Donnie Yen
Birthdate: Jul 27, 1963
Birthplace: Canton, China
Donnie Yen (birthname: Zhen Zidan) is a martial arts master who successfully moved into Hong Kong action movies and has become an icon in the genre, particularly through his portrayal of Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man in the HK series, Ip Man (2008-2019), in which Yen was the star of films 1-3 and 5.
Yen’s movie career started in 1983, launching a lengthy collaboration with Hong Kong director Yuen Woo-ping, including Shaolin Drunkard (1983), Drunken Tai Chi (1984), Mismatched Couples (1985), and then began serving as both performer and lead action director with Yuen on In the Line of Duty 4: Witness (1989), and Tiger Cage (1990).
Yen’s first major international hit was Tsui Hark’s sweeping epic, Once Upon a Time in China II (1992). Yen then acted in the Hark-produced New Dragon Inn (1992) and Iron Monkey (1993), directed by Yuen. Yen played opposite Tony Leung and Michelle Yeoh in the Michael Mak-directed Butterfly and Sword. Yen starred under Yuen’s direction in Hero Among Heroes (1993), and continued with Yuen and co-star Yeoh in Wing Chun (1994).
Yen took over the title role in Iron Monkey 2 (1995), even though he played a different role in Iron Monkey. In Shaolin vs. The Devil’s Omen (1996), Yen was both a star and an action director. Yen stepped up to the roles of star, director, producer, co-writer, and action director for Legend of the Wolf (1997), known as The New Big Boss in the U.S. home video release.
Donnie Yen became a major director-action director-star from this point on, continuing with Ballistic Kiss (1998), Shanghai Affairs (1998), The Twins Effect (2003), Back Rose Academy (2004), and as a combined star-action director-producer for Dragon Tiger Gate (2006), Flash Point (2007), Painted Skin (2008).
Yen began a successful collaboration with director Wilson Yip on the Ip Man series, starting with Ip Man (2008), with Simon Yam and which grossed over $22 million worldwide; Ip Man 2 (2010) followed, earning a powerhouse $49.7 million globally; leading to the triumphant entry, Ip Man 3 (2015), again directed by Yip and grossing $157.3 million worldwide; and completed with Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019), the biggest hit in the series with a strong take of $239 million globally.
Between these projects, Donnie Yen was usually both a star and action director on a long string of movies, including director Andrew Lau’s Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (2010), The Lost Bladesman (2011), director Peter Chan’s Dragon (2011), director Clarence Fok’s Special ID (2013), director Soi Cheang’s The Monkey King (2014), Iceman (2014), and director Teddy Chan’s Kung Fu Jungle (2014).
Yen’s first Hollywood production was Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), a Star Wars prequel directed by Gareth Edwards and co-starring Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Mads Mikkelsen, and Forest Whitaker, and grossing $1.05 billion worldwide. Yen continued his run in Hollywood with XXX: Return of Xander Cage (2017), starring Vin Diesel, Tony Jaa, Toni Collette, and Samuel L. Jackson, and earning a solid $346 million globally, followed by Disney’s Mulan (2020), directed by Niki Caro and starring Yifei Liu, Jason Scott Lee, Gong Li, and Jet Li, but tanking at the box office with a poor $70 million on a $200 million budget.
Yen joined forces with Keanu Reeves in the fourth entry in the John Wick franchise, John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023), directed by Chad Stahelski. Donnie Yen alternated his Hollywood projects with several Hong Kong movies, in which he also (beyond acting) served as an action director (2018’s Iceman: The Time Traveller), producer (2018’s Master Z: Ip Man Legacy and 2020’s Enter the Fat Dragon) and as director and producer (the 2023 epic, Sakra). Yen starred in the video game adaptation, Sleeping Dogs (date to be announced), produced by Neal Moritz.
Personal Details
Donnie Yen was born in the Mainland Chinese city of Guangzhou, and raised by parents Klyster Yen (father, newspaper editor) and Bow-sim Mark (mother and martial arts grandmaster). Yen’s younger sister is Chris Yen, like her brother a martial artist and actor. At two years old, Yen moved with his family to Hong Kong, and later in 1974 to Boston, where Yen became a U.S. citizen. Yen studied martial arts from a young age, later training in China with the Beijing Wushu Team.
Yen graduated from Newton North High School. Yen married Hong Kong ad executive Leung Zing-ci secretly in the U.S. in 1993, but divorced less than a year later; the couple had one child, Jeff, after their divorce. Yen’s second marriage, in 2003, is to former beauty queen Cissy Wang; the couple has two children, James and Jasmine. Yen’s height is 5’ 8”. Yen’s estimated net worth is $40 million.
Filmography
actor
Upcoming (1)
- 2025 | The ProsecutorasFok Zi Hou
The Prosecutor
Inspired by an actual legal case in Hong Kong, THE PROSECUTOR follows the story of a man who falsely pleads guilty to drug trafficking after being framed. Despite the confession, the veteran policeman-turned-prosecutor (Donnie Yen) handling the case is convinced of the man’s innocence and pursues his own investigation, risking both his career and his life to bring the real perpetrator to justice.
Previous (55)
- 2024 | Sleeping DogsasWei Shen
Sleeping Dogs
An ex-homicide detective with memory loss is forced to solve a brutal murder, only to uncover chilling secrets from his forgotten past.
