The Chinese martial arts film industry cannot bypass the two legendary names: Jet Li and Donnie Yen. Both of these superstars are known as the “kings of martial arts” on screen, representing a part of the “golden generation” of the Chinese kung fu film industry alongside Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan.
Having many similarities such as age, background, and a shared profession, Jet Li and Donnie Yen frequently find themselves on comparison tables. Additionally, countless moments of rivalry between these two have been popularly shared and discussed by the public. Among them, the story of Jet Li and Donnie Yen clashing has been highlighted on film sets multiple times. However, recently, the title “Donnie” has just begun to clearly define the events on a certain occasion.
There are many moments surrounding the relationship between Donnie Yen and Jet Li.
Donnie Yen recalls two encounters with Jet Li that ended with a clash
In an interview with GQ magazine, Donnie Yen shared about two instances of “clashing” with Jet Li during filming in dangerous stunts. The first occasion was in the movie Once Upon a Time in China 2, directed by Tsui Hark, released in 1992. In the film, Donnie Yen portrayed the character of the villain, while Jet Li played the heroic Wong Fei-hung.
Donnie Yen recalls the two clashes with Jet Li while filming.
The hand-to-hand combat scenes between the two are often considered iconic moments in the martial arts film genre. However, during the filming process, Donnie Yen suffered a significant injury while filming with Jet Li.
Donnie recalled: “During filming, an unfortunate incident occurred, causing me to be hit. It happened when Jet Li was elevated high while I was underneath, and we both used a large bamboo stick to perform our stunts.”
“Jet Li was performing stunts above, while I had to keep my balance below. After about 30 takes, he suddenly lost his grip, and instead of the stick coming down in a circular motion, it hit me horizontally, causing me to lean back, and blood sprayed forward. I didn’t expect that at all, it was like rain.”
The combat scene between the two martial stars in “Once Upon a Time in China 2”.
After the incident, Donnie Yen was immediately taken to the hospital. Although he had to undergo 6-7 stitches, the next day the martial arts star returned to the film set to continue filming.
Ten years later, in Hero, Donnie Yen had another opportunity to work with Jet Li in another iconic martial arts film. This time, both engaged in intense combat scenes on the set of a temple. The scene was only a few minutes long in the film, but it took the film crew three weeks to shoot.
“Every time we started, it felt really exciting. We hadn’t had the chance to collaborate since Once Upon a Time in China 2. But the fight scenes in this film have become iconic. Therefore, ten years later, we both hope to recreate that magic,” said Donnie Yen.
However, once again, there was a clash between Donnie Yen and Jet Li.
Jet Li and Donnie Yen continue to clash in the movie “Hero”.
It is precisely these stories behind the scenes that have continuously affected the relationship between Jet Li and Donnie Yen, often adding more “spice” to their rivalry. Since then, many rumors about their feud have spread, even to the point of claiming that they “do not get along at all.”
However, on rare occasions, Donnie Yen has spoken out about this matter, stating: “We used to be too young and naive. When I was younger, I was quite competitive, often clashing with society, so my family often felt tired and disappointed. But at this age now, I understand that family is the most important value in life. Family, friends, and martial arts – I cannot separate these three things.”
