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" 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. "

Donnie Yen

Movies

Day

Art

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

" 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. "

" Like any other actor, I draw on life experience. "

Donnie Yen

Actor

Other

" 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. "

Donnie Yen

You

Kind

" 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. "

" In Hollywood, I'm lucky, I only do big movies like 'Blade.' It's much more comfortable: you have a trailer. "

" I gained a lot of confidence after 'IP Man' as being a true actor. I went on to tackle what it is an actor is supposed to do before a film. Do a lot of research, get into the character. That's what I did with 'Dragon.' "

" 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. "

" From my experience as an actor, choreographer, action director, and producer, I understand the elements and the dynamics of being a film maker. "

" I'm a very emotional guy. "

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

" 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. "

" 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. "

" 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

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

Donnie Yen

Myself

Blessing

" Better to be called something positive and inspirational than something negative. "

" 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 just like to choose projects that will allow me as an artist to make my art. "

Donnie Yen

Art

Artist

" 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. "

" 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. "

" 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. "

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

" I've always been in a rebel. "

" 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

" 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 film, to me, as a director, is about telling a story. "

Donnie Yen

Director

About

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

" I have always been a great fan of Peter Chan and many other great directors who specialize in anything outside of action. "