Donnie Yen Quotes

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

Martial art is a form of expression, an expression from your inner self to your hands and legs.

The main reason I like UFC is not just the martial arts aspect, but it's about one person against the other person. It's about being able to test yourself with the truth.

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

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.

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've always been in a rebel.

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

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.

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.

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

I'm a very emotional guy.

For years, I looked to Bruce Lee as a mentor as being a Chinese and Asian man living in this country.

I guess I'm pretty lucky because in childhood I studied so many martial arts styles and I never stopped researching them, my body is very adjustable and I can turn into different expressions with my body.

I think every actor wants to try out different things.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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