Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen, also known as Yen Ji-dan, is a Hong Kong actor, Chinese martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer, and multiple-time world wushu tournament champion...
NationalityChinese
ProfessionMovie Actor
Date of Birth27 July 1963
CityYuexiu District, China
CountryChina
actors life-experience draws
Like any other actor, I draw on life experience.
fun numbers actors
I love working with older actors because number one, I can learn so much from them because they have so much experience. And it's fun to hear their stories from their era, some of the jokes.
blessing roles actors
It's a blessing to be given a variety of roles to what I call an iconic action actor like myself.
waiting-around actors wonder
I always used to wonder why American actors were getting fat, then I made a U.S. movie. I'm seeing all the food every day, and there's lots of waiting around because making an American movie is very slow.
fighting actors bows
If you're playing a cop in a modern film, you don't have to walk with your spine straight up and bow before a fight. There's a lot of free form of expressing yourself as an actor.
actors elements dynamics
From my experience as an actor, choreographer, action director, and producer, I understand the elements and the dynamics of being a film maker.
looks actors action
When audiences look at an action actor like myself, sometimes we are very easily stereotyped or characterized as one type. They forget that we are actors, too.
aspect attractive audience average certain criminal fantasize fantasy films following huge money movies people possess power surreal watch
Police/gangster films always have a huge following and huge audience because of the power, glamour, and certain fantasy aspect they have to them. When people watch movies, they like to fantasize being in a surreal world, and sometimes a criminal world can be attractive because you possess so much power and money, not like the average 9 to 5 guy.
bigger care family girls guys husband kung love man mine normally turned women
Many friends of mine told me that normally only guys like a kung fu movie and the girls would be turned off - they want to see a love story. But Ip Man is a family man, so the women see this and go: 'I want my husband to be like this man. He'll be a scholar, he'll be fighting, he'll care for the family.' So we had a bigger audience.
movement moments feels
For me, I like to have explosive moments, whether it is a particular movement itself in the whole sequence. I like to have shocking moments; for audiences to feel, like, 'Whoa!' It's always been my forte.
art people acting
A lot of people don't realize, when you are acting in a martial arts film, you're not just performing martial arts. You're not just performing martial arts. You're actually acting as much as any other actor.
moving directors cameras
An action choreographer is kind of like a dance choreographer. You choreograph the moves and you let the director, cinematographer take into positioning their cameras.
country men years
For years, I looked to Bruce Lee as a mentor as being a Chinese and Asian man living in this country.
gestures way example
A period film, where you, for example, where you have a traditional wardrobes, you are bound to act a certain way. But in a modern film, a lot of body gesture.