Despite having attained several decades of experience, Donnie Yen hesitated when offered the role in "Rogue One," saying it was a bittersweet moment that forced him to ask some difficult questions.
"I was thrilled, but at the same time, I was kind of confused. Am I too old to take that role?" Yen said while breaking down his characters for GQ. "I actually asked my kids. 'Do you think your father should do 'Star Wars?' Do you like 'Ip Man' better or 'Star Wars' better?' And they said 'Star Wars' ... So that changed my mind."
Their love of 'Star Wars' and faith in their dad's abilities helped Yen make the jump to a galaxy far, far away. His children weren't the only ones who knew he was perfect for the part.
"Rogue One" director Gareth Edwards wanted Yen to play Chirrut Îmwe after watching the actor's previous work. He thought Yen brought something necessary to the table to help the persona stand out.
"The focus isn't on my martial-arts ability but my ability as an actor," Yen told Variety. "There are still scenes to satisfy the martial-arts fans."
The idea of being "over the hill" when it comes to action-packed movies seems to have disappeared from the actor's thought process as he has officially entered the "John Wick" franchise, playing someone willing to go toe-to-toe with Keanu Reeves' titular character, thus further proving his time as an action star is far from over.
