Donnie Yen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Donnie Yen
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甄子丹
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Yen attending the Hong Kong Derby 2024 raceday as the "BMW Hong Kong Derby Ambassador" at the Sha Tin Racecourse
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| Member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office March 2023 |
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Donnie Yen Chi-tan
27 July 1963 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China |
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| Citizenship | United States (1974–2010) China (2009–present) |
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| Height | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Children | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Awards | Full list | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Chinese | 甄子丹 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Donnie Yen Chi-tan (Chinese: 甄子丹; born 27 July 1963) is a famous Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, and martial artist. He is also known for directing action scenes in movies. Donnie Yen has won many awards, including three Golden Horse Awards and five Hong Kong Film Awards.
He is very well known for playing the Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man in the Ip Man film series. These movies include Ip Man (2008), Ip Man 2 (2010), Ip Man 3 (2015), and Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019). He also helped produce a spin-off movie called Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018).
Donnie Yen was born in Guangdong, China. He became interested in martial arts when he was young. He tried out different styles like tai chi and other traditional Chinese martial arts. When he was 18, he auditioned for a famous action choreographer named Yuen Woo-ping in Hong Kong.
His first main role was in the 1984 Hong Kong martial arts film Drunken Tai Chi. He became widely known for his role as General Nap-lan in Once Upon a Time in China II (1992). In this movie, he fought against Jet Li's character. He also appeared in other Hong Kong kung fu films, such as Iron Monkey (1993) and Wing Chun (1994). In 1997, he directed his first film, Legend of the Wolf.
Donnie Yen started working in American films with Highlander: Endgame (2000). He also had a small role in Blade II (2002). Later, he appeared in American movies like Shanghai Knights (2003), Rogue One (2016), XXX: Return of Xander Cage (2017), Mulan (2020), and John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023).
He has also continued to make movies in Hong Kong. Some of his well-known Hong Kong films include Hero (2002), SPL: Sha Po Lang (2005), 14 Blades (2010), Wu Xia (2011), Kung Fu Jungle (2014), Chasing the Dragon (2017), Enter the Fat Dragon (2020), Raging Fire (2021), and Sakra (2023).
On television, Donnie Yen played Chen Zhen in the series Fist of Fury (1995). He played this character again in the 2010 movie Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen.
Many people say that Donnie Yen helped make Wing Chun popular in China because of his role as Ip Man. Besides Kung fu, especially Wing Chun, he is also known for adding mixed martial arts (MMA) moves to his fight scenes. In 1997, he started his own production company called Bullet Films. This company choreographed action for big Hollywood movies like Blade II (2002) and Stormbreaker (2006).
Contents
Early Life and Martial Arts Journey
Donnie Yen was born on July 27, 1963, in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. His mother, Bow-sim Mark, is a grandmaster of Fu Style Wudangquan and Tai Chi. His father, Klyster Yen, was a newspaper editor. When Donnie was two, his family moved to Hong Kong. They later moved to the United States, settling in Boston when he was 11.
His younger sister, Chris Yen, is also a martial artist and actress. She appeared in the 2007 film Adventures of Johnny Tao: Rock Around the Dragon.
From a young age, Donnie was influenced by his mother. He became interested in martial arts and tried many different styles. These included t'ai chi and other traditional Chinese martial arts. He started Karate when he was nine. At 14, he began to seriously practice Wushu after leaving school.
His parents were worried about him spending too much time in Boston's "Combat Zone." So, they sent him to Beijing for a four-year training program. He trained with the Beijing Wushu Team.
When Donnie Yen decided to return to the United States, he stopped in Hong Kong. There, he met the famous action choreographer Yuen Woo-ping. Donnie also started learning Taekwondo around the age of sixteen.
Donnie Yen's family also loved music. His mother is a singer and a martial arts teacher. His father plays the violin. Donnie learned to play musical instruments, including the piano, from a young age. He also knows Hip-Hop Dancing and Breakdancing.
