But because at that time, there were no scripts that really cast us as a important enough character, you could be like a co-star or a guest star or whatever it is. But so, Evelyn Wang, when shes pushing her husband out of the way, its like, I have no time for you today. Waymond is played by Ke Huy Quan. It wasnt a protest, okay, it was a riot, Yen says. I mean, I look at life and were only here for a short time, you know? Yeah, so its a silly premise, but the heart of it is not silly. Come on. All these interests would have a manifest influence on Yen's later life.In his teens, Donnie defined his own persona by rebelling against his parents edicts. 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). Hes totally cool, and he loves martial arts movies, Yen says. I dont want to. Right now hes editing the final cut of his new film akra, a lush adaptation of the novelDemi-Gods and Semi-Devils,by the bestselling wuxia author Jin Yong. This is my schedule, Yen says, showing me the calendar app on his phone, a grid of colored squares so stuffed that it looks like a Tetris endgame. The 2000s saw Yen transition to Hollywood with appearances in Blade II as Snowman and Shanghai Knights opposite Jackie Chan. But he always kept at it. Wire work. The Founding of a Republic is a Chinese historical drama produced in 2009 to mark the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China and was made to portray the final years of the Chinese Communist Revolution that followed the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). And two, did it do that? Do you know theres auto-tune? And her husband, and father and daughter. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, thenView saved stories. 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny' was shot primarily on location in New Zealand, with Yen in the lead role. All rights reserved. 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. And the guys had to step in and teach them a lesson. After a period where he was based in Los Angeles, Donnie returned East by way of the West when Jackie Chan requested that Yen play his nemesis in the hit 'Shanghai Knights', a shoot that took the star from Prague to London.Yen returned to China to co-star in director Zhang Yimou's epic wu xia master work 'Hero'. Typical master. That mahjong scene was something else. Why does he always have to be called Shang or Chang? Oh, god, you know, with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, that was an Asian movie. Is there a universe you didnt like? Your loss is my gain, bro. Right, because she finds that ridiculous. Mm-hmm. Most of the people outside of China dont see it until they are there, Yen says. In this movie, and his follow-up features for the company ('In the Line of Duty 4', 'Tiger Cage 2'), Yen showed off his own unique form of contemporary screen combat, a form that included elements of rapid fire kicking, Western boxing and grappling moves.Having established a worldwide fan base, Yen moved on to star in a string of independent Asian action features before director Tsui Hark tapped him to co-star in 'Once Upon A Time In China 2'. Why can't he look cool and fashionable?" And Evelyn, who is I think it was the funniest when Evelyn realizes, what do you mean Im the worst failure of Evelyn Wang in all the universes? After starring in blockbusters like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Disney's live-action Mulan, Yen will soon appear in John Wick 4 as Caine, an old friend of Wick's who is speculated to be an. So, yes, we became better known in America, like Chow Yun-Fat. The film, which starred two of China's top pop idols, told the tale of young vampire hunters with well-honed martial arts skills. So, I remember when I first said because I dont read Chinese. More with Michelle Yeoh after the break. But hes never forgotten it. And I think what, in 96, 97, when they were doing that, it was because I think the movement of where women were like, OK, I want to go and watch a Bond movie where Im not just sexualized, all right? 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, a movie musical, not a Broadway musical. My first movie was an action film, but I played the normal damsel in distress where I was a social worker and bullied by the juvenile delinquents. Necklace, $20,300, by Cartier. The Chinese, we all have our way of interpreting the story. And to invest both his money and his one more valuable resource than moneytimein projects that he loves, likeakra. You said Matrix on LSD. 