Donnie Yen

Donnie Yen Ji-dan (Chinese: 甄子丹; born 27 July 1963) is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and action director best known for his martial arts films. He is one of the highest paid actors in Asia.

Born in Guangdong, Yen developed an interest in martial arts at a young age, and began experimenting with various styles, including tai chi and other traditional Chinese martial arts. At age 18, he auditioned for action choreographer Yuen Woo-ping in Hong Kong. He landed his first starring role in the 1984 Hong Kong martial arts action film Drunken Tai Chi. He made his breakthrough role as the antagonist General Nap-lan in Once Upon a Time in China II (1992), opposite Jet Li. In 1997, he made his directorial debut in the action-martial arts film Legend of the Wolf.

Yen made his American debut in Highlander: Endgame (2000), followed by a cameo in Blade II (2002). He continued to be active in Hong Kong cinema in the 2000s, appearing in the critically acclaimed wuxia film as the antagonist Long Sky in Hero (2002), opposite Li once again. In 2003, Yen played the antagonist Wu Chow in the American action comedy film Shanghai Knights, opposite Jackie Chan. He later appeared in the American films Rogue One (2016), XXX: Return of Xander Cage (2017), Mulan (2020), and John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023).

In television, Yen starred as Chen Zhen in the television series Fist of Fury. He later reprised his role as Chen Zhen in the 2010 film Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen. Yen is credited by many for contributing to the popularisation of Wing Chun in China. He portrayed Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man in the Ip Man film series, starring in Ip Man (2008), Ip Man 2 (2010), Ip Man 3 (2015), and Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019).