Donnie Yen: Biography in Details
Who is Donnie Yen?
Donnie Yen is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer, director, action director, and choreographer.
He is popular for bringing mixed martial arts (MMA) into mainstream Asian cinema in the early 2000s.
His upcoming project, John Wick: Chapter 4 is set to be released on May 27, 2022.
The film features popular personalities like Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Shamier Anderson, and more.
Donnie Yen: Age, Family, Siblings, Ethnicity
Donnie was born on July 27, 1963, in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. His full name is Yen Ji-Dan.
The name of his parents is Klyster Yen (father) and Bow-sim Mark (mother). His father worked as a newspaper editor whereas his mother is a Fu Style Wudangquan and Tai Chi grandmaster.
He has a younger sister named Chris Yen who is also a martial artist and actress. Donnie moved to Hong Kong when he was two years old and emigrated to the United States with his family at the age of 11.
The actor is of several nationalities, China (1963-1965), British Hong Kong (1965-1974), United States (1974-2009), and Hong Kong, China (2009-present). Similarly, he belongs of Chinese descent.
Early Life, Education
During his rebellious teen years, he studied non-Chinese martial arts, including karate, tae kwon do, Wushu, and other martial arts. He also learned to play musical instruments including the piano and hip hop and break dancing.
At the age of 14, Donnie Yen dropped out of school to focus on wushu seriously. He spent his four years in a training program with the Beijing Wushu Team.
Donnie Yen: Professional Life, Career
In 1984, Donnie Yen made his first starring role in the Hong Kong martial arts action film, Drunken Tai Chi where he portrayed the role of Chan Chuen Chung.
He then appeared in another action film, Tiger Cage alongside Simon Yam, Carol Cheng, Jacky Cheung, and Irene Wan.
Yen made his breakthrough role as General Nap-Ian in Once Upon a Time in China II in 1992. The following year, he starred in the film, Iron-Monkey.
In 1995, he starred in the television series Fist of Fury where he portrayed the role of Chen Zhen aired on ATV.
Donnie Yen then reprised his role as Chen Zhen in the 2010 film, Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen. He made cameo appearances in two Hollywood films Highlander: Endgame and Blade II. He is also the action choreographer of the film.
His other notable films are,
- Flash Point (2007)
- Ip Man (2008)
- Ipman 2 (2010)
- Ip Man 3 (2015)
- Ip Man 4: The Final (2019)
- Raging Fire (2021)
Awards, Nominations
Donnie has won several awards throughout his career. Some of them are,
| Year | Awards | Category | Result |
| 1993 | Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated |
| 2003 | Golden Horse Awards | Best Action Choreography | Won |
| 2006 | Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Action Choreography | Won |
| 2014 | 7th Asian Film Awards | Asian Outstanding Actor | Won |
| 2015 | 15th Huading Awards | Best Actor | Won |
Rumors, Controversy
Donnie has managed to maintain a clean profile. To date, he hasn’t been part of any sort of rumors or controversy that could hamper his personal and professional life.
Donnie Yen: Net Worth, Salary
As of 2022, Donnie has amassed an impressive amount of net worth of around $40 million throughout his multiple profession as an actor, martial artist, film director, producer, and action choreographer.
In 2013, Yen earned $28.4 million from four films and six advertisements. His salary, real estate, and other earnings are still under review.
Body Measurement: Height, Weight
The actor stands at the height of 5 feet 8 inches tall and his weight is about 75 kg.
Likewise, Donnie Yen has a black pair of eyes and as well black hair color.
Social Media
The actor has a verified Instagram and Twitter account where he has more than 2.2m followers and 285.2k followers respectively.
Donnie Yen hasn’t an official Facebook account but has a Fan page with over 5.3m followers.
Trivia
- Yen is a big fan of the MMA organization Ultimate Fighting Championship.
- He has co-founded Go. Asia, an online charity platform in 2012 alongside his wife Cissy Wang.
- The actor has also established a charitable fund, Yen’s Honour Protection Fund in December 2015
Donnie Yen’s Birthday Dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | July | Saturday |
| 2025 | July | Sunday |
| 2026 | July | Monday |
| 2027 | July | Tuesday |
| 2028 | July | Thursday |