The Rise of Gru. Oh, my god. Last take, the guy overshot and cracked Yen in the face, slicing open his brow a quarter-inch from his eye, nearly blinding him. Both Chan and Yen are still making action movies, though Chan's roles are now far less stunt-intensive due to the countless injuries he's gone through in his career. Yes. Yen joined Li in the sequel as the villainous Commander Lan. But she did not say, OK, lets just wrap it up and call it a day. Im curious, what did that movie did that change things for you in terms of roles coming in? He's only a few months younger than Jet Li, and they entered the . Why do we do this? Yeoh plays Evelyn Wang, the hardworking owner of a failing laundromat whos too busy to tend to the little but important things in life. I dont want to. Why is everything so generic?. Compared to Chan's usual Buster Keaton-inspired comedic fight scenes throughout Shanghai Knights, his and Yen's kung fu showdown is the movie's most straightforward martial arts fight and really showed what Yen could do better than any American film had managed to at the time. A certain restlessness. Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen talks about his favorite martial arts films, his extensive career, and infusing his latest film, Flash Point, with the styles of Mixed Martial Arts. If you like this interview and want to hear others, follow us on your favorite podcast app. A lot of people might not be happy for what Im saying, but Im speaking from my own experience., Where once, Hollywoods attitude toward Chinese filmmakers might have angered him, today Yen is more accepting. My husband will do what I want. Today we talk about injusticeI mean, back in the days, you cant imagine. Yes. I dont understand this. Lets have a woman whos comparable to James Bond. Right, which the daughter is doing. Ive been through it all. She knows these kind of women, and their jobs, and the responsibility of that job, and how it can really turn so many lives upside down. So what happened was there was a shot where Jet Li was wired up and we both have these poles, these bamboo poles about this thick. But he feels it in his body, that he is not quite as quick as he once was. The name was Shang or Chang, Yen says. There was a rumor youd get a Bond spin-off, though that didnt happen. Donnie Yen really said no Mandarin Collars, but blind Martial Arts expert is okay. Each studio was determined to outdo its rivals for the most elaborate action sequences and flat-out dangerous stunts. Im trying to think. Wed broken each others staffs, so we were holding two, one in each hand. The prop staffs werent up to the task, so they were using real bamboo, solid, heavy as hell.. Additional details also revealed that Caine will be joining the ranks of antagonists such as Cassian (hip-hop rapper Common) from Chapter 2 and Zero (Wu Assassins star Mark Dacascos) from Chapter 3., More from NextShark: Ralph Macchio defends Karate Kid from very white criticism, Yen noted during his GQ interview that his actions were not a form of criticism toward Chapter 4.. Wire work. In 2019, Yen was working with the director Benny Chan on a cop movie calledRaging Fire, when Chan fell ill during production. If Bruce Lee could do it, I could do it, you know?, Movies also opened Yens eyes to martial arts styles outside of his mothers traditional forms of tai chi. Whereas a younger Yen was once hungry to prove himself, he is no longer excited by offers from Hollywood. 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Sword of Destiny' also played at selected Imax theatres in North America, and enjoyed a wide theatrical release in China, where it was screened in its 3D version.Yen reteamed with his former mentor Yuen Woo-ping for the hugely popular 'Ip Man 3'. Yen cannot raise his right arm overhead, for example, on account of having been smashed into a brick wall on 1985sMismatched Couples. The film was shot primarily at the famed Elstree Studios in England.Donnie had a role opposite Vin Diesel and his fellow Asian action star, Tony Jaa, in xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017), which filmed in Toronto, Canada.Now firmly established as a leading player across the globe, Donnie Yen continues to present a unique blend of Eastern experience and Western innovation, of musical grace with martial impact, from Hong Kong to a galaxy far, far away.Donnie is one of the leading martial arts choreographers in the world of action cinema. Ho-hum. We literally spent the entire day coming up with moves, and then Yuen Woo-ping would say, Not cool enough. The entire day, without coming up with one shot., Those early films with Yuen provided Yen with a crash course in the art of making action movies. Its normally, yes, for a younger version. Your first big movie is Yes, Madam. Is that correct? Jacket, $2,800, vest, $590, shirt (vintage), and pants, $690, by Double RL. He was electric, determined, lightning fast. And Im like, no way. Donnie Yen Ji-dan (Chinese: ; pinyin: Zhn Zdn; born 27 July 1963) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, and action director. In