Hong Kong martial arts superstar Donnie Yen reveals past financial struggles – ‘I only had HK$100 to my name’
- ‘Mulan’ and ‘Ip Man 4’ star tells magazine that he had to borrow money from his production crew to make ends meet
- He said in earlier interviews that he had most of his meals at the film set because they were free
Martial arts superstar Donnie Yen Ji-dan has hit the big time in show business, earning millions with his movies and plenty more from sponsors. But the 56-year-old kung fu legend wasn’t always financially secure, revealing in a magazine article that he only had HK$100 to his name when he was a struggling film director more than 20 years ago.
Like fellow martial artists Jackie Chan and Jet Li Lianjie, the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Ip Man 4 star didn’t have it his way at one point in his life, saying he had to depend on his production team to provide him with his meals as he hit a financial slump.
Yen lived in the shadows of Chan and Li when he appeared in several kung fu movies more than 30 years ago but the popular star became a household name when the Ip Man franchise turned his fortunes around in 2008, making him a superstar overnight.
However, the Hong Kong movie star told Taiwan GQ that he hit a low point in his life when he made his directorial debut, Legend of the Wolf. He found himself in severe debt and revealed that he had to borrow money to make ends meet. He also said that he almost went bankrupt.
“However, I can’t elaborate because it was such a long time ago, I don’t feel it any more. Now I just look back at my past with a smile,” Yen told Taiwan GQ in their latest edition.