Way before Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen, 60, became synonymous with legendary martial arts hero Ip Man, he was already a respected actor and choreographer in his field.
He had starred in many martial arts movies since his debut in the ‘80s and is known for doing his own stunts (well, maybe not all the scenes in his new movie Sakra).
In an interview with GQ, the star broke down some of his iconic characters and shared on-set anecdotes.
One of his most memorable experiences was when he was nearly blinded by Jet Li while filming a lengthy pole fight in 1992’s Once Upon A Time In China II. That pole fight is a defining scene in the movie, arguably one of the best action sequences in Hong Kong cinema.
“There was a shot where Jet Li is wired up and we both have these thick poles and they’re quite heavy. If they hit you in the head, they’ll knock you out. There was a move where he spins 360 degrees, swings at me and I block it. After about 30 takes, he missed. Instead of coming [from top down], he comes across horizontally. He whacks me right on my eyebrow and I get knocked back about eight feet. Five seconds later I said, ‘Wait!’ I drop my hands and blood was spilling. I kid you not, it was spilling like a shower spray. It was like…Kill Bill,” he recounted.
Donnie was rushed to the hospital where he received six stitches [near his left eye] but was back on set the next day.
“The day after, they call me and say, ‘Are you okay? Can you come in for close-ups on the right side?’ At that time, I thought, ‘Close-up? You will see my stitches.’… But they shot me from the other side so you can’t see the [wound],” he said.
Read original article here: www.8days.sg
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- Donnie Yen Was Nearly Blinded By Jet Li Twice On Two Film Sets
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