China, Yen can play drug lords, animated monkeys, romantic leads, soldierseven sing. And I think that was one of the light switches that came on. The two had a 20-year quest to join a project together. At the same time, Donnie Yen, still years away from his Western fame followingRogue One: A Star Wars Storyand the spy moviexXx: Return of Xander Cage, hadonly done two other American movies at the time in Highlander: Endgame and Blade II. Yen is next set to appear in the highly-anticipated John Wick: Chapter 4 with Keanu Reeves and Sleeping Dogs, an adaptation of the popular video game of the same name. In Everything Everywhere All at Once, Yeoh plays the superhero: a Chinese American immigrant mother who is called upon to save the world and herself by hopping across multiverses. The film out-performed all the previous movies featuring the character of Ip Man, smashing box office records throughout Asia. And Ive been in that world forever. This presented Yen asa relatively fresh face to Western audiences, and thus a perfect foil for the A-list presence of Chan and Owen Wilson in Shanghai Knights. In your dreams, buddy. Yen also didn't establish himself in the West to the extent that Chan had until much later on, but he's every bit as recognizable now, and today, Yen has grown into one of the biggest and most revered martial arts stars in the world. Instead of coming across, and I'm supposed to block it like this, he comes across horizontally. Jacket, $4,700, pants, $1,650, and belt, $830, by Gucci. He would spend countless hours developing hisfa jing, or explosiveness, practicing high kicks on the heavy bag until he knocked it down. Yen previously played a blind character in another big-budget project: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The martial artist, who portrayed Chirrut mwe in the 2016 film, told GQ that he also asked for a redesign of his character after taking issue with him in early script drafts. I really, truly appreciate it. More from NextShark: Curtis Waters is more than a TikTok gimmick: 'There's so much amazing sh*t that I have yet to do'. Yen was on the set of Tsui Harks now classic 1992 sequelOnce Upon a Time in China II, filming the kind of action scene they really dont make anymore. At the same time, Donnie was influenced by his parents' love of music and reached a high level of proficiency as a pianist. You know What? Its about whats happening in our society. You learn to be so precisely on point and accurate at every angle, Yen says. I have so many injuries, Yen says, laughing. And perhaps if she was so successful in all that she do, like in the movie universe, she doesnt have a family. Suddenly, Yen found himself apprenticed to one of the great action directors of what might be the last golden age of kung fu filmmaking. Born July 27, 1963 in Canton, China. Shes not trying to be funny. Im hanging out with Benny, next thing you know hes gone. Everything is so staged its fake, he says. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Are they respectful of Chinese culture? And they missbecause Yen knows that sometimes a full-bodied haymaker that doesnt connect is as useful in selling the reality of a scene as a dozen perfectly timed strikes. We release every Monday and Thursday. But then, what is it youre giving up? To revisit this article, visit My Profile, thenView saved stories. When I first read it, I was like, no, no, no, no, no, no. At that point, it was like, nothing will faze you. Thanks for listening. At the time, the demand for martial arts movies was waning, and Yen was determined to innovate within a genre starting to grow stale. When Yuen Woo-ping is talking, everybody would just listen. By the time he arrived, Hong Kong was long-established as the epicenter of Chinese-language cinemaand also the locus of the most frenetic and daring action films on the planet. Our stories do matter. The film won Donnie his third Best Action Choreography prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards, as well as a prize for Best Action in a Foreign Language Film at the Taurus Awards.Yen explored different styles of screen combat when he choreographed the stunning kung fu fights for the period actioners 'Legend of the Fist' and 'The Lost Bladesman', the fantasy combat for 'The Monkey King' and the time travel adventure 'Iceman Cometh 3D'.Many fans feel that Yen delivered his best choreographic work to date in Peter Chan's masterful 'Wu Xia', released in the US as 'Dragon'. So, she has to work so hard into creating and achieving that American dream that they talked about when they first came here. Though Chan isn't performing stunts by diving headfirst off of buildings as much these days, and Yen's Ip Manmovie days have concluded, the pair have left a legacy as action stars and martial artists worldwide, meaningfans of both Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen would be remiss to miss out on both times they've faced off. Yen certainly has a point and as seen in John Wick 4's marketing materials of the actor donning massive sunglasses and a black suit (no Mandarin collars! You are getting fat. Yen might be approaching 60, but in person he looks a decade younger: lean and muscular, radiant skin, Wite-Out smile. 