If you don't know who Donnie Yen is, we're going to fix that right now!
You've certainly seen Yen, briefly, in the recent teaser trailer for Rogue One A Star
Wars Story - a franchise he actually gave a run for its money in Asia when Star Wars
The Force Awakens went up against his latest film, Ip Man 3.
I was so impressed with Ip Man 3, and not only Yen's martial arts abilities but his
acting, that I finally watched the first Ip Man from 2008 this past weekend.
And, well, if you watch that movie, which you should, I think you'll agree Yen should've
been the star of Rogue One rather than Rey 2.0 - or is that Beta Rey since Rogue One
is a prequel?
Anyway, Yen is an international superstar everywhere but the United States thanks to
the Ip Man movies, even getting fan phone calls from Robert Downey Jr who himself studies
the form of martial arts that Ip Man devoted his life too, Wing Chun.
For a long time it was Ip Man's student, Bruce Lee, who popularized Wing Chun, but today
it is Donnie Yen and his Ip Man movies who've inspired hundreds of Wing Chun schools to
open their doors in Asia and abroad.
What's the appeal?
Well not only is Donnie Yen badass in these films, but the national pride in the first
Ip Man movie, where China is occupied by the Japanese - Asia's Nazis - is powerful.
In one scene, after defeated several Japanese soldiers and their karate with his Wing Chun,
the Japanese demand to know Ip Man's name - who has come to them as a simple hard laborer.
He turns and tells them "I am a Chinese man."
Wow, I wish I'd been in a packed Chinese theater to hear the crowd's response.
Furthermore, echoing that martial arts is as much about philosophy as it is fighting
prowess, Donnie Yen's Ip Man is like if you took Jimmy Stewart and taught him martial
arts!
Or Bing Crosby's Father O'Malley!
There's a humble goodness and moral center to Yen's Ip Man which is rarely celebrated
these days, which is perhaps why this character has become a beacon of light to so many.
And fascinatingly, Yen himself started out in life like the young thugs Ip Man often
finds himself fighting!
Born in China, then moving to Hong Kong, Yen's family eventually settled in Boston!
But his mother, a Tai Chi grandmaster, and his father, a newspaper editor, were dismayed
when Yen dropped out of school at fourteen to focus on studying martial arts - and hanging
out in Boston's worst neighborhood, The Combat Zone, which was full of strip clubs and crime.
So, Fresh Prince style, his mom and dad got scared, saying "You're movin' to Beijing to
join their Wushu Team!"
And much like Will Smith's character, and Will Smith, it changed Yen's life.
Yen's more serious martial arts studies started a chain reaction which led to him meeting
Hong Kong action choreographer Yuen Woo-ping who would become his mentor, as well as fellow
future action star Jet Li who also trained in Beijing.
Winning Yuen Woo Ping's open talent search in the early 1980s, Yen was signed to a four
picture deal with his first film being Drunken Tai Chi - his mom must've been proud, remember,
she's a Tai Chi grandmaster!
He also appeared in Once Upon a Time in China 2 opposite Jet Li, who starred.
Yen then got the lead in the Hong Kong TV series Fist of Fury, playing famed character
Chen Zen first portrayed by Bruce Lee and then Jet Li.
But then, while his contemporaries Jet Li and Jackie Chan transitioned to Hollywood
as big stars, Yen found himself going to Hollywood under different circumstances.
His production company, Bullet Films, made films that were critically acclaimed but financial
flops, and he was bankrupt.
Like, no kidding, "I don't have money for food" bankrupt.
Desperate for cash, Yen took work in Hollywood not as the star he was in Hong Kong, but as
a fight choreographer for movies like Highlander Endgame, Blade 2 and Stormbreaker.
To make matters worse, while an action choreographer in China fully directs said action sequences,
taking over for the director, in Hollywood Yen had no such artistic control.
Still, directors were so impressed with his work - both on their films and by his reputation
- they often gave him cameos.
And during this period Jet Li and Jackie Chan tried to help Yen as well, insisting he be
cast in Li's Hero and Chan's Shanghai Knights.
Then, after Yuen Woo Ping had gotten him started, Yen found another creative partner, Wilson
Ip.
Yes, in every movie industry it's important for an actor find the right director to team
up with.
After making several films together starting in 2005, they quickly had a huge hit in 2007
with Flash Point.
The popularity of that film gave Yen and Ip the collateral they needed to make their most
ambitious film yet, Ip Man, which as you now know has become an international sensation
and three picture franchise.
Yen's own star power in Asia was further cemented with two hit comedies as well as Monkey King
3D, one of the few films to join China's Billion Yuan Club.
Yen even did his former mentor Yuen Woo Ping a solid, agreeing to co-star in his Crouching
Tiger Hidden Dragon sequel for The Weinstein Company and Netflix.
Ala Steven Soderbergh, Yen has flirted with retirement or at least dialing it back a little
as he gets older and wishes to spend more time with his family, but Hollywood is finally
calling - and with serious offers, as Yen turned down a role in The Expendables 2.
Not only will Yen play a supporting role in Rogue One, but he'll play the main villain
opposite Vin Diesel in XXX The Return of Xander Cage!
Now, that last one might not seem all that different than The Expendables 2, but at least
Yen will be surrounded by a cast of current stars and up and comers.
Yen has also become a huge supporter of Mixed Martial Arts, using it in his non Ip Man films.
And not only is he an expert in Wushu, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Taekwondo, kickboxing, boxing
and more - in fact, he only learned Wing Chun when he decided to play Ip Man - he's also
become a huge UFC fan!
Michelle Yeoh says he's the fastest martial artist she's ever worked with, and both Jackie
Chan and Jet Li have said he's the best fighter in practical combat in the entire "Asian Cinematic
Universe".
Translation - Donnie Yen can fight you for realz.
And keep in mind, the guy is fifty-two.
So as you wait for Rogue One and XXX The Return of Xander Cage, go watch the Ip Man movies
as well as Yen's other top films, all listed below as well as links to his social media.
There's no Twitter in China - let's get Donnie Yen the number of followers he deserves!
I'm Grace Randolph and you're watching Beyond The Trailer!
You can watch more episodes right now!