Donnie Yen

Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director, producer, and action choreographerTemplate:SHORTDESC:Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director, producer, and action choreographer[[Category:**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Pagetype/config' not found.**s with short description]]

Template:EngvarB
Template:Use dmy dates
Template:Chinese name

* martial artist
* film director
* producer

* Jeet Kune Do
* Boxing
* Kickboxing
* Muay Thai
* Taekwondo
* Hapkido
* Judo
* Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
* Wing Chun
* Tai Chi
* Hung Ga
* Sanda
* Karate
* Wrestling
* 6th Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo
* Black Belt in Judo
* Purple Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
* Gold Medals in Wushu Competitions

**Donnie Yen Ji-dan** (Template:Zh; born 27 July 1963) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director, producer, action choreographer, stuntman and multiple-time world wushu tournament champion.

Yen is one of Hong Kong's top action stars. Yen has displayed skill in an array of martial arts, being well-versed in Tai Chi, Boxing, Kickboxing, Jeet Kune Do, Hapkido, Taekwondo, Karate, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Wing Chun, and Wushu. One of the most popular film stars in Asia of the early 2000s, Yen is consistently one of the highest paid actors in Asia. Yen earned HK$220 million (US$28.4 million) from four films and six advertisements in 2013.

Yen is credited by many for contributing to the popularisation of Wing Chun in China. He played Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man in the 2008 film *Ip Man*, which was a box office success. This has led to an increase in the number of people taking up Wing Chun, leading to hundreds of new Wing Chun schools being opened up in mainland China and other parts of Asia. Ip Chun, the eldest son of Ip Man, even mentioned that he is grateful to Yen for making his family's art popular and allowing his father's legacy to be remembered. He has also gained international recognition for playing Chirrut Îmwe in *Rogue One: A Star Wars Story* (2016) and Xiang in *xXx: Return of Xander Cage* (2017).

## Early life

Yen was born in Guangzhou, 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 two years old, his family moved to Hong Kong and then to the United States, settling in Boston when he was 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. Yen then started kung fu when he was nine. Yen focused on practising wushu seriously at the age of fourteen after dropping out of school. His parents were concerned that he was spending too much time in Boston's Combat Zone, so they sent him to Beijing on a two-year training program with the Beijing Wushu Team. 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. Yen finally started taekwondo at around the age of sixteen.

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. He also knows hip-hop dancing and breakdancing.

## Career

### Beginnings to the '90s

Yen's first step into the film industry was in 1984 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). 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 reprised his role as Chen Zhen in the 2010 film *Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen*.

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

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, Jet Li was filming the movie *Hero* and insisted to the director 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.
In 2003, Yen played the antagonist against Jackie Chan 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*.

 File:Donnie Yen in Seoul.jpg
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.

### From 2010 to 2015

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 3D*, explaining that he wanted to spend more time with his family and be with his children more often during their growth.

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 Donnie Yen would be playing the lead role for *The Iceman Cometh 3D*, 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 abovementioned 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. Donnie Yen declined the offer due to scheduling conflicts for the filming of *Ip Man 3*.

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. Donnie Yen mentioned that he was a big fan of Mike Tyson, watched many of his professional boxing bouts, and was excited to work with him. Mike Tyson stated during a press conference that he was a huge fan of Donnie Yen and has watched the first two *Ip Man* movies 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 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 2020

In 2016, Yen co-starred in the *Star Wars* anthology film *Rogue One* as Chirrut Îmwe, the Zatoichi-like blind transient warrior. On February 12, 2016, it was confirmed that Yen would replace Jet Li in the role of Xiang in the upcoming action film *xXx: Return of Xander Cage*.

For the promotion of *xXx: Return of Xander Cage*, Paramount focused marketing efforts on Donnie 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 popular Chinese Social Media Site Weibo. Paramount's efforts worked very well in China. xXx 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 Donnie 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 *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.

 File:Donnie Yen 2012.jpg
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 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. 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, Jet Li and Jack 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 Jet 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 MMA 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.

In March 2020, as part of the press tour for Disney's live action remake of Mulan, when Yen was asked by reports whether he is interested to be in a Superhero movie, Yen revealed that he was offered a role in Warner Brothers' Justice League and Aquaman by Zack Snyder but he turned down the role due to conflicting schedules. The role offered was Nuidis Vulko which eventually went to Willem Dafoe.

