Donnie Yen Only Had HKD100 (S$18) At The Lowest Point In His Life
He had to rely on his production team to buy him food.
Donnie Yen is the star of the Ip Man series, a martial arts expert and loved by millions. You’d think that celebrities like him have it all — he’s rich, famous and has tons of sponsors.
But he also had his dark times.
In an exclusive interview with Taiwan GQ, he confessed that he’s “had ups and downs” in life, and at his most trying period, he was so poor that he only had HKD100 (S$18) to his name and had to depend on his production team to provide him with his meals.
On a high
He was probably referring to his life in 1997, when the now-55-year-old hit a financial slump during the shooting of his directorial debut, Legend of the Wolf. At age 34, the star found himself knee-deep in debt as he had to borrow from loan sharks because he couldn’t even afford to pay for daily necessities. He almost went bankrupt as a result and had to borrow money from his production crew to get by.
Donnie will be starring in Enter The Fat Dragon, which premieres Aug 29
“However, I can’t elaborate because it was such a long time ago, I don't feel it anymore. Now I just look back at my past with a smile,” the Hongkong actor said when he was asked if he had met with any difficulties in his career.
But Donnie has come a long way since then. By continuously working and shooting films non-stop for the past three decades, the star managed to get back on his feet — and then some.
When life gives you lemons, beat them to pulp
“As I grow older, my perspective of life changes, and I 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.
Dad's the (Ip) man
Now, Donnie is fully devoted to his craft and family. He has three kids — Jeff, 24, with his ex-wife Leung Zingci, and Jasmine, 15 and James, 12 with his current wife, Canadian beauty queen Cecilia Wang.
Award winning
In the same interview, he also mentions that being a parent is tougher than being an actor. “As an artiste, it is difficult to fulfill [parental] responsibilities. Unlike normal people, I don’t get a lot of time with my children because my schedule is not fixed and I often go overseas to film. My kids are growing up every day, and sometimes I feel that I can’t catch up with them. Learning to learn and understand them is a lifetime of learning.”
Wise words, Donnie.
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