Donnie Yen's Film Career
Starting in Movies (1980s-1990s)
Donnie Yen's first main role in a movie was in 1984. It was in the film Drunken Tai Chi.
After making Drunken Tai Chi and Tiger Cage (1988), he became famous. This happened with his role as General Nap-lan in Once Upon a Time in China II (1992). This movie had a famous fight scene between him and Jet Li. Donnie Yen also starred in Iron Monkey in 1993.
Yen and Li worked together again in the 2002 film Hero. Yen played a spear fighter who fought Li's character. The film was nominated for an award at the Academy Awards.
In 1995, Donnie Yen played Chen Zhen in the TV series Fist of Fury. This show was based on a 1972 film starring Bruce Lee. Yen played Chen Zhen again in the 2010 movie Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen.
In 1997, Yen started his own film company, Bullet Films. He directed his first films, Legend of the Wolf (1997) and Ballistic Kiss (1998). He also played the main character in these movies. At 34, he faced financial difficulties because his films, though praised, did not earn much money.
Becoming a Star (2000s)
Donnie Yen later went back to the United States. He was asked to choreograph fight scenes for Hollywood films. These included Highlander: Endgame (2000) and Blade II (2002). His fight choreography was so good that he was given small roles in both movies.
In 2002, Jet Li was filming Hero. Li insisted that Donnie Yen play the role of Sky, his opponent. This was because of Yen's amazing martial arts skills. Li personally asked Yen to come back from Hollywood for the movie. This was their second film together since Once Upon a Time in China II. In 2003, Yen played a villain against Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson in Shanghai Knights.
Donnie Yen choreographed most of the fight moves for the 2004 video game Onimusha 3. He continued to work in Hong Kong films in the 2000s. He starred in Seven Swords and SPL: Sha Po Lang in 2005. Both films were shown at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival. Later that year, Yen starred with Nicholas Tse and Shawn Yue in Dragon Tiger Gate. Yen also worked as an action choreographer for Stormbreaker.
Yen kept working with director Wilson Yip in Flash Point (2007). He was the main actor, producer, and action choreographer for this film. He won awards for Best Action Choreography for his work in Flash Point.
In 2008, Yen starred in Ip Man. This movie was about the real-life Wing Chun master, Ip Man, who taught Bruce Lee. Ip Man was a huge success. It became the highest-earning film starring Donnie Yen at that time.
Big Roles and Global Fame (2010s)
In 2010, Ip Man 2 was released, also directed by Wilson Yip. Donnie Yen was offered a role in The Expendables 2 but turned it down. He wanted to try different types of movies. In 2011, he took on two comedy roles in All's Well, Ends Well 2011 and All's Well, Ends Well 2012. Both movies were successful.
Yen took a six-month break in 2011 after filming The Monkey King. In this movie, he played the main character, Sun Wukong. He said he wanted to spend more time with his family. In 2012, Yen returned to movies. He filmed Special ID, playing an undercover cop and also choreographing the action. In 2013, he starred in Iceman, a sci-fi action film. He confirmed that MMA would be used in both films.
In 2013, Donnie Yen was asked to play the lead role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny. He was worried about following such a classic film. However, he accepted the role of Silent Wolf alongside Michelle Yeoh. The movie was filmed in English and Mandarin. Yen was also considered for a remake of Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai but declined due to his busy schedule with Ip Man 3. In 2013, Yen earned a lot of money from his films and advertisements.
In 2015, Ip Man 3 was announced. Yen played Ip Man again. Former boxing champion Mike Tyson joined the cast. Yen was excited to work with Tyson, and Tyson praised Yen's martial arts skills. Filming began in March 2015, and the movie was released in late 2015 and early 2016 to good reviews.
In 2016, Yen co-starred in the Star Wars film Rogue One. He played Chirrut Îmwe, a blind warrior. In February 2016, it was confirmed that Yen would play Xiang in XXX: Return of Xander Cage. For this movie, Paramount Pictures focused on promoting Yen in China and Asia. They put him first on movie posters. This helped the film become very successful in China. Yen's performances in both Rogue One and XXX: Return of Xander Cage were highly praised. In a Star Wars poll, Chirrut Îmwe was voted the favorite Rogue One character.
