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" Like any other actor, I draw on life experience. "
Donnie Yen
Actor
Other
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" For years, I looked to Bruce Lee as a mentor as being a Chinese and Asian man living in this country. "
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" I always used to wonder why American actors were getting fat, then I made a U.S. movie. I'm seeing all the food every day, and there's lots of waiting around because making an American movie is very slow. "
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" For me, I like to have explosive moments, whether it is a particular movement itself in the whole sequence. I like to have shocking moments; for audiences to feel, like, 'Whoa!' It's always been my forte. "
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" 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. "
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" I try to update my arsenal constantly. Learning different martial arts since childhood. To understand what's out there. To really be in tune. "
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" Still, as much as I wish Ballistic Kiss could be a better film, the recognition it gained from critics and at festivals speaks for itself. "
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" I think film, to me, as a director, is about telling a story. "
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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. "
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" I have always been a great fan of Peter Chan and many other great directors who specialize in anything outside of action. "
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" 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. "
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" A lot of people don't realize, when you are acting in a martial arts film, you're not just performing martial arts. You're not just performing martial arts. You're actually acting as much as any other actor. "
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" Martial art is a form of expression, an expression from your inner self to your hands and legs. "
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" When audiences look at an action actor like myself, sometimes we are very easily stereotyped or characterized as one type. They forget that we are actors, too. "
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Action
Sometimes
Myself
" 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. "
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Matter
More
Up
" There is also a strong following among the urbanites on the East Coast when it comes to martial arts films. "
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Strong
Arts
East Coast
" 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. "
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Audience
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" In Hong Kong, particularly, we craft this art for decades. The action choreographer actually is the action director. He takes over and he choreographs with - by himself or with his team, and place the camera where he feels cinematic effect to bring out that choreography. "
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Art
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Team
" I'm a very emotional guy. "
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Guy
Very
Emotional
" 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. "
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Tears
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Movies
" As an action director, I always try to bring something fresh and new. "
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Try
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Director
" An action choreographer is kind of like a dance choreographer. You choreograph the moves and you let the director, cinematographer take into positioning their cameras. "
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" 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. "
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Day
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Football
" Whether I'm acting or making it, at the end of the day it's telling the story; action, drama. You want the audience to feel it - the story, the action, the scene, or a particular shot. I just keep working on crafting my art, on how to make action movies. "
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" 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. "
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Building
You
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" I've always been in a rebel. "
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Rebel
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Always
" I certainly hope 'Dragon' can leave some legacy behind. "
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Dragon
Hope
Leave
" It's a blessing to be given a variety of roles to what I call an iconic action actor like myself. "
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Blessing
" I did a couple comedies to balance myself as an actor and balance how audiences see Donnie Yen as an actor, and I would even say as a celebrity or icon, to some fans. I want to show that I'm not Terminator. "
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Balance
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Want
" 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. "
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Example
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" I spent a couple of years doing American films. I did a few. "
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