Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen Actor Information
Donnie Yen is a martial arts expert, China’s lead action star, a film director and producer and currently the most bankable movie star in Asia. He has also starred in a number of hit films such as Hero with screen greats like Jet Li and Jacky Chan
Names
English name – Donnie Yen
Chinese name – 甄子丹
Pinyin – Zhen Zi Dan
Details
Date of birth – 27th July 1963
Place of Birth- Taishan City, Guandong Province, China
Current nationality – US
Height – 1.75 meters
Background
Donnie Yen was born in 1963 in China’s Guangdong province to a newspaper editor father Klyster Yen and martial arts master mother Bow Sim Mark. Donnie Yen’s family moved to Hong Kong when he was two and later to Boston in the US when he was 11. Under the encouragement of his mother, Donnie Yen started training in martial arts at a young age and experimented on a number of different styles such as Tai Chi. After dropping out of school he concentrated on Wushu. Concerned for his safety in Boston’s trouble spots, his parents sent him to Beijing to take part in a two year program with the Beijing Wushu Team.
Acting Career
Donnie Yen’s first break in the movie industry happened when he was 19 with stunt roles in the movies Shaolin Drunkard and Taoism Drunkard. He received his first acting role at the age of 20 in the movie Drunken Tai Chi. Donnie Yen’s big break occurred when he played the bad guy role in Once Upon a Time in China II opposite Jet Li in 1992.
Since then Donnie Yen’s career as an actor has developed and he has also started his own production company Bullets Film (1997) choreographed fight scenes, worked as a producer and had a number of minor roles in western films such as Blade II and Highlander – Endgame. At present he is highly sought after by big name Chinese producers, one of China’s leading action stars and currently Asia’s most bankable move star.
Personal Life
Donnie Yen’s mother is a soprano and his father a violinist so he was taught from a young age to play musical instruments. He is a trained classical pianist and enthusiastic hip hop and break dancer.
He married Zing-Ci Leung in 1993 and separated in 1995, the same year his daughter was born. From 1995 to 2000 he was in a relationship with actress Joey Yee Man Meng. He met and married his current wife Cecilia Cissy Wang in 2003 who’s claim to fame was winning the 2000 Miss Chinese Toronto Pageant. Cecilia is 17 years Donnie Yen’s junior and has a daughter and a son with him.
Donnie Yen Trivia
-Is a fanatical mixed martial arts fan and has watched almost every mixed martial arts fight
-Turned down big name Hollywood movies like The Expandables 2 and Rush Hour 2
Chinese Titles
Together (2013)
Cool Sir
The Monkey King (2013)
Sun Wukong / Monkey King
All's Well, Ends Well 2012 (2012)
Carl Tam
Dragon or Wuxia (2011)
Liu Jin-xi
The Lost Bladesman (2011)
Guan Yu
All's Well Ends Well (2011)
Arnold Cheng
Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (2010)
Chen Zhen
Ip Man 2 (2010)
Ip Man
14 Blades (2010)
Green Dragon
Bodyguards and Assassins (2009)
Sum Chung-yang
The Founding of a Republic (2009)
Tian Han
All's Well, Ends Well (2009)
Wedding guest
An Empress and the Warriors (2008)
Muyong Xuehu
Flash Point (2007)
Det. Sgt. Ma Jun
Dragon Tiger Gate (2006)
Dragon Wong
Kill Zone (2005)
Insp. Ma Kwun
Seven Swords (2005)
Chu Zhao Nan
The Twins Effect II (2004)
General Lone
Love on the Rocks (2004)
Victor
Shanghai Knights (2003)
Wu Chow
City of Darkness (1999)
Ozone
Shanghai Affairs (1998)
Tong Shan
Ballistic Kiss (1998)
Cat Lee
Legend of the Wolf (1997)
Fung Man-hin
Black Rose II (1997)
Boxing School Owner
Satan Returns (1996)
Mo Ti Nam
Iron Monkey 2 (1996)
Iron Monkey
Asian Cop: High Voltage (1995)
Chiang Ho-Wa
The Saint of Gamblers (1995)
Lone Seven
International Titles
Blade II (2002)
Snowman
Highlander: Endgame (2000)
Jin Ke
TV Series
Fist of Fury (1995)
Chen Zhen
The Kung Fu Master (1994)
Hung Hei-Kwun
Flying Squads or Fei Fu Kwan Ying (1989)
Cheung Ho Nam
Mo Min Kap Sing Fung (1989)
Tse Kwok Tung
Awards for Film and TV
Donnie Yen has had over 9 wins and 6 nominations for Film and TV
30th Hong Kong Film Awards
Nominee – Best Action Choreography – Donnie Yen – The Legend of Chen Zhen
28th Hong Kong Film Awards
Nominee – Best Actor – Donnie Yen – Ip Man
27th Hong Kong Film Awards
Winner – Best Action Choreography – Donnie Yen – Flash Point
26th Hong Kong Film Awards
Nominee – Best Action Choreography – Donnie Yen – Dragon Tiger Gate
25th Hong Kong Film Awards
Winner – Best Action Choreography – Donnie Yen – S.P.L.
23rd Hong Kong Film Awards
Winner – Best Action Choreography – Donnie Yen – The Twins Effect
12th Hong Kong Film Awards
Nominee – Best Supporting Actor – Donnie Yen – Once Upon a Time in China II
44th Golden Horse Awards
Winner – Best Action Choreography – Donnie Yen – Flash Point
43rd Golden Horse Awards
Nominee – Best Action Choreography – Donnie Yen – Dragon Tiger Gate
40th Golden Horse Awards
Winner – Best Action Choreography – Donnie Yen – The Twins Effect
2010 Hundred Flowers Awards
Nominee – Best Actor – Donnie Yen – Bodyguards and Assassins
2009 Huabiao Film Awards
Winner – Outstanding Abroad Actor – Donnie Yen – Ip Man
2009 Beijing Student Film Festival
Winner – Best Actor – Donnie Yen – Ip Man
2010 Shanghai Film Critics Awards
Winner – Best Actor – Donnie Yen – 14 Blades
2007 Golden Bauhinia Awards
Winner – Best Action Choreography – Donnie Yen – Dragon Tiger Gate
2008 World Stunt Awards
Winner – Best Action in a Foreign Film – Donnie Yen – Flash Point
2002 World Stunt Awards
Nominee – Best Fight – Donnie Yen – Iron Monkey
2010 QQ Entertainment Awards
Winner – Best Movie Actor (HK, TW) – Donnie Yen
Winner – Most Influence Character – Donnie Yen
2011 Hua Ding Awards
Winner – Best Actor – Donnie Yen – Ip Man 2