Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 20:18, 3 October 2024

Donnie Yen
甄子丹
Yen attending the Hong Kong Derby 2024 raceday as the "BMW Hong Kong Derby Ambassador" at the Sha Tin Racecourse
Member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
Incumbent
Assumed office March 2023
Personal details
Born	(1963-07-27) 27 July 1963 (age 61) Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Citizenship	Hong Kong (1963–1974, 2009–present) United States (1974–2010)
Spouses	Leung Zing-ci ​ ​(m. 1993; div. 1994)​ Cissy Wang ​(m. 2003)​
Children	3
Parents	Klyster Yen (father) Bow-sim Mark (mother)
Occupation	Actor martial artist action director and choreographer film director producer
Awards	Full list
Website	www.donnieyen.asia

Donnie Yen Chi-tan (Chinese: 甄子丹; born 27 July 1963) is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and action director. He is the recipient of various accolades, including three Golden Horse Awards and five Hong Kong Film Awards. He is best known for portraying Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man in the Ip Man film series, loosely based on the life events of the Wing Chun master of the same name. For that series, he starred in Ip Man (2008), Ip Man 2 (2010), Ip Man 3 (2015), and Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019). He also served as co-producer for the spin-off Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018).

Born in Guangdong, Yen developed an interest in martial arts at a young age, and began experimenting with various styles, including tai chi and other traditional Chinese martial arts. At age 18, he auditioned for action choreographer Yuen Woo-ping in Hong Kong. He landed his first starring role in the 1984 Hong Kong martial arts action film Drunken Tai Chi. He made his breakthrough role as the antagonist General Nap-lan in Once Upon a Time in China II (1992), opposite Jet Li. He went on to appear in several other notable Hong Kong kung fu films, including Iron Monkey (1993) and Wing Chun (1994). In 1997, he starred in his directorial debut film Legend of the Wolf.

Yen made his American debut in Highlander: Endgame (2000), followed by a cameo in Blade II (2002). He continued to be active in Hong Kong cinema in the 2000s, appearing in the critically acclaimed wuxia film as the antagonist Long Sky in Hero (2002), opposite Li once again. In 2003, he played the antagonist Wu Chow in the American action comedy film Shanghai Knights, opposite Jackie Chan. He later appeared in the American films Rogue One (2016), XXX: Return of Xander Cage (2017), Mulan (2020), and John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023).

In television, Yen starred as Chen Zhen in the television series Fist of Fury (1995). He later reprised his role as Chen Zhen in the 2010 film Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen. For portraying Ip Man in the Ip Man film series (2008-2019), Yen is credited by many for contributing to the popularisation of Wing Chun in China. In 2019, he was inducted into the Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame.

Early life

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. When he was 2 years old, his family moved to Hong Kong and then to the United States when he was 11 years old, settling in Boston. He attended Newton North High School.

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 tai chi and other traditional Chinese martial arts. At age 16, Yen began practising Wushu after his parents sent him to Beijing to train with the Beijing Wushu Team.

At age 18, when Yen was returning to the United States to visit his family, he made a stop in Hong Kong, where he met and auditioned for action choreographer Yuen Woo-ping.

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. From a young age, he was taught by his parents to play musical instruments, including the piano.

Career

Beginnings to the 1990s

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 (portrayed by Jet Li). 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. 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 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 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

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. In 2002, 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 10 years earlier back in 1992. In 2003, Yen portrayed the antagonist named Wu Chow against Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson in Shanghai Knights.

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.

2010s

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. Later on, Yen revealed to the Hong Kong media that he had rejected the role. 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 Li once again, in which the film was released during the Chinese New Year period in January 2014, he explained that he wanted to spend more time with his family and be with his children more as they grew up. 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.

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." 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. 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. 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.

In late March 2015, Ip Man 3 was announced. Yen reprised his role as the titular character, Bruce Lee's wing chun master, Ip Man. Retired boxer and former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson was confirmed to join the cast. 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. Principal photography for Ip Man 3 began on 25 March 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.

In 2016, Yen co-starred in the Star Wars anthology film Rogue One as Chirrut Îmwe, the Zatoichi-like blind transient warrior. On 12 February 2016, it was confirmed that Yen would once again replace 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). 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. Paramount's efforts worked very well in China. The film was number one in its opening weekend with $61.9 million, 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. 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. 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.

