Actor Donnie Yen, 59, says he will continue doing action films

HONG KONG – Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen said he would continue to make action movies until audiences are tired of seeing him in them.

The 59-year-old said this in an interview with Hong Kong’s Ming Pao Daily News published on Wednesday.

Yen, who is best known for the popular Ip Man films (2008 to 2019), has made action movies for more than 40 years and sustained injuries along the way. He said in the interview that he had considered switching to non-action movies, but felt that the market was not ready for him to do so.

“I am not talking negatively about Come Back Home,” he said, referring to the 2022 disaster film which he produced and starred in, but did not do well at the box office. “It seems that audiences prefer to see me fight in action movies than doing dramas. I can accept that.”

How long can Yen, who is married to former beauty queen Cissy Wang, 41, continue in action films?

“I have told my wife many times that I would retire at the age of 55,” he said. “I already had this idea when I was filming Big Brother (2018).” He was hoping to act less and bring in more newcomers.

Yen can currently be seen in the martial arts film Sakra

, in which he plays Qiao Feng, head of the Beggar’s Gang martial arts group and one of the main characters of late writer Louis Cha’s wuxia novel Demi-Gods And Semi-Devils.

The star added: “I can still fight a bit now, but when the audiences are no longer interested in seeing me do so, I will not stop the world from turning.”