7 Hong Kong actors who made it big in Hollywood, from Jackie Chan - of course - and Donnie Yen in Star Wars and John Wick, to Reminiscence star Daniel Wu 28/10/2021 Kim accused of damaging . Yen playsGeneral Lone, a warrior out to free the land of Huadu from the tyrannical rule of a sinister Queen. Come on. This movie was for Jackie Chan originally and then switched very quickly to you. Before he accepts a role, hell ask questions, like, Is the role generic? When Evelyn Wang walks, she is slightly bent over and slightly humped on the side because thats the years of hard work that has created this posture. And so, I thought, there was a lot of pressure to make sure they took you seriously. Then the wardrobe again oh, mandarin collars. Talk tomorrow. Right, right. Everybodys supposed to be cool and fashionable. It's all here Tune in to find out, and let us know who you think is the greatest of the great in the comments. Why cant he have a normal name? But the only problem is I cant sing. And one of the great things about cinema, he says, is how unifying it can betranscending barriers of both language and culture. So, talk about being silly because you, you know, in many of your movies, youre dignified, poised, et cetera. Boots, $695, by Alessandro Vasini. Because of the years of having to carry heavy loads of things, her body is not always upright. Today, he says, he sees a big difference in the way he and other Asian actors are treated in Hollywood. And in fact, he knows all he has to do is call. Why is everything so generic? He said, hes wondering if, you know, you have time to have a quick cup of tea with him. It was very difficult for my mom, because she couldnt accept that, like, Why couldnt you learn from me? But I guess I was born having that personality, always curious of what was out there.. Why does he always have to be called Shang or Chang? Have you been in animation? Not that its always gone smoothly. Oh, if I was James Bond? Chinese kung fu star, Donnie Yen, is listed as a member of National Committee of CPPCC. Its hard to do, Yen says. The film, which starred Adrian Paul and Christopher Lambert, was produced by the US studio Dimension, and enjoyed a successful worldwide theatrical release.Having relocated to Los Angeles, Yen paid his dues by directing action scenes for the Dimension action thriller 'Stormbreaker' and providing the fight sequences for the German TV series 'The Puma'.Donnie agreed to both action direct and cameo in the major New Line action franchise entry 'Blade 2', starring Wesley Snipes. Jackie Chan and Jet Li are two of the greatest martial arts actors to ever grace the silver screen. It comes with the jobyou dont carve out a 40-year career kicking ass in Hong Kong action cinema without also getting your own kicked occasionally. ), Nevertheless, some hurts still linger. Yen also used the lighter side of his screen persona to good effect in two installments of the hit Hong Kong comedy movie series 'Alls Well Ends Well'.Yen was cast opposite Tang Wei and Takeshi Kaneshiro in director Peter Chan's 'Wu Xia' (aka 'Dragon'), a dark, elegant period martial arts murder mystery. Every day: pain. Donnie also received a Best Actor nomination at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Youve got to do this, you have to do that. Ihated it. Yen would escape by watching kung fu movies, spending two dollars to catch Bruce Lee double bills at the cinema downtown. Shes not trying to be funny. Its quite sad. Here is the full quote below: "[Discussing Once Upon a Time in China II] The most significant experience workingwas one time that I had an injury [that] almost blinded me. Beyond the limitations of his mother's school, Yen began training in various different fighting arts, including Japanese karate, Korean taekwondo and western boxing. Now, if they hit you in the head, they'll knock you out. Much like other beloved Chinese actors before him, like Jackie Chan, Jet Li and the late Bruce Lee, Donnie Yen has found Hollywood fame after becoming a big star in Hong Kong action movies. Then the wardrobe again oh, mandarin collars. (At least not on purpose. And as an audience, I think thats what he does for you, is he puts you in so many places, and then he pulls the rug from under you. On an Apple device? And walk away. . So, you cannot say, well, I want to do this. Global fans will recognize him from the likes ofStar Wars spin-offRogue One, as well as this months fourth outing in the phenomenally successfulJohn Wick franchise. He arrives at the Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill in London wearing a leather Alexander McQueen jacket and sweats, the brim of his baseball capblazoned with the motivational slogan You Can Do Itpulled low. Its like, even with the hot dog fingers, when you look at them, youre going, what? Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. Which I cant even explain. He got one of his producers to make an introduction, borrowed the money. But not Yen. But I am by myself and with a white-haired martial arts expert that you know, tells you exactly what to do. The couple now has two children, a girl and boy, Jasmine and James. But as it happened, his mother had a connection to the Hong Kong kung fu director Yuen Woo-ping. The film played at the prestigious Udine Festival in Italy, and took home awards at several other events, including the Japanese Yubari International Action Film Festival.Donnie's body of work had by then attracted the attention of Hollywood, and Yen was approached to choreograph the action for the mainstream franchise films 'Highlander: Endgame' and 'Blade 2'. When it first came, I was like, no, no, no, no, no. But the Daniels have so cleverly manipulated the situations that, you know, theres always that miscommunication, which creates misunderstandings, which become like, oh my god, oh my god, this is just the train wreck waiting to happen. My arms and legs are going in directions that I couldnt even fathom that could happen. auditor, who is fantastic. Over time, he learned a few tricks to soften the blows. They make these [MINION VOICES]. In t. Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen are two of the biggest martial arts stars in the world, and they've clashed twice in kung fu battles over the years. I can get up in the morning and do jump kicks. And you must try and find joy and happiness. Theyre giving you an opportunity to do it. Right. In a recent interview with GQ, the actor shared that he's very selective about signing on roles. Donnie Yen was a martial artist who became a performer. James Bond is James Bond. Everyone was just out there competing, like B-boys or skate crews, to do the coolest shit possible. The second time we spoke, Yen was energized to see Michelle Yeoh, a friend and costar of Yens for decades, win a Golden Globe forEverything Everywhere All at Once after being critically ignored for so long. It will continue to grow. I kid you not, it was spilling like shower spray. For actors like Yen, who came up in that golden age of kung fu, there were no digital effects. We do the best we can.. Yens character, an assassin called Caine, originally went by another name. Is it a lonely existence? Because thats how we are wired, in so many ways. But that touches and goes places. Then, what I was watching the fight sequences, and I thought, this looks exactly like a choreographed dance piece. Gloves, $140, by Ernest W. Baker. What a charming little film, I enjoyed watching this film , it had a good story line , the actors played out the parts very well. They are not in my life. Now, your Hollywood breakthrough was when you played a Bond and Im not going to use the term girl because Wai Lin was not a girl in the 1997 movie Tomorrow Never Dies. Can you talk about I love Bond movies, and I thought you were fantastic in it. But thats another discussion. You look like youre having much more fun with the hot dog. And we are very, very much part of you know, the Asians belong. At the time,Yen had no plans to be an actor. It wasnt about her not being rich enough or whatever. The film was shot last year, outside Shanghai, on a relatively slim budget. Theres a love story. So, thats a big problem, you know when youre doing Chinese movies and not being able to read the script, and not really being able to say the language. The kicker? Please. When I didBlade II I had a horrible time, man. Meanwhile, Yen continued to produce quality martial arts films in Hong Kong, creating an international hit as the titular kung fu master in Ip Man. Billie Wang, interpretada por Awkwafina, es la protagonista de 'The Farewell' o Jackie Chan Chan and Yen's second big-screen fight is the inverse in every way from theirShanghai Knightsbout,being more weapon-based and placing Chan, in particular, into some very new territory. Bad Movies: The 100 Worst Movies of All Time, Netflixs 100 Best Movies Right Now (March 2023), 100 Best Netflix Series To Watch Right Now (March 2023). The world class creative team gathered by producer Harvey Weinstein included legendary kung fu film director Yuen Woo-ping, acclaimed directors Peter Berg and Morten Tyldum (as producers), 'X-Men' series DP Tom Sigel as well as the Oscar-winning production, costume and FX designers from the 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Hobbit' film series.The film debuted in most international territories as a Netflix Original movie, making it the most widely seen wu xia of all time. Even then, I noticed a couple of Asian diners nearby quietly freaking out. I saw stars. So, you obviously made your name in Hong Kong action movies. I know exactly where the camera is. One, why do you think it took so long? Yuenknown in Hollywood for his choreography on films such asCrouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon;The Matrix; andKill Billhad helped to revive Jackie Chans career, directing the cult classicsDrunken Master andSnake in the Eagles Shadow. