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Donnie Yen

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
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
CitizenshipHong Kong (1963–1974, 2009–present)
United States (1974–2010)[1][2]
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 Edit this at Wikidata

Donnie Yen Chi-tan (Chinese: 甄子丹; born 27 July 1963) is a Hong Kong[3] actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and action director.[4][5] 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, namely 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).[6] 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).[7]

In television, Yen starred as Chen Zhen in the television series Fist of Fury (1995). He later reprised the role 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.[8] In 2019, he was inducted into the Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame.[9]

  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. ^ "The 10 Best Kung Fu Movies of the 1990s". Screen Rant. 7 September 2024.
  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".

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