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).
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| # | Name | Character | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Prosecutor (2024) | Director / Writer | - | - |
| 2 | Sakra (2023) | Director / Writer | 6 | |
| 3 | John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) Top 100 by FilmGator | Caine | 8.1 | |
| 4 | Raging Fire (2021) | Director / Writer | 5 | |
| 5 | Enter the Fat Dragon (2020) | Fallon Zhu | 5 | |
| 6 | Mulan (2020) Top movies in 2020 | Commander Tung | 6.5 | |
| 7 | Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019) | Ip Man | 7.8 | |
| 8 | Iceman: The Time Traveler (2018) | Ying | 6 | |
| 9 | Big Brother (2018) | Director / Writer | 8 | |
| 10 | Chasing the Dragon (2017) | Crippled Ho | 8 | |
| 11 | Guardians of Martial Arts (2017) | Master Yen | - | - |
| 12 | xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017) | Xiang | 6.3 | |
| 13 | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) Top 100 by FilmGator | Chirrut Imwe | 7.9 | |
| 14 | Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny (2016) | Silent Wolf | 7 | |
| 15 | Ip Man 3 (2015) | Ip Man | 7.3 | |
| 16 | Kung Fu Jungle (2014) | Director / Writer | 6.4 | |
| 17 | The Monkey King (2014) | Sun Wukong / Monkey King | 4.6 | |
| 18 | Iceman (2014) | Ying | 5 | |
| 19 | Together (2013) | Chan Kwok-Wah | 7 | |
| 20 | Special ID (2013) | Dragon Chan | 5.3 | |
| 21 | The Lost Bladesman (2011) | General Guan Yunchang | 6 | |
| 22 | Dragon (2011) | Director / Writer | 7.6 | |
| 23 | Ip Man 2 (2010) | Ip Man | 7.5 | |
| 24 | 14 Blades (2010) | Qinglong | 5.9 | |
| 25 | Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (2010) | Chen Zhen | 6.6 | |
| 26 | The Founding of a Republic (2009) | Tian Han | - | - |
| 27 | How Bruce Lee Changed the World (2009) | Self | - | - |
| 28 | Bodyguards and Assassins (2009) | Sum Chung-Yang | 6.8 | |
| 29 | Ip Man (2008) | Yip Man | 7.9 | |
| 30 | Painted Skin (2008) | Pang Yong | 7.3 | |
| 31 | An Empress and the Warriors (2008) | General Muyong Xuehu | 6.4 | |
| 32 | Flash Point (2007) | Director / Writer | 6.9 | |
| 33 | Stormbreaker (2006) | Director / Writer | 5 | |
| 34 | Dragon Tiger Gate (2006) | Director / Writer | 4.3 | |
| 35 | SPL: Kill Zone (2005) | Inspector Ma Kwun | 7.4 | |
| 36 | Seven Swords (2005) | Chu Zhaonan | 6.3 | |
| 37 | The Twins Effect II (2004) | General Lone | 5 | |
| 38 | Shanghai Knights (2003) | Wu Chow | 6.5 | |
| 39 | The Twins Effect (2003) | Director / Writer | 6.2 | |
| 40 | Blade II (2002) | Snowman | 6.7 | |
| 41 | Hero (2002) Oscars 2003 | Sky | 7.5 | |
| 42 | The Princess Blade (2001) | Director / Writer | - | - |
| 43 | Highlander: Endgame (2000) | Jin Ke | 4 | |
| 44 | Legend of the Wolf (1997) | Director / Writer | 7 | |
| 45 | Wing Chun (1994) | Director / Writer | 6 | |
| 46 | Iron Monkey (1993) | Wong Kei-ying | 6 | |
| 47 | Butterfly and Sword (1993) | Yip Cheung | 7 | |
| 48 | Dragon Inn (1992) | Eunuch Tso Siu Yan | 6 | |
| 49 | Once Upon a Time in China II (1992) | Commander Lan | - | - |
| 50 | Cheetah on Fire (1992) | Ronnie | - | - |
| 51 | The Holy Virgin Versus the Evil Dead (1991) | Shiang Chin-Fei | 5 | |
| 52 | In the Line of Duty 4 (1989) | Captain Donnie Yan | 4 |
