Martial arts superstar Donnie Yen Ji-dan has achieved great success in show business, earning millions from his films and much more from sponsors. But the 56-year-old kung fu legend wasn’t always financially secure. In a magazine article, he revealed that he had just HK$100 in his account when he was an aspiring filmmaker more than 20 years ago.Like fellow martial artists Jackie Chan and Jet Li Lianjie, the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story star. Stories” and the “Ip Man 4” star didn’t get his way at one point in his life, saying he had to rely on his production team to provide it. with food when he went through a financial crisis.
Yen lived in the shadow of Chan and Lee when he appeared in several kung fu films 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 an overnight superstar.
However, the Hong Kong film star told Taiwanese GQ that he hit a low point in his life when he made his directorial debut, Legend of the Wolf. He found himself in serious debt and said he had to borrow money to make ends meet. He also said that he almost went bankrupt.
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“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.