## Martial arts history, style and philosophy

Yen describes himself as a mixed martial artist. He learned Tai Chi 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.

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 the art of 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. 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. 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.

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. Yen joined a Chinatown gang in Boston, MA, 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.

One reported occasion confirms Yen as being an efficient martial artist. According to news reports by Hong Kong news channels in the late 1990s, Yen was at a nightclub with his then-girlfriend, Joey Meng. Inside the nightclub, Meng was harassed by a troublesome gang that had taken an interest in her. Yen warned them to leave her alone, but they persisted to cause trouble. As Yen and Meng left the club, the gang followed and attacked Yen. Yen beat up eight members of the gang who were later hospitalized.

Malaysian Martial Arts Star Michelle Yeoh has said that Donnie Yen is the fastest martial artist she has worked with. 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.

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 afraid that Tyson, who had been a professional boxer, would forget the choreography and throw real punches to injure Yen. However, it was ultimately Yen who fractured Tyson's finger while using his elbow to block Tyson's punches.

### Action choreography

Donnie Yen was considered as 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.

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

He won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Action Choreography 4 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*. 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

 File:DY Training.jpeg
In his prime, Donnie stood at 5 feet 8 inches and weighed 165 pounds. Donnie Yen is known to be a very well-built and muscular actor. Within the Hong Kong cinematic industry, Yen is renowned for his physical fitness, strength, and speed achieved through his use of a strict and disciplined fitness regimen to build up strength and fitness.

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 30 pounds to reach the weight of 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 very delicate and dedicated diet routine. Focusing on high-protein drinks and vitamin and mineral supplements, he managed to hit 165 pounds for the role. 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: A Star Wars Story*. 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, Leung Zing-ci (梁靜慈), in 1990. The couple began dating in 1993. 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. 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, Donnie Yen and his wife Cissy Wang co-founded Go.Asia, a new online charity platform encouraging individuals to participate charity works and serve local communities.

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.

In 2015, Yen visited refugee camps in Thailand, bringing donations and gifts for the refugees. Donnie Yen is also an ambassador for the international charity known as 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.

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.

