Donnie Yen

Acting · 4.4 popularity

Age

Movies

Born: July 27, 1963
From: Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

Biography

Donnie Yen Chi-tan (Chinese: 甄子丹; Jyutping: jan1 zi2 daan1; pinyin: Zhēn Zǐdān; born 27 July 1963) is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and action director. His accolades include 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 a co-producer of 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's character. He appeared in several other 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 went on to appear in the American films Shanghai Knights (2003), Rogue One (2016), XXX: Return of Xander Cage (2017), Mulan (2020), and John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023). He has continued to be active in Hong Kong cinema, appearing in the well-received films Hero (2002), SPL: Sha Po Lang (2005), Flash Point (2007), 14 Blades (2010), Wu Xia (2011), Kung Fu Jungle (2014), Chasing the Dragon (2017), Enter the Fat Dragon (2020), Raging Fire (2021), and The Prosecutor (2024), among others. In television, Yen portrayed fictional character Chen Zhen in the television series Fist of Fury (1995); he 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. Alongside Kung fu, particularly Wing Chun, Yen is also known for incorporating elements of mixed martial arts (MMA) into his action choreography. Aside from his acting, in 1997, he established his own production company, Bullet Films, which choreographed the action for Western blockbusters like Blade II (2002) and Stormbreaker (2006). Description above from the Wikipedia article Donnie Yen, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Works

93 films

Blade II

20026.6

John Wick: Chapter 4

20237.7

xXx: Return of Xander Cage

20176.1

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

20167.5

Hero

20027.5

Mulan

20206.8

Sakra

20236.5

The Prosecutor

20247.1

Shanghai Knights

20036.1

The Monkey King

20145.6

Big Brother

20187.5

Once Upon a Time in China II

19927.2

Flash Point

20076.9

Ip Man

20087.8

New Dragon Gate Inn

19927.3

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny

20166.1

Raging Fire

20217.1

Seven Swords

20056.2

14 Blades

20106.3

Highlander: Endgame

20004.8

Ip Man 3

20157.0

Kung Fu Jungle

20146.8

SPL: Kill Zone

20056.9

Dragon

20116.9

Bodyguards and Assassins

20096.8

An Empress and the Warriors

20086.0

Iron Monkey

19937.4

Wing Chun

19946.9

Ip Man 4: The Finale

20197.3

Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen

20106.8

Dragon Tiger Gate

20066.7

The Twins Effect II

20045.3

How Bruce Lee Changed the World

20098.0

Caine

2026

Tiger Cage II

19906.8

In the Line of Duty 4

19897.0

Chasing the Dragon

20177.0

New Kung Fu Cult Master 2

20224.8

The Lost Bladesman

20116.3

The Founding of a Republic

20095.3

Iceman

20145.6

Enter the Fat Dragon

20206.3

Legend of the Wolf

19975.4

Special ID

20136.0

The Saint of Gamblers

19955.9

Tiger Cage

19886.5

The Monkey King: The Legend Begins

20226.0

The Blood Pact: The Making of 'Blade II'

20024.3

Painted Skin

20086.0

Butterfly and Sword

19935.7

'Hero' Defined: A Look at the Epic Masterpiece

2004

New Kung Fu Cult Master

20224.8

Heroes Among Heroes

19936.2

The Holy Virgin Versus the Evil Dead

19914.8

All's Well, End's Well 2009

20095.0

Iron Monkey 2

19966.8

Cheetah on Fire

19925.0

Mismatched Couples

19856.7

The Last Conflict

19887.1

Iceman: The Time Traveler

20186.5

Kung Fu Stuntmen

20217.2

All's Well, End's Well 2011

20115.0

You are the Best

20256.6

Golden Chickensss

20145.7

High Voltage

19956.2

Circus Kids

19945.7

Drunken Tai Chi

19846.5

City of Darkness

19995.3

An Inspector Calls

20154.5

All's Well, Ends Well

20124.6

Cinema of Vengeance

19946.2

Satan Returns

19964.9

Hong Kong Superstars

200110.0

Fist of Fury - Sworn Revenge

20018.2

Polar Rescue

20225.5

Guardians of Martial Arts

20175.7

Crystal Hunt

19925.7

Ballistic Kiss

19984.6

Revenge of the Kung Fu Master

19947.0

Together

20133.2

Kung Fu

2026

Reflections on 'the Little Dragon'

2001

Love on the Rocks

20046.3

Shanghai Affairs

19985.1

Fist of Fury

20028.0

Donnie Yen UK Tour 1991

1991

Ip Man 2

20107.5

Black Rose II

19978.5

Ip Man 5

2026

The Stories: The Making of 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'

20176.1

义侠勇闯上海滩

1997

Flash Point: Resurgence

2026

The Kung Fu Master

20027.0