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. I gotta say, hot dog fingers might be. He started hanging out at other gyms around Boston. I kid you not, it was spilling like shower spray. We came into this life naked. Shes looking for the mother that she can connect with. I have been in so many countries in the world, but its not even close. It was old-school military, Yen says. Jackie Chan and Jet Li are two of the greatest martial arts actors to ever grace the silver screen. So, they pulled me up, and Barbara came to meet me in Europe. But thats another discussion. When Donnie was just two years old, the family moved to Hong Kong and then, when he was 11, to Boston, Massachusetts.There, Master Bow-sim Mark became a pioneer for Chinese martial arts in America, and it was only natural that her only son was trained from early childhood in the same skills. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. I dont want to do that again. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. You must not give up. He was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer and died while the film was still in postproduction. But interestingly and maybe this is wrong because its been reported different places. But your face has to register, its like, why, do what, how, you know. So I went in the day after, and I finished the scene., Yen is not telling this story for the sake of some misguided bravado but more to explain the heady Hong Kong film scene of the 1980s and 90s. Now, definitely. Because thats how we are wired, in so many ways. So, I said, I would love to be able to try I think at that point in that period, the glory years of Hong Kong cinema, it was comedies and action movies that were the best sellers. You cannot look like you know what youre doing. 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 was born in Guangzhou, on the Chinese mainland. In addition to Ip Man and Rogue One, Yen rose to fame by appearing in films such as Hero," Iron Monkey,". Shes literally busy. And Ang is like the most quiet spoken. I did that . Do you play a big role in the next movie? You were an equal match. And we are very, very much part of you know, the Asians belong. It was likeKill Bill. Its normally, yes, for a younger version. Sway is a production of New York Times Opinion. Of you as Bond? Its like, even with the hot dog fingers, when you look at them, youre going, what? And all these things keep coming at you. Honestly, I would love to be in a musical. Youll be able to catch up on Sway episodes you may have missed, like my conversation with Andrew Garfield. Yen and fellow martial arts legend Jet Li go at it with bamboo poles, literally bringing down the building around them. It is very easy to walk away and just turn a blind eye because then you are not involved emotionally, physically, or you know, any way. What Id do is Id use a cotton ball and put it between my back teeth, so they [didnt] knock my teeth out., Today, Yen is one of Chinas biggest actors, the last in a dynasty of martial arts stars that runs from Bruce Lee to Jackie Chan to Jet Li. And Im like, are you kidding me? One question that had always bugged him, for example: Why doesnt anybody miss? 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. Given that he was by now a serious practitioner of modern Wu Shu, his parents decided to send him to Beijing to train at the Chinese capital's famed Wu Shu academy.It was when Yen returned to Hong Kong en route back to Boston that he met the famed martial arts movie director Yuen Woo-ping.Donnie exploded onto the Hong Kong movie scene when he was cast in the lead role of director Yuen Woo-ping's 'Drunken Tai Chi'. Shes not trying to be funny. I do all of them, unless I mean, if its asking me to jump off the third floor, then I dont do that anymore. Ten years later, the pair starred in the epic Hero when Li cuts Yen again, this time above his right eye. 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'. Why is everything so generic?. Which I cant even explain. As appetite for Asian cinema has ebbed and flowed among non-Asian audiencesthrough the 90s Chan boom, the postCrouching Tiger wuxia craze, the more recent but short-lived breakouts helmed by the likes of Tony Jaa and Iko Uwaiseven huge stars like Yen have found their opportunities limited. 01 March . And I think it really shows because the scenes that I have with Stephanie, she is looking for her mother in every universe. Yes. The film won Donnie his second Best Action Choreography prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards.He took his on-screen depiction of MMA to new heights in 'Flashpoint', which featured an even longer and more intense final showdown, this time between Yen and 'Matrix Reloaded' actor Collin Chou. Its a stylish affair, beautifully shot. 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. Over the course of his very long career,kung fu star Jackie Chan has brought audiences equal amounts of thrills and laughter with his penchant for comedy-laced action movies packed full of martial arts and death-defying stunts. You picked up a lot of your stunt training early in your career in Hong Kong. Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen recently recalled two different occasions when legendary martial arts actor Jet Li nearly blinded him. 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. This is not uncommon. 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. When Yen was two years old, he and his father, a newspaper editor, moved to Hong Kong. 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. Over the years, Yen has helped to drag the martial arts movie away from the world of pristinely choreographed period pieces into something messier and more authentic. And so, I thought, there was a lot of pressure to make sure they took you seriously. Not only is he the director and executive producer, he also plays the lead and, in flashbacks, his characters father. He will be 60 this year. Why cant he look cool and fashionable? With Yens influence, the director Chad Stahelski agreed to change the name and the wardrobe. Donnie also received a Best Actor nomination at the Hong Kong Film Awards. If there was a stunt, you did it yourself. While details about the Hong Kong actor's role were kept under wraps following the films announcement in June 2021, a trailer released in November 2022 revealed that he will face off against Keanu Reeves suave, suit-wearing titular assassin. But I think its Barbara Broccoli, Michael Wilson, the producers who realize, its like, yes, lets do something different. Yeoh plays Evelyn Wang, the hardworking owner of a failing laundromat whos too busy to tend to the little but important things in life. Im curious for your perspective on the global industry, though, because youre such an international star and actor. I went to my friends karate school, or a boxing gym, Yen says. Well just put you right back to the same box. "The name was Shang or Chang. The senior editor of Sway is Nayeema Raza, and the executive producer of New York Times Opinion Audio is Irene Noguchi. Yes. I was doing the press for Tomorrow Never Dies. They said, oh, you know this director, Ang Lee? Yes, yes. ), Nevertheless, some hurts still linger. If there was a multiverse universe that you can jump into, I want to be a rock star. Jet Li Nearly Blinded Donnie Yen While Filming On Two Different Movies, Donnie Yen's Ip Man 2 Has A Secret Jet Li Connection (& It's Genius), John Wick 4 - Why Donnie Yen Is More Important Than You Think. TAGGED AS: Action, Film, films, Martial Arts, movie, movies. David Axelrod, Sarah Longwell and Preet Bharara on What to Look For in the Jan. 6 Hearings, The Elon That Were Seeing Today Is Not the Same One We Saw a Couple Years Ago, David Ellison on Top Gun: Maverick, Working With Tom Cruise and Hiring John Lasseter. Bei der Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps verwenden wir, unsere Websites und Apps fr Sie bereitzustellen, Nutzer zu authentifizieren, Sicherheitsmanahmen anzuwenden und Spam und Missbrauch zu verhindern, und, Ihre Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps zu messen, personalisierte Werbung und Inhalte auf der Grundlage von Interessenprofilen anzuzeigen, die Effektivitt von personalisierten Anzeigen und Inhalten zu messen, sowie, unsere Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu entwickeln und zu verbessern. These people belong to another dimension, right? These kinds of opportunities occasionally come up: You want to be in this? It doesnt mean anything, he says. Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen recently recalled two different occasions when legendary martial arts actor Jet Li nearly blinded him. He can stillgo. Now, if they hit you in the head, they'll knock you out. I try to look at it less defensive than before. Because when I was making Crazy Rich Asians, I was doing a Chinese movie at the same time for Master Yuen Woo-Ping. And you cannot be sensible and controlled when you are approaching a character like that because Evelyn Wang, to me, is a real person. One thing I pointed out is he was a stereotype. Jackie Chan and Li have known each other for a long time. I got knocked back about eight feet. And it was like its very much like dancing, if you look at it. Which is embodied by the everything bagel in the movie. While it is great that Staheleski is open to making changes and removing stereotypes as per Yen's request, we still see one big issue though: How is having a Hong Kong action star appearing as a blind martial arts expert in Hollywood movies isn't in itself a stereotype? Its quite sad. The film premiered to great acclaim at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, and subsequently received a North American theatrical release from The Weinstein Company.Donnie Yen played 'The Monkey King' in a hit reimagining of the Chinese classic. I think I would be nervous to throw a dildo