Donnie Yen’s martial arts skills enabled him to break into the Hong Kong film industry at the age of 19. Close to 40 films later, he’s not only starred opposite some of the biggest names in the genre but has had major roles in Hollywood. He’s currently the action director of “Dragon Tiger Gate,” due out in July, and starring in the upcoming “SPL2.” Scott Murphy sat down with him to find out more.
Some of my childhood, I can honestly say I don’t remember. I moved here from the mainland when I was one and lived here until I was 10 years old.
I grew up in Kwun Tong. All I remember, vaguely, is that my father took me to watch movies in the local theater. We’d watch Bruce Lee films in the local theater.
I realize that maybe I’m the type of person who is so focused on the future that I’m losing some of my memories of the past. It’s strange.
When I moved to America, I grew up in Chinatown in Boston. My mom was teaching martial arts. My Dad started his business as the editor for “Sing Pao” newspaper there. They were building up their careers as new immigrants. As a new immigrant’s child, I was pretty much left on my own, growing up on the streets.
I wasn’t really that interested in martial arts when I was nine or 10. My mom forced me to do it but I didn’t really like it. Then the Bruce Lee movies inspired me. Finding an identity, not only as a teenager but as a minority growing up in America, I was looking for some kind of hero. I found that in Bruce Lee.