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. 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.

In 2017, Yen received a call from 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 tai chi as an Olympic sport in the future. 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. 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. 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.

In 2017, a live-action film adaption of the video game Sleeping Dogs was announced, with Yen playing the lead character Wei Shen. In February 2018, Yen confirmed the continued production of the film through social media. 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. Nonetheless, the film was a box office success, grossing over three times its budget of $52 million 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.

2020s

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. Yen joined the cast of John Wick: Chapter 4, which was released in March 2023. Yen and the film both received rave reviews from critics, with many considering Yen both a highlight of the film and his performance being one of the best in his career.

In May 2024, it was reported that Yen would star in a John Wick spinoff movie around his assassin character Cain.

Martial arts history, style and philosophy

Yen has exemplified his aptitude, expertise, and skill in an array of combat and martial arts disciplines, 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, wudangquan, Wing Chun, and Wushu.

Yen describes himself as a mixed martial artist. He learned Shaolin kung fu and wudangquan from a young age under his mother's tutelage. 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. Upon his return to the United States, Yen won gold medals in various wushu competitions.

Over the course of his life, Yen would subsequently embark on a quest to explore and acquire expertise in various other forms of martial arts disciplines; 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 the combat sport 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 in preparation for subsequent and future film roles. Yen's progress was evident when he returned to the East Asian film industry, 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. 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. With the huge success of the Ip Man films both critically and commercially, Yen has been credited by many for contributing to the popularisation of Wing Chun in China.

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." He believes in practical combat, and in his opinion, MMA is the most authentic type of practical combat.

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.

Other martial arts film 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 East Asian cinematic universe.

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. 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. Tyson insisted on finishing the scene before he was treated in hospital.

Action choreography

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. Throughout the East Asian cinematic universe, he remained the principal 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 East Asian styles of filmmaking and Hollywood are with regards to freedom and control. In the East Asian film industry, the action choreographer takes over the scene during the fight scene. This means that for action scenes filmed in East 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.

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 the American actor and martial artist Bruce Lee, who played Chen Zhen in the 1972 film Fist of Fury. Furthermore, he incorporated many MMA elements in the film, coupled with the use 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.

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.

Bodybuilding and transformation for roles

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

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. He did so through a very strict regimen of limiting himself to a plain diet consisting mainly of vegetables.

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. 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.

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. For his role as Xiang in XXX: Return of Xander Cage opposite Vin Diesel, Yen rebuilt his physique.

Personal life

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.

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

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.

Philanthropic work

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

In October 2014, 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.

In 2015, Yen visited refugee camps in Thailand, bringing donations and gifts for the refugees. 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 " 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.

In February 2020, in light of the coronavirus pandemic in China and the rest of the world, 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.

Politics

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. He stated that he was a Chinese patriot and requested that his film roles in Hollywood must positively represent the Chinese.

Yen said of the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests that "It wasn’t a protest it was a riot."

