Growing up in Boston’s Chinatown, Donnie Yen devoured the films of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. But it was his mother — Bow-Sim Mark, a renowned tai chi master — who really showed him the ropes. Two decades and dozens of movies later, Yen has developed a style of his own, one that has made him one of the most-sought-after martial-arts actors in the world. Shanghai Knights, in which Yen appears alongside Jackie Chan, is one of the hottest movies in America. Last week, he discovered that his latest film, Hero, a historical epic in which he stars with Jet Li, is up for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film.

Yen spoke with the Phoenix from a hotel room in Los Angeles.

Q: It must be odd having a mother who has, you know, fists of fury. Did you guys spar?

A: No! That’s my mother. I grew up in a traditional Chinese family.

Q: I don’t think it’s acceptable to punch your mother in any culture.

A: That’s right. Absolutely.

Q: Your Web site describes you as a " rebel " who roamed Boston’s " mean streets. " Is that true?

A: In this business, a drama tends to build around you. I went through what all kids go through. You do crazy stuff. But it wasn’t as dramatic as the Web site portrays it, doing wild things on the street.

Q: But the Combat Zone must have been a rough place to grow up.

A: Now I look back, it was a harsh environment, one that could have put my life in danger or put me in jail. I was fortunate that martial arts guided me. I never allowed myself to be harmful to anyone.

Q: Have you ever been hurt on the set?

A: I have so many injuries. Broken bones, fractured fingers, legs, knees, shoulders. Making action films in Hong Kong, the abuse on your body. For the final scene in Shanghai Knights, Jackie [Chan] and I fought for four days, two of those sitting around. But when I worked on my first film, the last scene took us one month — no buildings blowing up, no horses running around, just two guys fighting from when the sun rose until the sun went down. Now I look back and think, how the hell did I do that? We were soldiers.

Q: Jackie Chan was a hero of yours. How was it working with him?

A: My biggest hero of course was Bruce Lee. But I watched Jackie’s films. So just being in a film with him, sharing the knowledge that we both understood, that was great. But the footage we shot of Jackie and me fighting, they cut a lot out. It was unfortunate because — maybe not here, but in the rest of the world — it’s a big thing, Jackie Chan fighting Donnie Yen.

Q: He seems like a nice guy.

A: Who, me?

Q: No, Jackie Chan.

A: He is a kind man. And I am as well.

Q: One who could kill me with his bare hands.

A: Never judge a book by its cover. In Shanghai Knights, I play a villain. I don’t suggest anyone come out of the theater thinking they’ve seen me. You have to differentiate between fantasy and reality. In Hero, you’ll see the true side of Donnie Yen.

Q: Have you ever had to use your skills in real life?

A: We all encounter situations. Of course I did. Either a situation can be quickly avoided or quickly over with. But you don’t want to be in jail. If I get into that sort of situation, I’ll call my lawyer. He’s the most powerful guy in Hollywood.

Q: You’ve made some good films, but also some crappy ones. Are there any you wish you could unmake?

A: Everyone’s been in shitty films. I’ve had quite a few, when I was paying my bills back in Hong Kong. Now I am who I am, and the owners start bringing them out again. But it’s not something that’s so bad I can’t face anybody. It’s a film, not a criminal record.