While filming XXX: Return of Xander Cage, Donnie Yen received many offers from Hollywood. He also accepted a role in the Hong Kong film Chasing the Dragon. In this movie, he played a villain, a different kind of role for him. The film was released in 2017 and received positive reviews. Critics praised Yen's acting skills.
In 2017, Jet Li and Alibaba CEO Jack Ma asked Yen to be in a short martial arts film called Gong Shou Dao. This film aimed to promote a new form of tai chi. Yen canceled his vacation to take part, refusing any payment. He wanted to help promote Chinese martial arts worldwide. The film was released on China's Singles' Day and received over 100 million views. Viewers especially liked Yen's speed and technique. In late 2017, Yen began filming Big Brother. In this film, he plays a high school teacher who uses unusual methods.
In 2017, a live-action movie based on the video game Sleeping Dogs was announced. Yen was set to play the main character, Wei Shen. In 2019, Yen played Ip Man again in Ip Man 4: The Finale. Despite some calls for a boycott during the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests, the film was a big box office success. It became the highest-grossing Chinese film in Malaysia and one of the highest in North America.
Recent Work (2020s)
In March 2020, during the promotion for Disney's Mulan, Yen said he had been offered roles in Warner Brothers' Justice League and Aquaman. He turned them down due to scheduling conflicts. The role he was offered went to Willem Dafoe. Yen joined the cast of John Wick: Chapter 4, which was released in March 2023. Both Yen and the film received good reviews. In May 2024, it was reported that Yen would star in a John Wick spin-off movie about his character, Caine.
Martial Arts Style and Philosophy
Donnie Yen describes himself as a mixed martial artist. He learned Shaolin Kung Fu and Wudang quan from his mother when he was young. As a teenager, he learned Taekwondo and earned a 6th-degree black belt. He was invited to train at the Beijing Sports Institute in China. This is where he first met Jet Li.
When he returned to the United States, Yen won gold medals in various wushu competitions.
Yen continued to learn about other martial arts styles. He earned black and purple belts in Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He also studied Parkour, Wrestling, Muay Thai, Kickboxing, and Boxing. His knowledge of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) grew when he was in the United States from 2000 to 2003. He used this new knowledge in films like SPL: Sha Po Lang (2005), Flash Point (2007), and Special ID (2013).
In late 2007, Yen learned a new martial art for his role as Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man. He studied Wing Chun under Ip Man's eldest son, Ip Chun, for nine months. Ip Chun praised Yen for his effort and his quick understanding of Wing Chun.
Donnie Yen believes that combining many martial arts creates the most effective style. He says that when you watch his films, you can feel his passion. He believes in practical fighting, and he thinks MMA is the most real type of combat.
As a teenager, Yen was a rebel because of the high expectations from his parents. His mother founded a Chinese Wushu Research Institute. His father was a scholar and musician. Yen joined a gang in Chinatown, Boston, when he was young. He was curious and wanted to learn from people with different martial arts backgrounds. This helped him gain deep knowledge in practical martial arts. He also became known as a strong street fighter.
Other martial arts stars like Jackie Chan and Jet Li have said that Donnie Yen might be the best fighter in Asian cinema for practical combat.
World-class fighters, such as Cung Le (a former MMA champion) and Mike Tyson (a former boxing champion), have worked with Donnie Yen. Both have said that Yen is an amazing martial artist. While filming Ip Man 3, Donnie Yen accidentally fractured Mike Tyson's finger during a fight scene. Tyson insisted on finishing the scene before getting medical help.
Action Choreography Work
Donnie Yen is considered one of the best action choreographers in the world. Hollywood has invited him to choreograph for big movies like Blade II, Highlander: Endgame, and Shanghai Knights. In Asia, he choreographs most of his own movies and has won many awards for it.