Filmography

Awards and nominations

References

1. "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.
2. "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.
3. "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.
4. ^ Lim, Dennis (23 January 2011). "Enter the Teacher to the Dragon of Martial Arts Films". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
5. Berwick, Stephan (23 December 2000). "Donnie Yen: The Evolution of an American Martial Artist". Kung Fu Magazine. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
6. https://screenrant.com/kung-fu-movies-martial-arts-best-1990s/
7. ^ Grobar, Matt (15 May 2024). "Donnie Yen To Reprise As 'John Wick: Chapter 4's Blind Assassin Caine In Standalone Lionsgate Film". Deadline. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
8. Zhang, Rui (1 December 2016). "Donnie Yen leaves hand and foot prints in Hollywood- China.org.cn". china.org.cn. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
9. "Hall of Fame".
10. "Donnie Yen Biography (1963–)". Biography. Film Reference. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
11. "Donnie Yen Biography". Biography. Starpulse. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
12. Donnie Yen 甄子丹 (20 July 2014). "Visited my old high school in Boston!". Retrieved 11 March 2023 – via Facebook.
13. ^ Franklin-Wallis, Oliver (28 February 2023). "Hong Kong's Ageless Action Hero". GQ. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
14. ="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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
15. "Donnie Yen Biography". DonnieYen.Net. Archived from the original on 4 August 2011. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
16. "Donnie Yen shows off his moves...on the Piano!!". 23 December 2009. Archived from the original on 8 November 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
17. "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.
18. "A Grandmaster, Practice Makes Perfect, January 8, 2016". Business Weekly Taiwan. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
19. HKMDB
20. "China Box Office January 12–18, 2009". Box Office statistics. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
21. "Hong Kong Box Office, December 18–21, 2008". Box Office statistics. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
22. 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.
23. "Donnie Yen rejects Expendables 2". 411mania. 21 August 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
24. 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.
25. Young, Al (18 May 2010). "Donnie Yen is The Monkey King". ScreenAnarchy. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
26. Leeder, Mike (19 February 2013). "Donnie Yen: Special Identity". Impact Online. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
27. "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.
28. 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.
29. 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.
30. Yahoo News Singapore (22 May 2013). "Donnie Yen in Akira Kurosawa remake". Yahoo News Singapore. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
31. "Louis Koo is highest earning actor of 2013". Yahoo! News Asia. 25 December 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
32. 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.
33. PR News Wire (8 May 2015). "Mike Tyson Joins 'Ip Man 3' To Fight With Donnie Yen". PR News Wire. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
34. "Rogue One—The Daring Mission Has Begun: Cast and Crew Announced". StarWars.com. 15 August 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
35. 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.
36. "Vin Diesel / photos". 12 February 2016. Archived from the original on 16 November 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2016 – via Facebook.
37. "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.
38. Marsh, James (12 February 2016). "Donnie Yen In, Jet Li Out Of XXX: THE RETURN OF XANDER CAGE". Twitch. Archived from the original on 13 February 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
39. 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.
40. 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.
41. Papish, Jonathan (14 February 2017). "V-Day Box Office: La La, XXX Win ♥♥♥". China Film Insider.
42. Tartaglione, Nancy (15 February 2017). "'XXX: Return Of Xander Cage' China Box Office Muscles Past $100M In First 6 Days". Deadline Hollywood.
43. Marsh, James (19 January 2017). "xXx: Return of Xander Cage Review". Screen Anarchy. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
44. Barker, Andrew (19 January 2017). "Film review: xXx: Return of Xander Cage". Variety. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
45. Star Wars (18 May 2017). "Star Wars: Who is your favorite Rogue One Character". Star Wars. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
46. 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.
47. "Film review: Chasing the Dragon – Runner up beating The Foreiger as Runner Up for China's National Holiday releases". Sina Corp. 19 October 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
48. 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.
49. Jet Li FB Admin (12 November 2017). "Gong Shou Dao Full Movie". Retrieved 28 November 2017 – via Facebook.
50. "Gong Shou Dao – Donnie Yen wins popularity poll". Sina Corp. 28 November 2017. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
51. Bona, JJ (1 November 2017). "Donnie Yen to deliver MMA in Kam Kar-wai's 'Big Brother'?". cityonfire.com. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
52. Busch, Anita (2 March 2017). "Donnie Yen To Headline 'Sleeping Dogs' For Neal Moritz's Original Film". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
53. "Star Wars' Donnie Yen says Sleeping Dogs movie in production". Eurogamer. 5 February 2018.
54. "China Box Office: 'Rise of Skywalker' Fizzles While 'Ip Man 4' Keeps Packing Punches". 30 December 2019.
55. 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.
56. "Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019)". The Numbers. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
57. "'Ip Man 4' is the highest grossing Chinese film of all time in Malaysia".
58. "'Ip Man 4: The Finale' becomes third highest grossing Chinese film at North American box office in five years".
59. "Donnie Yen Was Almost in Aquaman". IGN.com. 12 March 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
60. 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.
61. Vlessing, Etan (15 May 2024). "Donnie Yen to Star in 'John Wick' Caine Spinoff Movie". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
62. "The Many Talents Of Donnie Yen – Asian Journal USA". 10 October 2022. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
63. Mark, Bow-sim (1980). Advanced Sword.
64. Mark, Bow-sim (1981). Wushu Basic Training.
65. "Donnie Yen: The Next Martial Arts Icon". Goldsea Asian American. 21 September 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
66. "Jiu-Jitsu with a Chinese Touch in Movies". Gracie Magazine. 13 October 2011. Archived from the original on 6 July 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
67. "Questions with Flash Point Star Donnie Yen". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
68. 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
69. "《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.
70. Mike, Miller (12 December 2016). "Why Rogue One Star Donnie Yen Performed All of His Amazing Fight Scenes 'Blind'". People. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
71. Zhang, Rui (1 December 2016). "Donnie Yen leaves hand and foot prints in Hollywood- China.org.cn". china.org.cn. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
72. "Donnie Yen's Philosophy | Donnie Yen's Official website". Donnieyen.com. Archived from the original on 3 December 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
73. "Interview: Donnie Yen on Flash Point's Revolutionary Choreography". Wu Jing.Org. Archived from the original on 29 December 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
74. "Donnie Yen, the last Dragon". Fighting Master. Archived from the original on 20 May 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
75. "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.
76. "Jackie Chan says Donnie Yen is legit". Wemedia. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
77. "UFC's Cung Le Talks with World Wushu Champion Alfred Hsing about Donnie Yen and Mixed Martial Arts". Validated Response. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
78. "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.
79. 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.
80. "Donnie Yen Quotes". San Francisco Bay Guardian. 3 December 2008. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
81. "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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
82. "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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
83. "34th Hong Kong Film Awards – Nomination and Winner list". HKFAA. 19 April 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
84. "Donnie Yen Fitness Routine". 11 July 2011. Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
85. "Donnie Yen: Bringing Ip Man to life". Wing Chun illustrated. 15 April 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
86. "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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
87. "陈嘉上再拍《陈真》 甄子丹替下李连杰". sohu.com. 4 April 2009. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
88. Donnie Yen Feeling Pressured to be The Lost Bladesman – Wu-Jing.org
89. "Donnie Yen Asked to Lose 30 Pounds for 'Ip Man 3'". Jayne Stars. 6 March 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
90. "Donnie Yen Instagram Post – Body Transformation for xXx 3". Donnie Yen Instagram. 1 June 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
91. ^ Wai Yee, Yip (16 January 2016). "Donnie Yen’s secret to a happy marriage – listen to his wife". The Straits Times.
92. "Donnie Yen Owes Nothing to His Ex-Wife". Jayne Stars. 30 November 2012.
93. "Donnie Yen would love to compete in UFC". Reddit. 22 September 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
94. "Donnie Yen & 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.
95. "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.
96. "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.
97. "Donnie Yen to set up Charitable Organization after vindication". Sina.Cn. 3 December 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
98. "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.
99. "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.
100. 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.
101. Mok, Lea (6 March 2023). "Hong Kong actor Donnie Yen's Oscar invitation sparks backlash, petition". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
102. Franklin-Wallis, Oliver (28 February 2023). "Hong Kong's Ageless Action Hero". GQ. Retrieved 4 October 2023.

