Donnie Yen has played blind fighters in both John Wick: Chapter 4 and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, but is he really blind? In Chapter 4, he depicted the role of Caine, the blind assassin tasked by the Marquis to get rid of John Wick. Caine always wears his sunglasses and carries a walking stick which ultimately doubles as a weapon. He is also a skilled killer who uses high-profile gadgets to terminate his victims without needing to see them.
In Rogue One, Donnie Yen portrays Chirrut Îmwe, a blind warrior cum believer in the Force with no abilities. Nevertheless, he loves to dress like a Jedi, often carrying a staff and a lightbow. Unlike Rogue One, John Wick has a story that explains how Yen’s character became blind, suggesting he wasn’t born so. Playing two significant blind characters so perfectly has left fans wondering if Donnie Yen is blind in reality.
Donnie Yen Is Not Blind Or Visually Impaired
He might really look the part but in reality,Yen is not a blind person. He was not born blind as speculated and hasn’t lost his sight either. Suffice it to say that Yen is just really good at his craft, that is why he had fans believing that he might be actually blind. He puts in the hard work to ensure a perfect interpretation of any character he is given.
Unbeknownst to the common observer, Donnie Yen had a hard time acting his role as the blind Caine in John Wick: Chapter 4. His moves might appear swift and skillful but it took a lot to attain that perfection. Explaining his ordeal on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Yen told the host, Jimmy Kimmel: ”It wasn’t easy to do because first of all, I have to act a certain way and I have a pair of sunglasses on. And when I was fighting with all these stuntmen, I had to be really careful because I had this cane I was whipping around and going really fast.”
Why Donnie Yen Keeps Playing Blind Characters
A legend on the screen, especially in Asian cinema, Donnie Yen is quite professional when it comes to essaying his assigned roles but it appears he has a soft spot for blind characters. Or does he? The iconic actor first appeared as a blind martial artist in the Star Wars movie, Rogue One and followed it up with a similar character in John Wick: Chapter 4.
With two blind characters in two popular franchises within a few years, it doesn’t come as a surprise that fans are asking questions about why he chooses to be sightless in his movies. Interestingly, it has been revealed that it was Yen’s idea to make Chirrut Îmwe in Rogue One. The truth is, Donnie Yen didn’t ask for the roles, he simply earned them by being good at his job. John Wick: Chapter 4 producer, Basil Iwanyk revealed this when he said they cast Yen for the role because he fits the profile of someone whom audiences would easily believe John Wick will never defeat. Besides, Donnie Yen has only played two blind fighters which doesn’t qualify as too much.John Wick: Chapter 4
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