Donnie Yen

Movie Actor

Donnie Yen Ji-dan is a Chinese actor, martial artist, and action director. One of Hong Kong's top action stars, Yen is widely credited for bringing mixed martial arts into the mainstream Asian cinema by choreographing MMA in many of his films since the early 2000s.

Full Name

Birthday

Jul 27, 1963

deathday

AGE

BORN

China

BIrth SIGN

Leo

RElationship

Height

5′ 8″

Net Worth

About

Donnie Yen Ji-dan was born in July 27, 1963, in Guangzhou, China. His zodiac sign is Leo and his ethnicity is Chinese. He is the son of Klyster Yen and Bow Sim Mark, who were both martial arts masters. Donnie's parents got divorced when he was two years old, and he was raised by his mother and stepfather in Boston, Massachusetts. He went to high school at the Boston College School of Arts and graduated from the Master Institute of Film & Television at Beijing Film Academy in 1984.

Yen has been involved with martial arts since the age of four, which gave him an edge when it came to action films. He started out as a stuntman for Hong Kong films before moving on to become an actor and director. Yen made his film debut in 1985 with Drunken Tai Chi. Since then he has gone on to appear in many more films such as Iron Monkey (1993), Blade II (2002), Shanghai Knights (2003), Ip Man (2008) and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016). He also directed Wu Xia (2011) and Chasing the Dragon 2: Wild Wild Bunch (2019).

Yen has won numerous awards throughout his career, including Best Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards for Ip Man 2 (2010) and Best Action Choreography at the Golden Horse Awards for Once Upon a Time in China II (1992). He is currently working on several upcoming projects, including Enter The Fat Dragon (2020) and Sleeping Dogs (2021).

Life Timeline

<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">1963</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">Donnie Yen is Born</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">On July 27, 1963, Donnie Yen was born in Guangzhou, China.</p></div>

<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">1982</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">Moves to the United States</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">Moves to Boston, Massachusetts to study at the Beijing Wushu Team and Harvard University.</p></div>

<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">1993</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">Debut Film Role</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">Lands his first film role as a villain in the martial arts film Drunken Tai Chi.</p></div>

<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">2005</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">Starring Role in Ip Man</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">Gains international recognition for his starring role in the martial arts biopic Ip Man.</p></div>

<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">2008</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">Starring Role in Bodyguards and Assassins</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">Land a starring role in the critically acclaimed film Bodyguards and Assassins.</p></div>

<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">2012</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">Starring Role in The Monkey King</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">Lands a starring role in the fantasy action film The Monkey King.</p></div>

<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">2018</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">Starring Role in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">Donnie Yen stars as Chirrut Îmwe in the hit Star Wars spinoff Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.</p></div>

Why We Love Them

<div id="" class="whywelove-item"><h3 id="" class="whywelove-title"><span class="whywelove-leter">A.</span> He's a Versatile Actor</h3><p id="" class="whywelove-text">Donnie Yen is a versatile actor who can play any type of character. He has starred in many different genres and shows his range as an actor. He also speaks multiple languages which helps him to be able to act in many different types of films.</p></div>

<div id="" class="whywelove-item"><h3 id="" class="whywelove-title"><span class="whywelove-leter">B.</span> His Martial Arts Skills</h3><p id="" class="whywelove-text">Donnie Yen is well known for his martial arts skills. He is highly skilled in various martial arts styles, such as Taekwondo, Kung Fu, and Wing Chun. His martial arts skills often make his fights in movies very exciting.</p></div>

<div id="" class="whywelove-item"><h3 id="" class="whywelove-title"><span class="whywelove-leter">C.</span> He's a Great Role Model</h3><p id="" class="whywelove-text">Donnie Yen is a great role model for people all over the world. He is an example of how hard work and dedication can lead to success. He is also known for being humble and generous with his time, donating money and resources to charity organizations.</p></div>

Interesting Facts

<div id="" class="facts-item"><h3 id="" class="facts-title"><span class="facts-number">1.</span> Began Martial Arts Training at Age 11</h3><p id="" class="facts-text">Donnie Yen began his martial arts training at age eleven, after his mother signed him up for a course in order to help him channel his aggression.</p></div>

<div id="" class="facts-item"><h3 id="" class="facts-title"><span class="facts-number">2.</span> Trained in Wing Chun Kung Fu</h3><p id="" class="facts-text">Donnie Yen is a master of Wing Chun Kung Fu, which he studied for two years under the renowned Grandmaster William Cheung.</p></div>

<div id="" class="facts-item"><h3 id="" class="facts-title"><span class="facts-number">3.</span> Nominated for Best Actor at Cannes Film Festival </h3><p id="" class="facts-text">In 2005, Donnie Yen was nominated for Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival for his performance in the movie "Seven Swords".</p></div>

<div id="" class="facts-item"><h3 id="" class="facts-title"><span class="facts-number">4.</span> Received Lifetime Achievement Award</h3><p id="" class="facts-text">In 2017, Donnie Yen received a lifetime achievement award from the Hong Kong Film Critics Society for his contribution to the Hong Kong film industry.</p></div>