- 2023 | Sakraas Kiu Fung
- 2023 | John Wick: Chapter 4asCaine
John Wick: Chapter 4
John Wick uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.
- 2022 | Come Back Homeas De
- 2022 | New Kung Fu Cult Masteras Zhang Sanfeng
- 2022 | The Monkey King: The Legend Beginsas Sun Wukong
- 2021 |
- 2021 | Raging FireasCheung Sung-Bong
Raging Fire
Cheung Sung-bong is an officer of the Regional Crime Unit who worked in the front line for many years. His protege, Yau Kong-ngo, respects and looks up to him. However, fate conspires to pit them against each other.
- 2020 | Mulanas Commander Tung
- 2020 | Enter the Fat DragonasFallon Zhu
Enter the Fat Dragon
A cop is assigned to a case of escorting a criminal to Japan while dealing with relationship problems, and his enormous change in appearance as a result of being dumped.
- 2019 | Ip Man 4: The FinaleasIp Man
Ip Man 4: The Finale
The Kung Fu master travels to the U.S. where his student has upset the local martial arts community by opening a Wing Chun school.
- 2019 |
- 2018 | Iceman: The Time Travelleras Ho Ying
- 2018 | Big BrotherasHenry Chen
Big Brother
A soldier-turned-high school teacher uses unusual methods to reach to a class of poor students, while dealing with a greedy entrepreneur and his gang of fighters as well as the government.
- 2017 | Chasing the DragonasCrippled Ho
Chasing the Dragon
An illegal immigrant from Mainland China sneaks into corrupt British-colonized Hong Kong in 1963, transforming himself into a ruthless and emerging drug lord.
- 2017 | xXx: Return of Xander CageasXiang
xXx: Return of Xander Cage
Xander Cage is left for dead after an incident, though he secretly returns to action for a new, tough assignment with his handler Augustus Gibbons.
- 2016 | Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destinyas Silent Wolf
- 2016 | Rogue One: A Star Wars StoryasChirrut Îmwe
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
In a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire's ultimate weapon of destruction.
- 2015 | Ip Man 3as Ip Man
- 2014 | Kung Fu Jungleas Hahou Mo
- 2014 | The Monkey King: Havoc in Heaven's Palaceas Sun Wukong
- 2013 | Special IDas Chan Chi-Lung
- 2012 | All's Well, Ends Well 2012as Carl Tam
- 2011 | Dragonas Liu Jinxi
- 2011 | The Lost Bladesmanas Guan Yu
- 2010 | 14 Bladesas Qinglong
- 2010 | Ip Man 2as Ip Man
- 2010 | Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhenas Chen Zhen
- 2008 | An Empress and the Warriorsas Muyong Xuehu
- 2008 | Ip Manas Ip Man
- 2008 | Painted Skinas Pang Yong
- 2007 | Flash Pointas Ma
- 2005 | Kill Zoneas Ma Kwan
- 2005 | Seven Swordsas Chu Zhaonan
- 2004 | Protégé de la Rose Noire
- 2004 | Ying XiongasSky
Ying Xiong
A defense officer, Nameless, was summoned by the King of Qin regarding his success of terminating three warriors.
- 1999 | City of Darknessas Ozone
- 1998 | Ballistic Kissas Cat Lee
- 1998 | Shanghai Affairsas Tong Shan
- 1997 | Legend of the Wolfas Fung Man-Hin
- 1996 | Iron Monkey 2as Iron Monkey
- 1996 | Satan Returnsas Mo Ti Nam
- 1994 | Asian Cop: High Voltageas Chiang Ho-Wah
- 1994 | Circus Kidsas Danton Lee
- 1994 | Wing Chunas Leung Pok To
- 1993 | Heroes Among Heroesas Beggar So Chan
- 1993 | Iron Monkeyas Wong Kei-Ying
- 1992 | Cheetah on Fireas Ronald
- 1992 | Dragon Innas Eunuch Cho Siu Hing
- 1991 | Crystal Huntas Chin Chi Leung
- 1991 | Holy Virgin vs. The Evil Deadas Shiang Chi-Fei
- 1990 | Tiger Cage IIas Dragon Yau
- 1989 | In the Line of Duty IVas Officer Donny Yan
- 1985 | Mismatched Couplesas Eddie
- 1984 | Drunken Tai Chias Chan Chuen Chung
producer
Previous (2)
- 2021 | The Father
The Father
A man refuses all assistance from his daughter as he ages. As he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind and even the fabric of his reality.
- 2018 | Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy
Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy
While keeping a low profile after his defeat by Ip Man, Cheung Tin Chi gets into trouble after getting in a fight with a powerful foreigner.
Some Facts About Donnie Yen
Musical Family: Donnie Yen’s family was quite musical (his mother Bow-sim sang soprano and his father Klyster played violin), and Yen studied piano.
Philanthropist: Yen’s considerable philanthropic activities include the online charity platform, Go. Asia; serving as an ambassador for Save the Children; supporting Thai refugee camps; donations of HK$1 million to Wuhan-based frontline medical workers during the COVID-19 pandemic; and a charitable fund to help celebrities defend their honor and reputation after being impugned and winning a lawsuit against Geng Weiguo.
Pro-China: Yen is a member of the official Chinese organization, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, in its Literature and Arts division. Yen described the 2019-2020 Hong Kong protests for democracy as “a riot.”
Platform Man: Donnie Yen has 11 million followers on China’s biggest social media site, Weibo.
