Donnie Yen has discussed his “own vision” when picking which characters he plays.
In an interview with SCMP, Yen discussed Chasing The Dragon, and Sleeping Dogs.
On his character Crippled Ho in Chasing The Dragon, Yen said, “For me to take up a part if I succeed, it wouldn’t just bring personal satisfaction, but it would also establish a new benchmark for action actors.”
“Jet Li did that with [Peter Chan Ho-sun’s] The Warlords (2007), and he even took the best actor prize [at the Hong Kong Film Awards] for it.”
When asked about upcoming film Sleeping Dogs, Yen compared the film to gangster classics such as The Godfather in terms of its inspiration from real life stories. “After all, films are entertainment [instead of factual accounts]. Even the most successful gangster films in the US, like Godfather and Goodfellas, are inspired [by real events and not based on them].”
“If you want the truth, you should make a documentary instead.”
However, Yen revealed that his own inspiration comes from his family. “I have my own vision when it comes to picking characters. I hope to bring positive energy. I’m a family man.”
“Ip Man is a good example. I don’t mind playing antagonists – I did that in New Dragon Gate Inn and Once Upon a Time in China II – but those are period films. In martial arts films, you can fly around and subvert [natural order].”