His most famous choreography work includes films like Flash Point and SPL: Sha Po Lang. Yen has explained that in Asia, the action choreographer takes charge during fight scenes. This means they control camera angles and how the action fits with the story. In Hollywood, the choreographer works with the director, who still has full control.
Yen's choreography has won him the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Action Choreography four times. He also won the Golden Horse Award for Best Action Choreography in 2008 and 2011.
For the 2010 film Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen, Yen added Jeet Kune Do moves. This was a tribute to Bruce Lee, who played Chen Zhen in the 1972 film. He also used many MMA elements and Wing Chun in the film. Yen said that Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do is similar to MMA, so mixing martial arts was important for the movie.
He has won awards for his choreography in films such as The Twins Effect, SPL: Sha Po Lang, Flash Point, and Kung Fu Jungle. He also helped choreograph Ip Man, Ip Man 2, and Bodyguards and Assassins, though he was not officially credited.
Physical Fitness and Role Transformations
Donnie Yen is known for his great physical fitness, strength, and speed. He achieves this through a very strict and disciplined fitness plan.
He is also known for how much effort he puts into changing his body for roles. In 2007, Yen lost over 14 kg (30 pounds) to weigh 54 kg (120 pounds). This was to better play the slender Ip Man and show Wing Chun's focus on technique, not just strength. He did this by eating a very strict diet, mostly vegetables.
In 2010, after Ip Man 2, Yen played Chen Zhen in Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen. He had to regain his muscular body for this role. It took him six months of careful diet and exercise. He kept this muscular build for The Lost Bladesman, where he played Guan Yu, a Chinese general known for his size.
In 2015, Yen became less muscular again for Ip Man 3. He also did this for his role as the blind warrior Chirrut Îmwe in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. For his role as Xiang in XXX: Return of Xander Cage, Yen built his muscles back up.
Personal Life and Charity Work
Donnie Yen met his first wife, Leung Zing-ci, in 1990. They married in 1993 but divorced less than a year later. Their son, Jeff, was born in 1995.
In 2003, Yen married former beauty queen Cissy Wang after three months of dating. They have two children, Jasmine and James.
Donnie Yen is a big fan of the MMA organization Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He has watched almost every UFC event. He has said he would have loved to compete in the UFC if he didn't have a recurring shoulder injury.
Helping Others (Philanthropic Work)
In 2012, Donnie Yen and his wife Cissy started Go.Asia. This is an online charity platform that encourages people to help their local communities.
In October 2014, Yen was a guest speaker at We Day Vancouver. He spoke to 20,000 young people about the challenges he faced growing up and how he overcame them.
In 2015, Yen visited refugee camps in Thailand. He brought donations and gifts for the refugees. Yen is an ambassador for the international charity Save the Children.
In December 2015, Yen created the Yen's Honour Protection Fund. This fund helps celebrities use the law to protect their reputation. Yen said the fund aims to help anyone who needs it and to heal their dignity. He started this fund after winning a lawsuit against someone who spread false information about him and threatened his family.
In February 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, Yen donated HK$1 million to medical workers in Wuhan, China. He also made a short video to thank all medical workers in China. He uploaded the video on Chinese social media, where he has over 11 million followers. He also donated a painting he made with his children to the medical workers.
Involvement in Politics
In 2023, Donnie Yen was chosen to be a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. This group advises the Chinese government. He said he is a Chinese patriot and wants his Hollywood film roles to show Chinese people in a positive way.
Yen described the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests as a "riot."
Filmography
Awards and Recognition
Donnie Yen has received many awards and nominations throughout his career for his acting and action choreography. He has won multiple Best Action Choreography awards and Best Action Choreography awards. He has also won awards for Best Actor at festivals like the Beijing College Student Film Festival and the 3rd Macau International Movie Festival. In 2017, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Foshan Film Awards.
See also
In Spanish: Donnie Yen para niños