## References

1. ↑ "Donnie Yen – Biography". Internet Movie Database. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0947447/bio. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
2. ↑ "Martial arts superstar Donnie Yen reveals past financial struggles" (in en). 2019-07-14. https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3018553/hong-kong-martial-arts-superstar-donnie-yen-reveals-past.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lim, Dennis (23 January 2011). "Enter the Teacher to the Dragon of Martial Arts Films". *The New York Times*. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/movies/23ipman.html. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
4. ↑ Berwick, Stephan (23 December 2000). "Donnie Yen: The Evolution of an American Martial Artist". *Kung Fu Magazine*. http://www.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=120. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
5. ↑ Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop, August 19, 2009 "An Action Star Moves to the Lead". Retrieved 13 October 2009, Nytimes.com
6. ↑ "Donnie Yen Crossing Path With Cung Le in More Ways Than One". Wu-Jing.ORG. Archived from the original on 27 January 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120127114146/http://www.wu-jing.org/happenings/archives/748-Donnie-Yen-Crossing-Path-with-Cung-Le-in-More-Ways-than-One.html. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
7. ↑ "Louis Koo is highest earning actor of 2013". Yahoo! News Asia. 25 December 2013. http://my.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/louis-koo-highest-earning-actor-2013-042900668.html. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
8. ↑ Mike, Miller (2016-12-12). "Why Rogue One Star Donnie Yen Performed All of His Amazing Fight Scenes ‘Blind’" (in en), *PEOPLE.com*.
9. ↑ Zhang, Rui (December 1, 2016). "Donnie Yen leaves hand and foot prints in Hollywood- China.org.cn". http://www.china.org.cn/arts/2016-12/01/content\_39828464.htm.
10. ↑ "Ip Chun (葉準), 84yo wing chun legend". South China Morning Post. March 16, 2009. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6oPgV0tJrM. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
11. ↑ "叶问之子叶准 否认和甄子丹闹不合 | 联合早报Singapore". Stars.zaobao.com.sg. 20 May 2010. Archived from the original on 29 October 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121029022022/http://stars.zaobao.com.sg/pages9/zhenzidan100520.shtml. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
12. ↑ "Donnie Yen Biography (1963–)". *Biography*. Film Reference. http://www.filmreference.com/film/73/Donnie-Yen.html. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Donnie Yen Biography". *Biography*. Starpulse. http://www.starpulse.com/Actors/Yen,\_Donnie/Biography/. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
14. ↑ ="The Legend of Westernised Chen Zhen, The Piano Virtuoso". WuJing.Org. December 22, 2009. http://www.wu-jing.org/happenings/archives/754-The-Legend-of-Westernised-Chen-Zhen,-The-Piano-Virtuoso.html. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
15. ↑ "Donnie Yen Biography". DonnieYen.Net. Archived from the original on 4 August 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110804183650/http://www.donnieyen.com/biography.htm. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
16. ↑ "Donnie Yen shows off his moves...on the Piano!!". December 23, 2009. http://www.cpopaccess.com/2009/12/donnie-yen-shows-off-his-moveson-piano.html. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
17. ↑ "Mismatched Couples – Bboy Donnie Yen 1985 (Yuen Woo Ping)". YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jd3ncfHh08. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
18. ↑ "Mismatched Couples Donnie Yen dance". YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j9yWnwIEoY. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
19. ↑ "Donnie Yen breakdance". YouTube. 12 September 2006. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b\_eEP0q-7Eo. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
20. ↑ "Stephan Berwick's "The Evolution of an American Martial Artist"". *Martial Arts article*. DonnieYen.com. Archived from the original on 27 March 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090327083351/http://www.donnieyen.com/ma\_articles01.htm. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
21. ↑ "A Grandmaster, Practice Makes Perfect, January 8, 2016". *Business Weekly Taiwan*. http://www.businessweekly.com.tw/KWebArticle.aspx?id=60474. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
22. ↑ "Hero Trivia, January 8, 2003". Internet Movie Database. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0299977/trivia?ref\_=tt\_trv\_trv. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
23. ↑ "China Box Office January 12–18, 2009". *Box Office statistics*. Box Office Mojo. https://www.boxofficemojo.com/intl/china/?yr=2009&wk=3&p=.htm. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
