Donnie Yen

Acting · 4.3 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

John Wick: Chapter 4

20237.7

xXx: Return of Xander Cage

20176.1

Blade II

20026.6

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

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny

20166.1

New Dragon Gate Inn

19927.3

Seven Swords

20056.2

Flash Point

20076.9

Ip Man

20087.8

Ip Man 3

20157.0

Raging Fire

20217.1

Kung Fu Jungle

20146.8

Highlander: Endgame

20004.8

Wing Chun

19946.9

SPL: Kill Zone

20056.9

Dragon Tiger Gate

20066.7

14 Blades

20106.3

Bodyguards and Assassins

20096.8

Iron Monkey

19937.4

Dragon

20116.9

The Twins Effect II

20045.3

An Empress and the Warriors

20086.0

Ip Man 4: The Finale

20197.3

Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen

20106.8

In the Line of Duty 4

19897.0

Chasing the Dragon

20177.0

The Founding of a Republic

20095.3

Tiger Cage II

19906.8

Caine

2026

New Kung Fu Cult Master 2

20224.8

Iceman

20145.6

Legend of the Wolf

19975.4

How Bruce Lee Changed the World

20098.0

The Lost Bladesman

20116.3

Special ID

20136.0

Enter the Fat Dragon

20206.3

Painted Skin

20086.0

Butterfly and Sword

19935.7

The Monkey King: The Legend Begins

20226.0

Tiger Cage

19886.5

The Saint of Gamblers

19955.9

Mismatched Couples

19856.7

New Kung Fu Cult Master

20224.8

The Holy Virgin Versus the Evil Dead

19914.8

The Blood Pact: The Making of 'Blade II'

20024.3

You are the Best

20256.6

All's Well, End's Well 2009

20095.0

The Last Conflict

19887.1

All's Well, End's Well 2011

20115.0

Kung Fu Stuntmen

20217.2

Heroes Among Heroes

19936.2

Cheetah on Fire

19925.0

Iron Monkey 2

19966.8

Golden Chickensss

20145.7

'Hero' Defined: A Look at the Epic Masterpiece

2004

An Inspector Calls

20154.5

All's Well, Ends Well

20124.6

Circus Kids

19945.7

Satan Returns

19964.9

High Voltage

19956.2

Iceman: The Time Traveler

20186.5

Polar Rescue

20225.5

Hong Kong Superstars

200110.0

Ballistic Kiss

19984.6

Drunken Tai Chi

19846.5

City of Darkness

19995.3

Reflections on 'the Little Dragon'

2001

Guardians of Martial Arts

20175.7

Cinema of Vengeance

19946.2

Crystal Hunt

19925.7

Together

20133.2

Kung Fu

2026

Revenge of the Kung Fu Master

19947.0

Fist of Fury - Sworn Revenge

20018.2

Ip Man 2

20107.5

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

20176.1

Black Rose II

19978.5

Love on the Rocks

20046.3

Shanghai Affairs

19985.1

Fist of Fury

20028.0

Donnie Yen UK Tour 1991

1991

Ip Man 5

2026

义侠勇闯上海滩

1997

The Kung Fu Master

20027.0

Flash Point: Resurgence

2026