at you. Which your character was against that, was against Constances character. Whats the cost? And then we just attacked it. This is a very good question because you know, at that time, especially in the 80s, it was past the Shaw Brothers era where we had a lot of swordswomen who carried themselves but doing martial arts sword fighting. trip. They chat about how films like Crazy Rich Asians have catapulted change in Hollywood, and how Yeohs career has bridged two of the biggest movie markets in the world, from the United States to China. Its about you going out there and making your own life. So hopefully now they will, you know, get on the horse and really ride out. Now, thats the real test. Right, which the daughter is doing. Leeeeeeeeeeeets get ready to rumble in the Bronx. Brad also offers philosophical musings on martial arts and the filmographies of everyone from Jackie Chan to Donnie Yen on Kung Fu Kingdom, where he's also had the privilege of interviewing many of the world's great stunt professionals, and hearing plenty of gripping stories on injuries incurred in their line of work and the intricacies of designing the acts of death defiance he first thrilled to as a youngster. My mom and I were separated for eight years, Yen says. Its more to illustrate what he has faced his whole career, and what he and other Asian actors are up against, even now. And one of the great things about cinema, he says, is how unifying it can betranscending barriers of both language and culture. Cinemagoers in China are being obliged to watch propaganda videos featuring some of the country's best-loved stars. Why can't he have a normal name? Good fight scenes. Theres a love story. But that was also very, very important that we focus very much on the love between the mother and the son. 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. ALSO READ:John Wick: Chapter 4 gets longest runtime in the series, clocking near 3 hours, John Wick: Chapter 4 gets longest runtime in the series, clocking near 3 hours. Your character doesnt know martial arts in her universe, but she can tap into her skills of a different Evelyn in a universe where shes a martial arts movie star which is basically your real life, by the way. This film was co-directed by Huang Jianxin and Han Sanping, and includes many famous actors such as Andy Lau, Ge You . And he said to me, I want to make Sense and Sensibility with martial arts. Doesnt smile, shared Yen, who suggested making Chirrut mwe blind. Again, not giving away plot. Here in America, you are taught you have to be self-sufficient. You do whatever you want. Tune in to find out, and let us know who you think is the greatest of the great in the comments. He whacked me on one side and 10 years later, he whacked me on the other side. His characters deploy mixed martial arts. Shirt, $575, by Nili Lotan. Donnie also took up hip-hop and break-dancing. You know, whats the value of life? Beginning in the early 80s, Li made a name for himself as one of the top martial artist action stars in Hong Kong cinema with films including Born to Defence and Shaolin Temple 3: Martial Arts of Shaolin.Li solidified himself as an icon in the genre with his . In "Everything Everywhere All at Once," Yeoh plays the superhero: a Chinese American. Sway is produced by Nayeema Raza, Blakeney Schick, Daphne Chen, Caitlin OKeefe and Wyatt Orme, and edited by Nayeema Raza; fact-checking by Kate Sinclair and Mary Marge Locker; music and sound design by Isaac Jones; mixing by Carole Sabouraud and Sonia Herrero; audience strategy by Shannon Busta. The film brought Yen his first real attention as a thespian and he was nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category at that year's Hong Kong Film Awards. As one of the few Cantonese students, the mainland was a different world. Yes, yes. Ad Choices, Nearing 60, the last of a golden era of martial arts stars looks back on an unparalleled careerand forward, to his role in the new, Donnie Yen Breaks Down His Most Iconic Characters, The Essential Michelle Yeoh Viewing Guide. You learn to be so precisely on point and accurate at every angle, Yen says. 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.. And I think, you know, the last two years, especially with the intensity and the tragedy of the pandemic, how its affected us, its really, really highlighted how much we need this human connection. But shes so committed to her role. The Rise of Gru. Oh, my god. (A full transcript of the episode will be available midday on the Times website.). Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. One, why do you think it took so long? Fortunately, every time I go to set, the whole Donnie Yen act just kicks in, he says. 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.

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