Donnie Yen Quotes About Heart, Action, Film, Emotional

Donnie Yen Quotes:

I think action movies bring more excitement than tears, but I always want to take it to another level. I mean, I think if one appreciates anything in life to a certain degree, it could possibly bring tears to your eyes.
Donnie Yen

Still, as much as I wish Ballistic Kiss could be a better film, the recognition it gained from critics and at festivals speaks for itself.
Donnie Yen

I like to stay within the context of the character’s background. If he’s a cop, I have to make sure the audience is convinced that this person, a cop, can do only so much without a gun.
Donnie Yen

For me, the challenge of a period film is that, unlike a contemporary film where the character can be very free-form when it comes to the acting, there’s a burden to acting in a period film because you have to stay within the character’s historical background and the gestures of certain periods.
Donnie Yen

I think a lot of people don’t realize that martial arts are just an expression like anything else. It’s just that most people are not trained to punch or kick, but you can walk or run or dance, which is also part of expression.
Donnie Yen

There’s a lot of thinking when you choreograph something. You’re not just choreographing some bodies, arms, legs flying around to look cool. It’s a lot more complicated and sophisticated. You also have to deal with the connection of the whole film, so when I choreograph, I think of the movement itself, the camera angles, the characters.
Donnie Yen

Bruce is the man. He was definitely ahead of his time.
Donnie Yen

Donnie Yen with wife
Source: The Straits Times

When you watch my films, you’re feeling my heart.
Donnie Yen

Many friends of mine told me that normally only guys like a kung fu movie and the girls would be turned off – they want to see a love story. But Ip Man is a family man, so the women see this and go: ‘I want my husband to be like this man. He’ll be a scholar, he’ll be fighting, he’ll care for the family.’ So we had a bigger audience.
Donnie Yen

I certainly hope ‘Dragon’ can leave some legacy behind.
Donnie Yen

My action follows my characters. If a character is a cop, you cannot be posing all the time, you cannot fly off the roof because it doesn’t make any sense – it’s not practical.
Donnie Yen

When you direct a movie, you’re basically looking at a story, the way you want to look at it. You bring that director’s vision, and I’m totally open for that.
Donnie Yen

It takes years of building that experience as a filmmaker, as well as physically. You have to have a high level understanding of martial arts.
Donnie Yen

I think film, to me, as a director, is about telling a story.
Donnie Yen

Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong. There’s a lot of restriction for contemporary films simply because of subject matter.
Donnie Yen

I spent a couple of years doing American films. I did a few.
Donnie Yen

I’ve always been in a rebel.
Donnie Yen

For years, I looked to Bruce Lee as a mentor as being a Chinese and Asian man living in this country.
Donnie Yen

I’m a very emotional guy.
Donnie Yen

In Hong Kong, particularly, we craft this art for decades. The action choreographer actually is the action director. He takes over and he choreographs with – by himself or with his team, and place the camera where he feels cinematic effect to bring out that choreography.
Donnie Yen

From my experience as an actor, choreographer, action director, and producer, I understand the elements and the dynamics of being a film maker.
Donnie Yen

Doing a movie is a stressful thing. You spend months of you life focusing into that one project, and I want to make sure I do something I really like or I’m really passionate about.
Donnie Yen

If you’re playing a cop in a modern film, you don’t have to walk with your spine straight up and bow before a fight. There’s a lot of free form of expressing yourself as an actor.
Donnie Yen

Like any other actor, I draw on life experience.
Donnie Yen

It’s a blessing to be given a variety of roles to what I call an iconic action actor like myself.
Donnie Yen

I try to update my arsenal constantly. Learning different martial arts since childhood. To understand what’s out there. To really be in tune.
Donnie Yen

I gained a lot of confidence after ‘IP Man’ as being a true actor. I went on to tackle what it is an actor is supposed to do before a film. Do a lot of research, get into the character. That’s what I did with ‘Dragon.’
Donnie Yen

I act according to the requirements of the character, and if I try to play the role, then I play it truthfully. In my daily life, I’m a laid-back, peaceful guy. I’m just doing my job to act.
Donnie Yen

For me, shooting, editing, and scoring rely on rhythm.
Donnie Yen

A lot of people don’t realize, when you are acting in a martial arts film, you’re not just performing martial arts. You’re not just performing martial arts. You’re actually acting as much as any other actor.
Donnie Yen

In Hollywood, I’m lucky, I only do big movies like ‘Blade.’ It’s much more comfortable: you have a trailer.
Donnie Yen