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.
Perseverance and hard work helped Yen get back on his feet and he became a big star much later in life.
“As I grow older, my perspective of life changes, and I’ve become a more understanding person. I’m not saying that I totally don’t have a temper – everyone has emotions. Without emotions, you can’t be an actor. Acting and artists are the same, you must have emotions in order to portray your character realistically. The key is learning to balance those emotions,” he said.
Yen’s financial struggles have been well documented in the past. He appeared on the popular mainland talk show last month, telling Lu Yu of A Date with Luyu fame, that he had struggled at first but finally found success. He revealed that he was earning only HK$600 a month when he started working at local broadcasters, TVB, during the 1980s.
“Although the company rented a flat for us and I shared it with my colleagues, I didn’t have much money and I had most of my meals at the film set because it was free,” he told the programme.
Yen stars opposite Chinese actress, Liu Yifei, in Disney’s live-action film, Mulan, which will make its way into theatres in March 2020. Yen plays Commander Tung, a mentor and teacher to Mulan.
