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" 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

Challenge

Acting

You

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

" Look at every action movie in Hollywood. Every leading man from Spider-Man to Batman to James Bond, 'Bourne Identity', every one of them possesses martial arts skills. "

" A period film, where you, for example, where you have a traditional wardrobes, you are bound to act a certain way. But in a modern film, a lot of body gesture. "

" I always tell younger filmmakers, it's not just about the acting or the art itself. It's about how big of an audience watches your film. "

" 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

Audience

Character

" 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. "

" 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. "

" Action choreographer is like talking. When you talk, you have a rhythm. When you act, you have a rhythm. When you're moving your body, you have a rhythm. So as an actor, as a choreographer, the objective is trying to blend everything in - into - ultimately back into that character. "

" I'm a very emotional guy. "

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

Donnie Yen

Myself

Blessing

" I've always been in a rebel. "

" I got nominated for my second film as best young director in the Aikido Film Festival in Japan. "

" 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. "

" My mum lives in Boston; she's famous for teaching wushu and t'ai chi. So from when I was young, my mum and aunt were like: 'You're training; you're not playing baseball or football.' Training every day was normal. Later, when I was almost a teenager, Bruce Lee became my idol. "

" 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. "

" When you watch my films, you're feeling my heart. "

" There are two types of Chinese growing up in America. One is the kind that does really well in school, with thick, thick glasses. And the other is involved with the gangs. "

Donnie Yen

Growing Up

School

" A lot of Chinese martial arts films were based on Chinese martial arts novels. And these novels created a world of putting history, calligraphy, and martial arts into one. "

" As an action director, I always try to bring something fresh and new. "

" 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

Passionate

Want

" There is also a strong following among the urbanites on the East Coast when it comes to martial arts films. "

" I love working with older actors because number one, I can learn so much from them because they have so much experience. And it's fun to hear their stories from their era, some of the jokes. "

" 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. "

" 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. "

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

" 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. "

" I certainly hope 'Dragon' can leave some legacy behind. "

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

" I think every actor wants to try out different things. "

" 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

Matter