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.

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.

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

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

I've always been in a rebel.

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.

I'm a very emotional guy.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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

For me, shooting, editing, and scoring rely on rhythm.

I think every actor wants to try out different things.

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

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.

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

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Like any other actor, I draw on life experience.

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

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.

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