight Scenes with Mike Tyson as a Near Death Experience The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved 13 March 2023 Mok Lea 6 March 2023 Hong Kong actor Donnie Yen s Oscar invitation sparks backlash petition Hong Kong Free Press HKFP Retrieved 6 March 2023 Further reading EditJuul Matt Rogue One A Star Wars Story s Donnie Yen Talks Boston Roots The martial arts movie icon opens up about joining the Star Wars universe his connection to Boston and more Boston magazine December 14 2016 External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Donnie Yen nbsp Hong Kong portal nbsp Film portalOfficial website Donnie Yen at IMDb An Action Star Moves to the Lead New York Times article Donnie Yen profile page at Hong Kong Cinemagic Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Donnie Yen amp oldid 1174366564, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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