24. ↑ "Hong Kong Box Office, December 18–21, 2008". *Box Office statistics*. Box Office Mojo. https://www.boxofficemojo.com/intl/hongkong/?yr=2008&wk=51&p=.htm. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
25. ↑ Ozman, Hugo (21 August 2011). "Donnie Yen Joining The Cast of THE EXPENDABLES 2?". Twitch Films. http://twitchfilm.com/news/2011/08/donnie-yen-joining-the-cast-of-the-expendables-2.php. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
26. ↑ "Donnie Yen rejects Expendables 2". 411mania. 21 August 2011. http://www.411mania.com/movies/news/245527/Movies-Donnie-Yen-Explains-Why-He-Passed-On-The-Expendables-2.htm. Retrieved 21 August 2012. Template:Dead link
27. ↑ hktopten (24 September 2011). "Donnie Yen Teams With Sandra Ng For Laughs". Hktopten.blogspot.com. http://hktopten.blogspot.com/2011/09/20110925-donnie-yen-teams-with-sandra.html. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
28. ↑ Leeder, Mike (February 19, 2013). "Donnie Yen: Special Identity". Impact Online. http://www.impactonline.co/news/1156-donnie-yen-identity-andy-on. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
29. ↑ "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. https://archive.is/20130616024414/http://www.donnieyen.asia/?p=881&lang=en. Retrieved 15 May 2013.
30. ↑ Han, Angie (16 May 2013). "'Crouching Tiger' Sequel Shooting Next Spring; Michelle Yeoh and Donnie Yen to Star". *Slash Film*. Weinstein Company. https://www.slashfilm.com/crouching-tiger-sequel-shooting-next-spring-michelle-yeoh-and-donnie-yen-to-star/. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
31. ↑ 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. https://www.deadline.com/2013/05/cannes-before-action-starts-on-crouching-tiger-2-harvey-weinstein-woos-donnie-yen-and-yuen-wo-ping-for-seven-samurai/. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
32. ↑ Yahoo News Singapore (22 May 2013). "Donnie Yen in Akira Kurosawa remake". Yahoo News Singapore. http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/donnie-yen-akira-kurosawa-remake-063500195.html. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
33. ↑ Reilly, Luke (24 March 2015). "MIKE TYSON, CGI BRUCE LEE TO FEATURE IN IP MAN 3". IGN.com. https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/03/25/mike-tyson-cgi-bruce-lee-to-feature-in-ip-man-3. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
34. ↑ PR News Wire (8 May 2015). "Mike Tyson Joins 'Ip Man 3' To Fight With Donnie Yen". PR News Wire. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mike-tyson-joins-ip-man-3-to-fight-with-donnie-yen-300080206.html. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
35. ↑ "Rogue One—The Daring Mission Has Begun: Cast and Crew Announced". StarWars.com. 15 August 2015. http://www.starwars.com/news/rogue-one-the-daring-mission-has-begun-cast-and-crew-announced. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
36. ↑ Busch, Anita (February 13, 2017). "‘Fifty Shades’ $97.7M Debut, ‘xXx’ Big In China, ‘Lego Batman,’ ‘John Wick’ Open – International Box Office". *The Hollywood Reporter*. https://deadline.com/2017/02/fifty-shades-lego-batman-xxx-international-box-office-1201909605/. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
37. ↑ Brzeski, Patrick (February 12, 2017). "China Box Office: 'xXx: Return of Xander Cage' Opens to Massive $61.9M". *The Hollywood Reporter*. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-box-office-xxx-return-xander-cage-opens-massive-61m-974887. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
38. ↑ Papish, Jonathan (February 14, 2017). "V-Day Box Office: La La, xXx Win ♥♥♥, Earn $$$". China Film Insider. http://chinafilminsider.com/v-day-box-office/.
39. ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy (February 15, 2017). "‘xXx: Return Of Xander Cage’ China Box Office Muscles Past $100M In First 6 Days". Deadline.com. https://deadline.com/2017/02/xxx-return-of-xander-cage-vin-diesel-crosses-100-million-china-box-office-1201912386/.
40. ↑ Marsh, James (19 January 2017). "xXx: Return of Xander Cage Review". Screen Anarchy. http://screenanarchy.com/2017/01/review-xxx-return-of-xander-cage.html. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
41. ↑ Barker, Andrew (19 January 2017). "Film review: xXx: Return of Xander Cage". Variety. https://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/film-review-xxx-return-of-xander-cage-vin-diesel-donnie-yen-1201964398/. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
42. ↑ Star Wars (18 May 2017). "Star Wars: Who is your favorite Rogue One Character". Star Wars. http://www.starwars.com/news/who-is-your-favorite-character-in-rogue-oneem. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
43. ↑ Edmund Lee (28 September 2017). "Film review: Chasing the Dragon – Donnie Yen, Andy Lau play notorious criminals Crippled Ho, Lee Rock in slanted biopic". http://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2113258/film-review-chasing-dragon-donnie-yen-andy-lau-play-notorious. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
