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6 Hong Kong actors who made it big in Hollywood, from Jackie Chan – of course – and Donnie Yen in Star Wars and John Wick, to Reminiscence star Daniel Wu

STORYCherry Chan
Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen, Yuen Wah, Chow Yun-fat and Daniel Wu have not only gained fame in Hong Kong films, but Hollywood blockbusters too. Photos: 成龍/Weibo, @donnieyenofficial/Instagram, SCMP Archives, hkbu.edu.hk, @吳彥祖/Weibo
Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen, Yuen Wah, Chow Yun-fat and Daniel Wu have not only gained fame in Hong Kong films, but Hollywood blockbusters too. Photos: 成龍/Weibo, @donnieyenofficial/Instagram, SCMP Archives, hkbu.edu.hk, @吳彥祖/Weibo
Hong Kong celebrities and icons

  • Donnie Yen, who is currently filming for John Wick: Chapter 4 alongside Keanu Reeves, also had a breakout role in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
  • Besides Tony Leung and Fala Chen, martial arts actor Yuen Wah also appeared in Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, playing Guang Bo

While Hong Kong’s film industry has received global recognition over the years, Hollywood is still very much the centre of the film world. So even though Hongkongers can name many notable local films starring the city’s biggest acting talents, these actors still grab plenty of attention whenever they made their debuts in American cinema. (Hello, Tony Leung.)

Here are just a few Hong Kong stars who’ve been featured in Hollywood blockbusters over the years.

Donnie Yen Ji-dan

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Hong Kong actor Donnie Yen will star in John Wick: Chapter 4 alongside Keanu Reeves. Photo: @donnieyenofficial/Instagram
Hong Kong actor Donnie Yen will star in John Wick: Chapter 4 alongside Keanu Reeves. Photo: @donnieyenofficial/Instagram

When he’s not in historical action flicks, Donnie Yen Ji-dan is best known for playing the iconic role of Wing Chun master Ip Man in the eponymous film series. Over the years, the 58-year-old actor has starred in many Hollywood films, and will soon appear in the upcoming John Wick: Chapter 4 alongside Keanu Reeves.

Donnie Yen starred in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story as Chirrut Îmwe. Photo: Lucasfilm LFL
Donnie Yen starred in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story as Chirrut Îmwe. Photo: Lucasfilm LFL

In a drastic change from his usual wheelhouse of action films, Yen starred in the Star Wars stand alone film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in 2016 alongside a star-studded cast featuring Forest Whitaker and Riz Ahmed. Yen played Chirrut Îmwe, a blind warrior monk who was part of the Guardians of the Whills (an organisation in the fictional universe).

Chow Yun-fat

Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-fat is well-known for films like A Better Tomorrow, Hard Boiled and The Killer. Photo: hkbu.edu.hk
Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-fat is well-known for films like A Better Tomorrow, Hard Boiled and The Killer. Photo: hkbu.edu.hk
Known for his heroic roles, Chow Yun-fat is one of Hong Kong’s most iconic lead actors in drama films. Most notably, he frequently worked with local director John Woo in films like A Better Tomorrow, Hard Boiled and The Killer. The Los Angeles Times even once described him as “the coolest actor in the world” in the 90s.