Age: 62
male
Donnie Yen Chi-tan is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and action director. He is the recipient of various accolades, including three Golden Horse Awards and five Hong Kong Film Awards. He is best known for portraying Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man in the Ip Man film series, namely Ip Man (2008), Ip Man 2 (2010), Ip Man 3 (2015), and Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019). He also served as co-producer for the spin-off Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018). Born in Guangdong, Yen developed an interest in martial arts at a young age, and began experimenting with various styles, including tai chi and other traditional Chinese martial arts. At age 18, he auditioned for action choreographer Yuen Woo-ping in Hong Kong. He landed his first starring role in the 1984 Hong Kong martial arts action film Drunken Tai Chi. He made his breakthrough role as the antagonist General Nap-lan in Once Upon a Time in China II (1992), opposite Jet Li's character. He appeared in several other Hong Kong kung fu films, including Iron Monkey (1993) and Wing Chun (1994). In 1997, he starred in his directorial debut film Legend of the Wolf. Yen made his American debut in Highlander: Endgame (2000), followed by a cameo in Blade II (2002). He went on to appear in the American films Shanghai Knights (2003), Rogue One (2016), XXX: Return of Xander Cage (2017), Mulan (2020), and John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023). He has continued to be active in Hong Kong cinema, appearing in the well-received films Hero (2002), SPL: Sha Po Lang (2005), 14 Blades (2010), Wu Xia (2011), Kung Fu Jungle (2014), Chasing the Dragon (2017), Enter the Fat Dragon (2020), Raging Fire (2021), and The Prosecutor (2024), among others. In television, Yen portrayed fictional character Chen Zhen in the television series Fist of Fury (1995); he reprised the role in the 2010 film Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen. For portraying Ip Man in the Ip Man film series (2008-2019), Yen is credited by many for contributing to the popularisation of Wing Chun in China. Alongside Kung fu, particularly Wing Chun, Yen is also known for incorporating mixed martial arts (MMA) elements into his action choreography. Aside from his acting, in 1997, he established his own production company, Bullet Films, which choreographed the action for Western blockbusters like Blade II (2002) and Stormbreaker (2006).
Donnie Yen
General Li
for General Li in Disney's MULAN (BETTER LIVE ACTION REMAKE)
Suggested by enzotakerian
This live action remake of "Mulan" will be a LOT BETTER than the 2020 remake. It will have accurate depictions of Ancient China and still have the charm and songs of the animated 1998 movie. And FOR SURE, Mushu will be in it. Historically, China was not at war with the Huns. The enemies during the Wei Dynasty included the Xiongnu and the Rourans. When China is invaded by the Xiongnu (led by the ruthless Shan-Yu), the Emperor sends out his army to gather as many new recruits as possible. Each new recruit will be the father or eldest son of each family. Aging veteran, Hua Zhou volunteers, but given his condition, he'll totally die out there. His daughter, Mulan (who couldn't impress the town matchmaker), protests because she's worried, but her father won't listen. Late in the night, Mulan decides to don her father's old armor, disguising herself as a man to take Zhou's place. Upon seeing her sneak out, her family prays to their ancestors to watch over her. The ancestors reluctantly send the small clumsy dragon, Mushu, to be Mulan's guardian protector throughout her journey. At the camp, Mulan sees that the other recruits are rude and disgusting and they give her a hard time in almost every way. Her disguise name is "Ping". Without letting him know, Mulan also falls in love with Captain Li Shang.
