Donnie Yen is playing an assassin named Caine in the upcoming John Wick: Chapter 4, but the veteran Hong Kong action hero had to fight for that name and fashionable suit collars as he called out Asian stereotypes in the movie’s original script, Yen told GQ magazine in a recent interview.
“The name was Shang or Chang,” Yen said of the typecasting behind the initial ID for his character. “Why does he always have to be called Shang or Chang? Why can’t he have a normal name? Why do you have to be so generic?”
And Yen wasn’t especially impressed that wardrobe originally gave his character mandarin collars. “Why is everything so generic? This is a John Wick movie. Everybody’s supposed to be cool and fashionable. Why can’t he look cool and fashionable?” he added about his Caine character.
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So, with some prodding, John Wick 4 director Chad Stahelski agreed to change the name and dress sense for Yen’s character. Not that the Hong Kong actor wants to knock his latest movie gig for disrespecting Chinese culture or playing safe with his character.
“I had a very respectful experience working on John Wick. Overall, I enjoyed making the film,” he insists, adding that he feels Hollywood typecasting isn’t even conscious.
Reps for Stahelski and John Wick 4 have yet to respond to The Hollywood Reporter’s request for comment.
He recalled getting approached by Disney to appear in the 2016 Star Wars prequel Rogue One.
In the early drafts of the script, Yen’s character, Chirrut Îmwe, was the same generic martial arts warrior he recognized in staple Hong Kong movies. “One thing I pointed out is he was a stereotype. Typical master. Doesn’t smile,” Yen recounted.
Again, Yen approached the director’s chair to suggest his character might be blind and have a sense of humor. Getting permission to improvise jokes on set would also convert an otherwise cliché character into a possible standout performance onscreen.
China-born Yen is a household name internationally thanks to his hugely popular and acclaimed Ip Man movie series, and he has crossed over to Hollywood with outings in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which grossed over a billion dollars, and Disney’s live-action remake of Mulan.
So as a martial arts film icon, Yen isn’t someone to be ignored or toyed with on movie sets. He made a splash into the Hong Kong cinema scene when he starred in Yuen Woo-ping’s martial arts comedy Drunken Tai Chi.
He has influenced action movies across the globe and has become a major figure well beyond the world of Chinese action cinema. His talent also extends beyond acting in movies to producing, directing and choreographing projects as well.
Against that career achievement, and barring on-set freedom and creativity, Yen isn’t especially interested in Hollywood roles these days. “If I’m not allowed to have my creative control, it’s not worth my time,” Yen told GQ after earlier turning down roles in The Expendables and DC’s Aquaman.
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