Imwe, not to mince words, is completely, utterly badass. Without spoiling too much, it's also fair to say that he plays a pivotal (and beautifully, movingly staged) role in Rogue One's climactic battle scenes.

Unless you're a big martial arts or Asian cinema fan, however, you may not have been that familiar with Yen prior to his casting in the Gareth Edwards-directed prequel.

The 53-year-old actor (yes, he really is 53) was born in China, lived in Hong Kong until he was 11, and then moved to the US with his family. As a child, he began studying martial arts, including Tai chi and Taekwondo – his impressively accomplished mother, Bow-sim Mark, is a martial arts master – and spent time training in Beijing. These days, he defines himself as a mixed martial arts (MMA) specialist: the sport allows combatants to draw upon a variety of different styles and fighting techniques.