• Date of Birth: July 27, 1963
  • Place of Birth: Canton, China
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Donnie Yen Biography

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Replace this image with an actor photoDonnie Yen mini-bio: Donnie Yen was born in Canton, China, on July 27, 1963. The son of martial arts master Bow Sim Mark and Klyster Yen, Donnie moved to Boston, MA, with his family while still a child. At four years of age his mother taught him the art of tai chi. Donnie went on to experiment with various martial arts, from taekwondo to wushu. He was invited to Beijing to train in wushu, where he met 'Woo-Ping Yuen'. Donnie got his first film role in Xiao tai ji (1984) at the age of only 19. He gained notoriety in the 1980s and 1990s, working for the D&B Film Co. in films like the first two installments of the Tiger Cage trilogy and Huang jia shi jie zhi IV: Zhi ji zheng ren (1989).

He gained his breakthrough role in 1992 as Gen. Lan in _Wong Fei-hung ji yi: Naam yi dong ji keung (1992)_. His finale against Jet Li remains a classic of its kind. In 1997 he made his directorial debut in Zhan lang chuan shuo (1997), which was also the first film from his new company, Bullet Films.

In 2000 Donnie made his American film debut as the immortal Jin Ke in Highlander: Endgame (2000). He has also appeared in Blade II (2002) and will be seen next in Jackie Chan's Shanghai Knights (2003) and Ying xiong (2002) with Jet Li.

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Comments

  • cutteemay
    hello Mr. Donnie yen my ultimate crush ever! ur my inspiration! we love ur movies so much!!! (IP MAN <-- I CRIED.., SPL <--- I FALL INLOVE W/ HIM HERE AND I CRIED TOO =), FLASH POINT <-- AMAZING!... hope to see u in person! GL! WE LOVE YOU DONNIE YEN!
    posted 121 days ago
  • preezo

    I bought Dragon Tiger Gate and flash point and i really enjoyed myself. you gpt sick moves. but in dragon tiger gates thats was really good. i have a dvd and watch it again and again
    posted 205 days ago
  • dennisedward6
    Hey MR Yen!! You kicked A** in "IP Man" I totally loved it..Your fighting style was always calm cool and collective. Even when you were angry.. you still maintained your composure... This Film was a knockout maan, I was jumping for joy when you (during your final fight) had your opponent up against the pole and was workin him like he was the wooden dummy which you practice with..OMG that part was a thriller!!
    posted 217 days ago
  • harikrishnank83
    To all those people gushing over his fightscenes with Jing Wu and Sammo Hung in SPL, I urge you to watch the finale of 'Flashpoint'. That is without doubt the greatest action scene of all time. I am not even kidding. Take it from a guy who's been watching MA movies ever since Gordon Liu hit his prime. That was the single best exhibition of Mixed Martial Arts ever on-screen. This man is truly the best of all time.
    posted 578 days ago
  • Vernon086
    Killzone was the best. The fight between Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung was nice but. Jackie Wu's fighting scene with Donnie was better. Oh yeah, and Seven Swords... Donnie's roll as the one with the Dragon Sword was incredible. I want a sword like that.
    posted 585 days ago
  • harikrishnank83
    I personally was more amazed by the innovativeness that was involved in the end fight in 'Flash Point'. Donnie Yen looked so much at ease blending the MMA style grappling with that of the highflying TKD-Thai Boxing hybrid style used by Colin Chou. He's undoubtedly my favourite martial artist of all time with Yuen Biao and Kim won Jin (Sunny the Scorpion from Operation Scorpio)
    posted 629 days ago
  • skactopus
    Donnie can really sell a movie in my opinion. I've watched a movie just because he did the martial arts choreography for it (The Princess Blade). I also watched Shanghai Knights just because he was in it as well.

    Anyway, he is one-half of the greatest martial-arts scene that I have ever laid eyes on. It is the first fight between he and Jet Li in Once Upon A Time in China 2. Excellent stuff. Another one of his best scenes is his knife/baton fight against Jacky Wu Jing in Sha Po Lang.
    posted 967 days ago
  • UnknownL
    He is super awesome in Dragon Tiger Gate haha
    posted 982 days ago
  • danielwuluver
    He's freaking awesome! I remember back in the days when he wasn't so big yet, he was even hotter!!! And now, even in his prime, he's still sizzles next to guys half his age (See Dragon Tiger Gate)
    posted 993 days ago
  • sailorjupiter6824
    Donnie Yen is awesome, I've never seen a Donnie Yen movie I didn't like!!
    posted 1000 days ago

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