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

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.

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

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.

Chow started appearing in Hollywood films in the mid-90s. The 66-year-old actor appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End in 2007 as Captain Sao Feng, a fierce captain of the South China Sea who worked together with Jack Sparrow (portrayed by Johnny Depp, of course) to overthrow Feng’s brother.

Which celebrities renounced their Chinese citizenships?

Gordon Liu (Sin Kam-hei)

Gordon Liu is best known as a martial arts actor both in film and TV. Liu previously got to play iconic martial arts heroes like Wong Fei-hung in Challenge of the Masters and San Te in The 36th Chamber of Shaolin.

Liu has since retired from acting and has been residing at a nursing home for several years after he suffered from head trauma when he fell during a stroke in 2011, leaving him partially paralysed.

Quentin Tarantino was a fan of Liu’s work and cast him in both Kill Bill films. He played Johnny Mo, leader of the Crazy 88 gang in the first Kill Bill film, and then he went on to portray kung fu master Pai Mei in the second film.

Yuen Wah (Yung Kai-chi)

Martial arts legend Yuen Wah studied alongside other famous Hong Kong actors like Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung at the China Drama Academy, which not only trained him to be a skilled action film star, but also an action choreographer and stuntman.

Tony Leung’s performance in Shang Chi might have been the talk of the town, but Yuen also made an appearance in the Hollywood blockbuster. He played Guang Bo, an elder in Ta Luo who also battled alongside Simu Liu, Fala Chen and other stars in the fight against the Dweller in Darkness.

Carina Lau’s best bling, from her Cartier tiara to elusive Tiffany pieces

Jackie Chan

Since the 1960s, Jackie Chan has performed in more than 150 films, leading him to become one of the most recognisable action movie stars all around the world. Chan is best known for his slapstick acrobatic fighting style, combining comedy with death-defying stunts.

Although Chan had been in a handful of English films, it was the Rush Hour franchise that made him a Hollywood A-lister. Despite Chan being frank about his dislike for the film on initial encounter, he was shocked to find out audiences loved his slapstick performance as Inspector Lee alongside Chris Tucker, according to Next Shark.

Daniel Wu

Making his debut in 1998, Daniel Wu is an established Hong Kong actor with films like Gen-X Cops, One Nite in Mong Kok and Shinjuku Incident under his belt. Aside from his acting career, Wu has also gone on to become a director and producer, most notably for the 2006 film The Heavenly Kings, which was a mockumentary of Hong Kong’s pop industry.

Aside from being featured in Hollywood films in roles such as Captain Lu Ren in the 2018 film Tomb Raider, he also played Gul’dan in the action fantasy film Warcraft, since his wife Lisa S. was a massive fan of the video game series with the same name. He also co-produced fantasy thriller series Into the Badlands and starred as the lead character, Sunny, in 2015. Then in 2021, Wu appeared in Reminiscence as Saint Joe alongside actors like Rebecca Ferguson and Hugh Jackman.