Donnie Yen
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1963-07-27
Place of Birth
Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Donnie Yen
Biography
Donnie Yen Chi-tan is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and action director. 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'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), 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 mixed martial arts (MMA) elements 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).
Also Known For
Hero
Jul 22, 2002
The Twins Effect II
Aug 12, 2004
Once Upon a Time in China II
Apr 16, 1992
Seven Swords
Jul 25, 2005
Bodyguards and Assassins
Dec 18, 2009
Shanghai Knights
Feb 06, 2003
Highlander: Endgame
Sep 01, 2000
Drunken Tai Chi
May 31, 1984
Wing Chun
Mar 24, 1994
Legend of the Wolf
Jun 14, 1997
14 Blades
Feb 04, 2010
SPL: Kill Zone
Nov 18, 2005
Butterfly and Sword
Jan 16, 1993
Dragon Inn
Aug 22, 1992
Flash Point
Jul 26, 2007
Blade II
Mar 22, 2002
An Empress and the Warriors
Feb 09, 2008
Ip Man
Dec 12, 2008
Ip Man 2
Apr 29, 2010
Dragon Tiger Gate
Jul 27, 2006
Heroes Among Heroes
Nov 11, 1993
The Lost Bladesman
Apr 28, 2011
Iron Monkey 2
Apr 24, 1996
Cheetah on Fire
Jan 01, 1992
Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen
Sep 01, 2010
In the Line of Duty 4
Jul 21, 1989
Painted Skin
Sep 25, 2008
Dragon
Jul 04, 2011
New Kung Fu Cult Master
Jan 28, 2022
Ip Man 5
Flash Point: Resurgence
The Prosecutor
Dec 08, 2024
Satan Returns
May 17, 1996
All's Well, Ends Well 2011
Feb 02, 2011
New Kung Fu Cult Master 2
Feb 12, 2022
All's Well, Ends Well
Jan 19, 2012
Tiger Cage
Jul 28, 1988
Tiger Cage II
Aug 11, 1990
Ballistic Kiss
Mar 21, 1998
John Wick: Chapter 4
Mar 22, 2023
The Holy Virgin Versus the Evil Dead
Jun 07, 1991
Mismatched Couples
Apr 03, 1985
High Voltage
Jan 14, 1995
The Monkey King
Jan 09, 2014
Together
Feb 13, 2013
Come Back Home
Oct 03, 2022
Black Rose II
Mar 01, 1997
Special ID
Oct 17, 2013
Circus Kids
Oct 09, 1994
Crystal Hunt
Jan 19, 1992
Shanghai Affairs
Jul 03, 1998
City of Darkness
Jan 01, 1999
The Last Conflict
Jan 01, 1988
Golden Chickensss
Jan 30, 2014
Sakra
Jan 16, 2023
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny
Feb 18, 2016
2021 China Central Radio and TV Station Spring Festival Gala
Feb 11, 2021
Iceman
Apr 17, 2014
Fist of Fury - Sworn Revenge
Nov 26, 2001
Revenge of the Kung Fu Master
Sep 23, 1994
Iron Monkey
Sep 03, 1993
Kung Fu Jungle
Oct 31, 2014
The Founding of a Republic
Sep 17, 2009
Kung Fu
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Dec 14, 2016
Donnie Yen UK Tour 1991
Apr 01, 1991
Ip Man 3
Dec 24, 2015
xXx: Return of Xander Cage
Jan 13, 2017
From the World of John Wick: Caine
The Saint of Gamblers
Jun 28, 1995
All's Well, Ends Well 2009
Jan 22, 2009
Ip Man 4: The Finale
Dec 19, 2019
Chasing the Dragon
Sep 28, 2017
Cinema of Vengeance
Jan 01, 1994
Fist of Fury
Apr 30, 2002
Iceman: The Time Traveler
Nov 02, 2018
Guardians of Martial Arts
Nov 11, 2017
How Bruce Lee Changed the World
May 17, 2009
Enter the Fat Dragon
Jan 23, 2020
Big Brother
Aug 16, 2018
Raging Fire
Jul 28, 2021
Hong Kong Superstars
Jan 01, 2001
Mulan
Sep 04, 2020
Love on the Rocks
Apr 08, 2004
An Inspector Calls
Feb 19, 2015
The Stories: The Making of 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'
Apr 04, 2017
The Kung Fu Master
Jul 30, 2002
Kung Fu Stuntmen
Aug 28, 2021
The Blood Pact: The Making of 'Blade II'
Sep 03, 2002
You are the Best
Jul 17, 2025
'Hero' Defined: A Look at the Epic Masterpiece
Nov 30, 2004
A New Life
Sep 23, 1991
Fist of Fury
Aug 21, 1995
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Jan 26, 2003
File Noir
May 01, 1989
Bravo Youngsters!
Dec 25, 2020
The Kung Fu Master
Aug 15, 1994
The Crime File
Apr 15, 1991
The 40th Anniversary of Chinese Film Since China's Reform and Opening-Up
Nov 19, 2018
Crush Over
Oct 21, 2023
Flying Squads
Aug 07, 1989
Running Man
Jul 11, 2010
Club Sparkle
Jan 04, 2009
The Oscars
Mar 19, 1953
鲁豫有约一日行
Aug 26, 2016
Chef Nic
Jul 12, 2014
Roast
Jan 08, 2017
2次重塑
Feb 12, 2020