Further reading

• 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, 14 December 2016.

External links

• Official website
• Donnie Yen at IMDb
• "An Action Star Moves to the Lead," New York Times article
• Donnie Yen profile page Archived 24 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine at Hong Kong Cinemagic

• 1963 births
• Living people
• 20th-century Hong Kong male actors
• 21st-century Hong Kong male actors
• Action choreographers
• Chinese Jeet Kune Do practitioners
• Chinese Wing Chun practitioners
• Film directors from Guangdong
• Hong Kong emigrants to the United States
• Hong Kong expatriates in the United States
• Hong Kong film directors
• Hong Kong film producers
• Hong Kong hapkido practitioners
• Hong Kong kung fu practitioners
• Hong Kong male film actors
• Hong Kong male judoka
• Hong Kong male karateka
• Hong Kong male kickboxers
• Hong Kong male taekwondo practitioners
• Hong Kong male television actors
• Hong Kong martial artists
• Hong Kong Muay Thai practitioners
• Hong Kong philanthropists
• Hong Kong practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu
• Hong Kong stunt performers
• Hong Kong wushu practitioners
• Male actors from Guangdong
• Male actors from Guangzhou
• Members of the 14th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
• People who renounced United States citizenship
• Sportspeople from Guangdong
• Sportspeople from Guangzhou
• Wing Chun practitioners from Hong Kong