Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen
Grandmaster Bow Sim Mark’s son, Donnie Yen, was born in Guangzhou
(Canton), China, in 1963. At the age of eleven, he moved to Boston,
Massachusetts, with his family. Trained in Chinese martial arts from a
very young age, he also became interested in tae kwon do and Western
boxing. In 1982, he went to Beijing to study with the prestigious
Beijing Wushu Team. While still in his teens, he joined Hong Kong
director Yuen Wo-ping’s stunt team, and was soon starring in kung fu
movies like DRUNKEN TAI CHI (1984) and TIGER CAGE (1988). Yen’s
fighting skills soon won him a following among discerning fans, and
his work in productions like ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA II (1992) and
IRON MONKEY (1993) is considered some of the finest martial art ever
seen onscreen. Meanwhile, Yen was moving behind the camera and taking
on the role of choreographer. After producing a pair of highly
regarded independent films, LEGEND OF THE WOLF (1997) and BALLISTIC
KISS (1998), Yen became one of the most sought-after action
directors in Asian cinema. His high powered choreography for films
like THE PRINCESS BLADE (2001), THE TWINS EFFECT (2003), DRAGON TIGER
GATE (2006), and especially SHA PO LANG, aka KILL ZONE (2005) and
FLASH POINT (2007), has broken new ground in action cinema,
particularly in the use of mixed martial arts (MMA). He is also in
demand as an actor, appearing in Jet Li’s HERO (2002), Jackie Chan’s
SHANGHAI KNIGHTS (2003), and in the recent hit films AN EMPRESS AND
THE WARRIORS and PAINTED SKIN (both 2008). He will portray Bruce Lee’s
teacher in the upcoming IP MAN, with choreography by Sammo Hung. Yen
has always credited his mother’s early teachings as the foundation of
his illustrious career.
Filmography
– Miracle Fighters 2 (1983)
– Drunken Tai Chi (1984)
– Mismatched Couples (1985)
– Tiger Cage (1988)
– The Last Conflict (1988)
– In the Line of Duty IV: Witness (1989)
– Tiger Cage 2 (1990)
– Holy Virgin vs. the Evil Dead (1991)
– Crystal Hunt (1991)
– Cheetah on Fire (1992)
– Once Upon a Time in China II (1992)
– New Dragon Gate Inn (1992) aka Dragon Inn
– Iron Monkey (1993)
– Butterfly and Sword (1993)
– Hero Among Heroes (1993)
– Wing Chun (1994)
– Circus Kid (1994)
– Jing Wu Men, television series (1995)
– Satan Returns (1996)
– Black Rose 2 (1996)
– Legend of the Wolf (1997)
– Asian Cops – High Voltage (1997)
– Ballistic Kiss (1998)
– Shanghai Affairs (1998)
– Highlander: Endgame (2000)
– Fist of Fury: The Sequel (2001)
– Shurayuki Hime (2001)
– Blade II (2002)
– Hero (2002)
– The Twins Effect (2003)
– Shanghai Knights (2003)
– The Twins Effect II (2004)
– Protege de la Rose Noire (2004)
– Love on the Rocks (2004)
– Fist of The Red Dragon (2004)
– SPL: Sha Po Lang (2005)
– Seven Swords (2005)
– Stormbreaker (2006)
– Dragon Tiger Gate (2006)
– Flash Point (2007)
– An Empress and the Warriors (2008)
– Painted Skin (2008)
– Ip Man (2008)
