Yen emerges as latest action hero
By Min Lee |
00:21 UTC+8 August 5, 2010
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Print Edition
Print Edition
FOR years, Donnie Yen worked in the shadow of Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Having fought both on screen, the 47-year-old actor was considered a worthy opponent but not a leading man in his own right.
That changed after Yen took on the role of Bruce Lee's kung fu master in 2008. "Ip Man" was a hit and two years later, the sequel, "Ip Man 2," became the top-grossing local film in China in the first half of the year with box office takings of US$34 million.
With Chan and Li cutting down on output and seeking more dramatic roles, Yen is now the most prolific action star. Last year, he had three releases. This year, four are scheduled, including "Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen," which was chosen as one of the two opening movies at the Venice Film Festival in September.
His breakthrough role as Ip best showcased his personality and was right for the times, Yen said recently.
Yen said Chinese viewers have tired of the superhuman feats of action heroes like Lee, Li and Chan and found Ip more accessible because he "just comes off as your friend, a friendly neighbor."
"What people want to see is someone closer to the people, someone with family values, maybe even a man who's afraid of his wife, a domesticated man.
"But at the same time he excels at kung fu. He's powerful. He can protect his family and the people around him."
Yen, 47, who was born in Chinese mainland and raised in Hong Kong and Boston, says he has no plans to slow down.
In "Legend of the Fist" he plays the fighter Lee made famous in his 1972 movie "The Chinese Connection." In two other upcoming releases, Yen tackles the Three Kingdoms period general Guan Yu from ancient China and the mythical Monkey King. He's also working on a martial arts film with Peter Chan, a Hong Kong director best known for his love stories.
Yen isn't interested in a Hollywood career, preferring to focus on cultivating his following in China.
"For an actor, a Chinese-speaking filmmaker, given how gloriously the Chinese mainland market has developed in the past few years - foreign markets can't match the kind of creative space that brings," he said.
That changed after Yen took on the role of Bruce Lee's kung fu master in 2008. "Ip Man" was a hit and two years later, the sequel, "Ip Man 2," became the top-grossing local film in China in the first half of the year with box office takings of US$34 million.
With Chan and Li cutting down on output and seeking more dramatic roles, Yen is now the most prolific action star. Last year, he had three releases. This year, four are scheduled, including "Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen," which was chosen as one of the two opening movies at the Venice Film Festival in September.
His breakthrough role as Ip best showcased his personality and was right for the times, Yen said recently.
Yen said Chinese viewers have tired of the superhuman feats of action heroes like Lee, Li and Chan and found Ip more accessible because he "just comes off as your friend, a friendly neighbor."
"What people want to see is someone closer to the people, someone with family values, maybe even a man who's afraid of his wife, a domesticated man.
"But at the same time he excels at kung fu. He's powerful. He can protect his family and the people around him."
Yen, 47, who was born in Chinese mainland and raised in Hong Kong and Boston, says he has no plans to slow down.
In "Legend of the Fist" he plays the fighter Lee made famous in his 1972 movie "The Chinese Connection." In two other upcoming releases, Yen tackles the Three Kingdoms period general Guan Yu from ancient China and the mythical Monkey King. He's also working on a martial arts film with Peter Chan, a Hong Kong director best known for his love stories.
Yen isn't interested in a Hollywood career, preferring to focus on cultivating his following in China.
"For an actor, a Chinese-speaking filmmaker, given how gloriously the Chinese mainland market has developed in the past few years - foreign markets can't match the kind of creative space that brings," he said.
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