Donnie Yen Ji-dan, or just Donnie Yen to most of the world, is a gem of the Hong Kong movie industry. He does everything; actor, director, producer, stuntman, choreographer. And for years now, philanthropist as well.
The star of international blockbuster Ip Man, a biographical film about the man who taught Bruce Lee martial arts, Yen is without doubt the highest paid actor in Asia. In 2013, for instance, he made HK$220 million (over US$28 million) for four projects and six ads.
On Wednesday, February 19th, Yen posted a half-minute video to Weibo, a Chinese social media site. In the video, he spoke Mandarin. Here is a partial translation, according to the South China Morning Post: “Hello everyone, I am Yen Ji-dan. I want to take this opportunity to thank all the medical frontline workers [in China]. In this critical moment, everyone please protect yourself well by wearing a mask and washing your hands more often. Distance yourself from the virus but don’t distance love. I believe our country will win the battle against the virus and have the situation under control. Wuhan add oil, China add oil.”
The last line is a colloquial exhortation to work harder, to apply more effort. To that end, he accompanied his post with a donation of HK$1 million (US$128,353) to the medical workers in Wuhan. It’s unclear if it is a direct donation or if it is given to the hospitals and/or government in the area, but it’s going to be a valuable help to those fighting COVID-19, either way.
Yen has a history of philanthropy. In 2012 and 2015, he founded two charitable funds. The first was “Go.Asia,” a platform to help people donate to local communities. The second was Yen’s Honour Protection Fund, a legal fund for people to protect themselves from defamation.
Source: South China Morning Post
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