Ip Man star Donnie Yen in Hong Kong: ‘Happy wife, happy life’

Ask kung fu superstar Donnie Yen about his path to a happy marriage, and he’ll tell you with a smile: “Happy wife, happy life.”

Yen and his wife, Cecilia Wang, were in Singapore yesterday to be appointed as brand ambassadors for Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) where they will star in RWS’ upcoming advertising campaign, including prints and a short video set to launch in March.

The campaign will be shot by renowned Hong Kong photographer and director Wing Shya, best known as the exclusive still photographer and graphic designer for many of Wong Kar Wai’s films.

Yen may not have imparted his Wing Chun skills to us at yesterday’s press conference, but he certainly taught us his mantra for a happy marriage: “Happy wife, happy life.”

“It is important for a married couple to share the same ideals and beliefs about their future. I strongly believe in destiny and I am very grateful to my wife and family who have supported me all these years. In my opinion, I think a man should be more tolerant of his wife, behave like a gentleman and listen to her,” he said.

He added: “To be very honest, most of what my wife says is true… because I know that what she does is ultimately for my own good.

Wang, a former beauty queen, describes her husband as a romantic man who gives her various surprises. “Even when he is busy with his filming, we make an effort to stay in touch and communicate with each other,” she added.

Yen’s current film, Ip Man 3 is still showing in cinemas and has outperformed big titles like Star Wars: The Force Awakens for two weeks, to be the No. 1 film in Singapore.

“I’m flattered and very grateful,” the 52-year-old action star said. “I know the franchise has a very loyal following and we think it will succeed, but not to this extent. A big thank you for the support of the fans here! They’re the ones who motivate us to continue to make better movies.”

Yen will star in the upcoming film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny and the highly anticipated Star Wars: Rouge One, part of the new Star Wars anthology series.