44. ↑ Sina (19 October 2017). "Film review: Chasing the Dragon – Runner up beating The Foreiger as Runner Up for China's National Holiday releases". http://ent.sina.com.cn/zz/2017-10-19/doc-ifymzksi0412668.shtml. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
45. ↑ Horwitz, Josh (November 10, 2017). "Jack Ma is using Singles Day, a symbol of crass commercialism, to revitalize Tai Chi in China" (in en-US), *Quartz*.
46. ↑ Sina (15 September 2017). "Jet Li and Jack Ma celebrates Donnie Yen's Wedding Anniversary". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwaMFr8VYFo. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
47. ↑ Jet Li FB Admin (12 November 2017). "Gong Shou Dao Full Movie". https://www.facebook.com/JetLi/videos/10155883554143988/. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
48. ↑ Sina (28 November 2017). "Gong Shou Dao - Donnie Yen wins popularity poll". http://energy.tv.weibo.cn/e/10135/index. Retrieved 2017-11-28.
49. ↑ Bona, JJ (2017-11-01). "Donnie Yen to deliver MMA in Kam Kar-wai's 'Big Brother'?" (in en-US), *cityonfire.com*.
50. ↑ Busch, Anita (March 2, 2017). "Donnie Yen To Headline ‘Sleeping Dogs’ For Neal Moritz’s Original Film". https://deadline.com/2017/03/donnie-yen-sleeping-dogs-neal-moritz-original-film-1201948700/. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
51. ↑ https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-02-05-star-wars-donnie-yen-says-sleeping-dogs-movie-in-production
52. ↑ "China Box Office: ‘Rise of Skywalker’ Fizzles While ‘Ip Man 4’ Keeps Packing Punches". https://variety.com/2019/film/news/china-box-office-rise-of-skywalker-ip-man-4-1203453369/.
53. ↑ Frater, Patrick (5 October 2018). "Busan: Hot Titles at the Asian Film Market", *Variety*.
54. ↑ "Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019)". IMDb. https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Yip-Man-4-(Hong-Kong)#tab=summary.
55. ↑ "'Ip Man 4' is the highest grossing Chinese film of all time in Malaysia". https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/entertainment/2020/01/09/ip-man-4-is-the-highest-grossing-chinese-film-of-all-time-in-malaysia.
56. ↑ "'Ip Man 4: The Finale' becomes third highest grossing Chinese film at North American box office in five years". https://www.shine.cn/news/world/2001159786/.
57. ↑ "Donnie Yen Was Almost in Aquaman". IGN.com. https://www.ign.com/videos/donnie-yen-was-almost-in-aquaman. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
58. ↑ Valentin, Albert (16 September 2010). "FACES: DONNIE YEN | Martial Connect". Martialconnection.blogspot.com. Archived from the original on 15 August 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140815123854/http://martialconnection.blogspot.com/2010/09/faces-donnie-yen.html. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
59. ↑ "Donnie Yen: The Next Martial Arts Icon". Goldsea Asian American. 21 September 2012. http://goldsea.com/Text/index.php?id=6452. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
60. ↑ "Jiu-Jitsu with a Chinese Touch in Movies". *Gracie Magazine*. http://www.graciemag.com/2011/10/jiu-jitsu-with-a-chinese-touch-in-the-movies/. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
61. ↑ "Questions with Flash Point Star Donnie Yen". Rotten Tomatoes. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/flash\_point/news/1716512/ten\_questions\_with\_flash\_point\_star\_donnie\_yen/Ten. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
62. ↑ ShadowWarrior8038. "Donnie Yen learning Wing Chun from Master Ip Chun". YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUs0zi-Omxg. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
63. ↑ 甄子丹对《叶问》票房无信心 耍咏春拳赚口碑 |网网网络  Template:Webarchive
64. ↑ "《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*. http://ent.people.com.cn/GB/8222/86596/195994/195995/12017243.html. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
65. ↑ "Donnie Yen's Philosophy | Donnie Yen's Official website". Donnieyen.com. Archived from the original on 3 December 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111203160548/http://www.donnieyen.com/philosophy.htm. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
66. ↑ "Interview: Donnie Yen on Flash Point's Revolutionary Choreography". Wu Jing.Org. Archived from the original on 29 December 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111229121624/http://www.wu-jing.org/happenings/archives/78-Interview-Donnie-Yen-on-Flash-Points-Revolutionary-Choreography.html. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
67. ↑ "Donnie Yen, the last Dragon". Fighting Master. http://www.fightingmaster.com/actors/donnie\_yen/. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
68. ↑ "香港第一美腿！甄子丹曾為她一個打八個". Chinatimes.com. http://hottopic.chinatimes.com/20150517002858-260806. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
