Donnie Yen

Donnie Yen
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	Yen Chi-tan; 27 July 1963 (age 60); Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Citizenship	Hong Kong (1963–1974, 2009–present) ; United States (1974–2010)
Spouses	Leung Zing-ci (m. 1993; div. 1994); Cissy Wang (m. 2003);
Children	3
Parents	Klyster Yen (father); Bow-sim Mark (mother);
Occupation	Actor; martial artist; action director and choreographer; film director; producer;
Awards	Full list
Website	www.donnieyen.asia
	Martial arts career
Style	Jeet Kune Do; Boxing; Kickboxing; Muay Thai; Taekwondo; Hapkido; Judo; Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu; Wing Chun; Tai chi; Hung Ga; San Da; Karate; Wrestling; Wushu;
Chinese name
Chinese	甄子丹
Hanyu Pinyin
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Zhēn Zǐdān
Wade–Giles	Chen1 Tzŭ3-tan1
Tongyong Pinyin	Jhen Zǐh-tan
IPA	[ʈʂə́n tsɨ̀.tán]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization	Yān Jí-dāan
Jyutping	Jan1 Zi2-daan1
Canton Romanization	Yen1 Ji2-dan1
IPA	[jɐ́n tsǐː.táːn]

Donnie Yen Ji-dan^[1]^[3] (Chinese: 甄子丹; born 27 July 1963) is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and action director best known for his martial arts films.^[4]^[5] He is one of the highest paid actors in Asia.^[6]^[7]

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. In 1997, he made his directorial debut in the action-martial arts 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, Yen 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).

In television, Yen starred as Chen Zhen in the television series Fist of Fury. He later reprised his role as Chen Zhen in the 2010 film Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen. Yen is credited by many for contributing to the popularisation of Wing Chun in China.^[8]^[9] He portrayed Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man in the Ip Man film series, starring in Ip Man (2008), Ip Man 2 (2010), Ip Man 3 (2015), and Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019).

^ ^a ^b ^c "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.
^ "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.
^ "Martial arts superstar Donnie Yen reveals past financial struggles". South China Morning Post. 14 July 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2019. – This source uses the spelling "Ji-dan"
^ Lim, Dennis (23 January 2011). "Enter the Teacher to the Dragon of Martial Arts Films". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
^ Berwick, Stephan (23 December 2000). "Donnie Yen: The Evolution of an American Martial Artist". Kung Fu Magazine. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
^ https://amp.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3187401/inside-donnie-yens-crazy-rich-life-hong-kong-martial-arts
^ https://sg.news.yahoo.com/donnie-yen-entitled-hefty-salary-073600494.html
^ Mike, Miller (12 December 2016). "Why Rogue One Star Donnie Yen Performed All of His Amazing Fight Scenes 'Blind'". People. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
^ Zhang, Rui (1 December 2016). "Donnie Yen leaves hand and foot prints in Hollywood- China.org.cn". china.org.cn. Retrieved 26 November 2017.

[Federal_Register-1] "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.

[2] "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.

[3] "Martial arts superstar Donnie Yen reveals past financial struggles". South China Morning Post. 14 July 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2019. – This source uses the spelling "Ji-dan"

[nytimes1-4] Lim, Dennis (23 January 2011). "Enter the Teacher to the Dragon of Martial Arts Films". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 December 2011.

[Kung_Fu_Magazine-5] Berwick, Stephan (23 December 2000). "Donnie Yen: The Evolution of an American Martial Artist". Kung Fu Magazine. Retrieved 11 May 2015.

[6] ttps://amp.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3187401/inside-donnie-yens-crazy-rich-life-hong-kong-martial-arts

[7] ttps://sg.news.yahoo.com/donnie-yen-entitled-hefty-salary-073600494.html

[8] Mike, Miller (12 December 2016). "Why Rogue One Star Donnie Yen Performed All of His Amazing Fight Scenes 'Blind'". People. Retrieved 26 November 2017.

[9] Zhang, Rui (1 December 2016). "Donnie Yen leaves hand and foot prints in Hollywood- China.org.cn". china.org.cn. Retrieved 26 November 2017.

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