Black Belt Hall of Famer and martial arts film star Donnie Yen (shown here in Ip Man 3) has signed with powerhouse talent agency APA. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the agency hopes to turn Yen, known for his portrayal of wing chun kung fu master Ip Man in the Ip Man movie series, into a major brand and a “production empire.”
Yen, the son of Black Belt Hall of Fame kung fu instructor Bow Sim Mark, has already been cast in Hollywood blockbusters like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, but he’s best-known internationally for his work in fight films. Having appeared in movies such as Drunken Tai Chi and Once Upon a Yen vaulted to the forefront of Asian action cinema when he took the role of Bruce Lee’s instructor Ip Man in the 2008 film of the same name. That movie and its three sequels are credited with reinvigorating interest in wing chun worldwide.