69. ↑ "香港美腿王!揭秘甄子丹为了万绮雯一个打八个古惑仔的真实内幕". Weixinyidu. http://www.weixinyidu.com/n\_1168663. Retrieved 15 Apr 2017.
70. ↑ "Donnie Yen Trivia". Internet Movie Database. https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0947447/trivia. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
71. ↑ "Jet Li talks Donnie Yen and Jackie Chan, feels that his films may have misled youngsters to learn martial arts". People.cn. http://media.people.com.cn/n/2014/0102/c40606-23999505.html. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
72. ↑ "Jackie Chan says Donnie Yen is legit". Wemedia. http://wemedia.ifeng.com/8385291/wemedia.shtml. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
73. ↑ "UFC's Cung Le Talks with World Wushu Champion Alfred Hsing about Donnie Yen and Mixed Martial Arts". Validated Response. http://questionrs.com/tube/EIZ30GiVlQo/ufc-s-cung-le-talks-with-world-wushu-champion-alfred-hsing-about-donnie-yen-and-mixed-martial-arts. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
74. ↑ "Donnie Yen Fractures Mike Tyson's Finger While Shooting IP MAN 3". Twitchfilms. Archived from the original on 22 May 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150522102032/http://twitchfilm.com/2015/05/donnie-yen-fractures-mike-tysons-finger-while-shooting-ip-man-3.html. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
75. ↑ "Donnie Yen Quotes". *San Francisco Bay Guardian*. 3 December 2008. http://www.sfbg.com/2008/03/12/martial-bliss. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
76. ↑ "Donnie Yen Making New Moves for Return of Chen Zhen". Wu-Jing.org. 27 May 2010. Archived from the original on 31 May 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100531155038/http://www.wu-jing.org/happenings/archives/828-Donnie-Yen-Making-New-Moves-for-Return-of-Chen-Zhen.html. Retrieved 27 May 2010.
77. ↑ "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. https://web.archive.org/web/20100925202300/http://www.wu-jing.org/happenings/archives/860-Donnie-Yen-Returns-for-an-Interview-Im-Chen-Zhen,-Put-Ip-Man-Behind.html. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
78. ↑ "34th Hong Kong Film Awards – Nomination and Winner list". *HKFAA*. 19 April 2015. http://www.hkfaa.com/winnerlist.html. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
79. ↑ "Donnie Yen Fitness Routine". 11 July 2011. http://e.uuuwell.com/thread-142070-1-1.html. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
80. ↑ "Donnie Yen: Bringing Ip Man to life". *Wing Chun illustrated*. 15 April 2013. https://www.wingchunillustrated.com/2013/04/15/donnie-yen/. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
81. ↑ "Grandmaster Yip Man Plot Revealed at Shanghai Press Conference - Wu-Jing.org". 14 July 2008. Archived from the original on 10 May 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080510093115/http://www.wu-jing.org/happenings/archives/500-Grandmaster-Yip-Man-Plot-Revealed-at-Shanghai-Press-Conference.html. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
82. ↑ "Donnie Yen Asked to Lose 30 Pounds for 'Ip Man 3'". *Jayne Stars*. 6 March 2015. http://www.jaynestars.com/movies/donnie-yen-asked-to-lost-30-pounds-for-ip-man-3/. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
83. ↑ "Donnie Yen Instagram Post – Body Transformation for xXx 3". *Donnie Yen Instagram*. 1 June 2016. https://www.instagram.com/p/BFcICa0POws/. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
84. ↑ 84.0 84.1 Wai Yee, Yip (16 January 2016). "Donnie Yen’s secret to a happy marriage – listen to his wife". *The Straits Times*.
85. ↑ "Donnie Yen Owes Nothing to His Ex-Wife". Jayne Stars. 30 November 2012.
86. ↑ "Donnie Yen would love to compete in UFC". Reddit. 22 September 2016. https://www.reddit.com/r/MMA/comments/3h77fz/til\_donnie\_yen\_is\_a\_big\_ufc\_fan\_and\_would\_have/. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
87. ↑ "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" (in en-US). https://www.dot.asia/donnie-yen-cissy-wang-support-asia-new-charity-online-platform/.
88. ↑ "Donnie Yen is a Guest Speaker on We Day". We Day. 23 October 2014. http://www.weday.com/we-day-events/we-day-cities/vancouver/. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
89. ↑ "Donnie Yen identified as Ip Man in refugee camps". Bendijin. 2 March 2015. http://www.bendijin.net/feed/en\_1227212. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
90. ↑ "Donnie Yen to set up Charitable Organization after vindication". Sina.Cn. 3 December 2015. http://ent.sina.cn/star/tv/2015-12-03/detail-ifxmifzh4322607.d.html?from=wap. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
91. ↑ "Ip Man star Donnie Yen donates HK$1 million to frontline medical workers in Wuhan". South China Morning Post. 19 Feb 2020. https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/article/3051414/china-will-win-coronavirus-battle-ip-man-star-donnie-yen-donates. Retrieved 3 March 2019.

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