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Why does he always have to be called Shang or Chang? It was only a matter of time before this happened. His characters deploy mixed martial arts. Although Jackie Chan began to move away from making American action movies in the mid-2000s, he still found time for a quick cameo in the first Twins Effect, which Donnie Yen co-directed alongside Dante Lam.As a result, there is certainly a sense of fulfillment here as Chan and Yen go head-to-head in Twins Effect II (released in the West of Blade of Kings). Chan isn't exactly known for wuxia-style action and wire fu, but the formerEnter the Dragonstuntman handles the somewhat foreign territory well alongside Twins Effect's downplayed emphasis on comedy and pratfalls. Thats why you believe in that universe. Which is embodied by the everything bagel in the movie. Hes totally cool, and he loves martial arts movies, Yen says. If there was a stunt, you did it yourself. From the parents, the grandparents the hierarchy, right? But sometimes it is the failures that make us who we are because every decision matters, and it has an impact. The reception forShanghai Knightsclearly showed that it had outdone Shanghai Noon's blend of Wild West action and anachronistic comedy, but not enough credit is given to Wu Chow's defeat being of the funniest moments of either movie. Youre not allowed to ask questions. It was crazy macho stupidity, Yen says. This whole shot was one take, about 50 moves or something. And that was how my journey started. The senior editor of Sway is Nayeema Raza, and the executive producer of New York Times Opinion Audio is Irene Noguchi. . You almost get sort of boxed and wrapped up in this beautiful thats what Michelle Yeoh represents, elegance and beauty, and refined and dignified. He grew up absorbing every book, movie, TV show that he could get his eyes on. He will be 60 this year. The film, with Wilson Ip as director and Yuen as choreographer, pitted the title character against legendary boxing champion Mike Tyson. And I just went, when? From her high-flying kicks in the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to her unconventional take on a Bond girl in Tomorrow Never Dies, Michelle Yeoh has had a multidecade career defying stereotypes. And thats what we all do. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. But at the end of the day, you take a step back and go, empathy. Following a high profile Los Angeles premiere, 'Ip Man 3' enjoyed a Los Angeles premiere and a US theatrical release, earning rave reviews in the mainstream American media.Having conquered every territory beneath the Asian skies, Donnie accepted an invitation to join the cast of an entry in the world's biggest film franchise. She is this very ordinary woman. They think theyre serving Chinese food. Typical master. Its produced by Nayeema Raza, Blakely Schick, Daphne Chen, Caitlin OKeefe and Wyatt Orne; with original music by Isaac Jones; mixing by Sonia Herrero and Carole Sabouraud; and fact-checking by Kate Sinclair and Mary Marge Locker. And suddenly, it was much more like, you see? A half-beat slower. Sliced open. Picking up in 1887, Shanghai Knights sees Chan's Chon Wang, now Sheriff of Carson City, Nevada, on a mission in London to avenge his father's murder and stop a Royal assassination plot. And to invest both his money and his one more valuable resource than moneytimein projects that he loves, likeakra. This video is a playful and imaginative tribute to three of the world's greatest martial artists, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Donnie Yen, but with a twist. But she never gives up trying, even though her business is failing. Yen calmly warned them to leave them alone, but the thugs opted to attack him, which ended up with Donnie thoroughly kicking their asses in the street. Born in China, Yen moved with his family to Boston, where his mother, a tai-chi . Its the same attitude that has guided Yen throughout his career. But do you think it was supposed to change things, I remember. But my own experience, like, I was there, I have many friends who were there. John Wick: Chapter 4 is set for release on March 24. But because she is so focused and weighed down by the sheer sense of responsibility of a failing business, and then being audited, and the daughter and then the father shows up on her doorstep, the one who is always disapproving, disappointed. 'Seven Swords' premiered at the Venice Film Festival, and proved a hit with worldwide audiences. Both Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen have fought many formidable villains and, from time to time, heroes in their respective action movie careers. Its a movie its about the Chinese culture. Why is it this way? [Yuen] said, Youll know when youre a director., Yen eventually started to exert more of his own control, first of stunt choreography, then assuming directing duties. If youre in a podcast app already, you know how to get your podcasts, so follow this one. But the producer walked by me, wouldnt even talk to me. On set, Yen would devise intricate martial arts routines, only to be told to wrap it up and move on. 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