Liu Ye (actor)
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Liu Ye (, born 23 March 1978) is a Chinese actor. He ranked 78th on ''
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''
China Celebrity 100 The ''Forbes'' China Celebrity 100 is a list published annually by ''Forbes'' that ranks the influence of Chinese celebrities. First published in 2004, it is similar to Celebrity 100 also published by ''Forbes''. Factors that are taken into acco ...
list in 2013, 48th in 2014, and 89th in 2015.


Career

Liu began his acting career as a student majoring in performing arts at the
Central Academy of Drama The Central Academy of Drama (), abbreviated Zhong Xi (), is a drama school in Beijing, China. It is a Chinese state Double First Class University Plan university identified by the Ministry of Education of China. The school is the first theatre ...
in
Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
. He made his debut in ''
Postmen in the Mountains ''Postmen in the Mountains'' () is a 1999 Chinese film directed by Huo Jianqi. It is based on the short story of the same name by Peng Jianming (). ''Postmen in the Mountains'' tells the story of an old man ( Teng Rujun) who for years served as ...
'' (1999) by
Huo Jianqi Huo Jianqi (; born January 20, 1958) is a Chinese film director. Like the cinematographer turned director Gu Changwei, Huo Jianqi began his cinematic career in the art department. Nearly all of Huo's films have been written by his wife and collabo ...
, which won the Best Feature Film Award at China's
Golden Rooster Awards The Golden Rooster Awards () are film awards given in mainland China. The awards were originally given annually, beginning in 1981. The name of the award came from the year of the Rooster in 1981. Award recipients receive a statuette in the shap ...
and earned Liu a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Liu then played a young homosexual man in the film '' Lan Yu'' (2000) by
Stanley Kwan Stanley Kwan (traditional Chinese: 關錦鵬; simplified Chinese: 关锦鹏); born 9 October 1957) is a Hong Kong film director and producer. Kwan landed a job at TVB after receiving a mass communications degree at Hong Kong Baptist College. ...
, which earned him the Best Actor award at the
Golden Horse Awards The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards () is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. It was founded in 1962 by the Government Information Office of the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan. The awards ceremony is us ...
. Thereafter, Liu starred in many acclaimed films such as '' Sky Lovers'' (2002), which won him the Artistic Contribution Award at the
Tokyo International Film Festival The is a film festival established in 1985. The event was held biennially from 1985 to 1991 and annually thereafter. Along with the Shanghai International Film Festival, it is one of Asia's competitive film festivals, and is considered to be the ...
; ''
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress ''Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress'' (french: Balzac et la petite tailleuse chinoise, links=no) is a semi-autobiographical novella written by Dai Sijie, and published in 2000 in French and in English in 2001. A film based on his novel di ...
'' (2002), which helped Liu break into Hollywood. as well as the
avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
drama film ''
Purple Butterfly ''Purple Butterfly'' () is a 2003 Chinese film, directed by Lou Ye. It is Lou's third film after '' Weekend Lover'' and '' Suzhou River''. It stars Chinese mainland actors, Zhang Ziyi, Liu Ye and Li Bingbing, as well as Japanese actor Tōru Naka ...
'' (2003), which competed in the 2003
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
. Liu's first Hollywood film ''
Dark Matter Dark matter is a hypothetical form of matter thought to account for approximately 85% of the matter in the universe. Dark matter is called "dark" because it does not appear to interact with the electromagnetic field, which means it does not ab ...
'', based on the 1991
University of Iowa shooting The University of Iowa shooting was a mass shooting that occurred in Iowa City, Iowa, on November 1, 1991. Gang Lu, a 28-year-old former graduate student at the University of Iowa, killed three members of the Physics and Astronomy Department facul ...
, was filmed in 2006. Starring opposite
Meryl Streep Mary Louise Meryl Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Often described as "the best actress of her generation", Streep is particularly known for her versatility and accent adaptability. She has received numerous accolades throu ...
, Liu played the role of a Chinese physics postgraduate named Liu Xing. ''Dark Matter'' won the Alfred P. Sloan Prize at the 2007
Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...
and was released in the United States in April 2008. Regarded by many as one of mainland's top actors, Liu has appeared on screen in versatile roles, such as a cocky young man in
Stanley Kwan Stanley Kwan (traditional Chinese: 關錦鵬; simplified Chinese: 关锦鹏); born 9 October 1957) is a Hong Kong film director and producer. Kwan landed a job at TVB after receiving a mass communications degree at Hong Kong Baptist College. ...
's '' The Foliage'' (2003), which won him the Best Actor award at the
Golden Rooster Awards The Golden Rooster Awards () are film awards given in mainland China. The awards were originally given annually, beginning in 1981. The name of the award came from the year of the Rooster in 1981. Award recipients receive a statuette in the shap ...
; a menacing snow wolf in
Chen Kaige Chen Kaige (; born 12 August 1952) is a Chinese film director and a leading figure of the fifth generation of Chinese cinema.Berry, Michael (2002). "Chen Kaige: Historical Revolution and Cinematic Rebellion" in Speaking in Images: Interviews wit ...
's '' The Promise'' (2005) and a scheming prince in
Zhang Yimou Zhang Yimou (; born 2 April 1950) is a Chinese film director, producer, writer, actor and former cinematographer.Tasker, Yvonne (2002). "Zhang Yimou" i''Fifty Contemporary Filmmakers'' Routledge Publishing, p. 412. . Google Book Search. Retriev ...
's ''
Curse of the Golden Flower ''Curse of the Golden Flower'' () is a 2006 Chinese epic wuxia drama film written and directed by Zhang Yimou. The Mandarin Chinese title of the movie is taken from the last line of the Qi dynasty poem written by the rebel leader Huang Chao who ...
'' (2006); his performance nabbed him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the
Hong Kong Film Awards The Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA; ), founded in 1982, is an annual film awards ceremony in Hong Kong. The ceremonies are typically in April. The awards recognise achievement in various aspects of filmmaking, such as directing, screenwriting, ac ...
. He shed off his melancholic and weak on-screen image to play tougher and more complex roles such as a gangster in
John Woo John Woo Yu-Sen SBS (; born September 22, 1946) is a Hong Kong filmmaker, known as a highly-influential figure in the action film genre. He was a pioneer of heroic bloodshed films (a crime action film genre involving Chinese triads) and the gun fu ...
's '' Blood Brothers'' (2007) and Ding Sheng's ''Underdog Knight'' (2008), where he played a retired and mentally ill soldier. Liu also took on his first villainous role in ''
Connected Connected may refer to: Film and television * ''Connected'' (2008 film), a Hong Kong remake of the American movie ''Cellular'' * '' Connected: An Autoblogography About Love, Death & Technology'', a 2011 documentary film * ''Connected'' (2015 TV ...
'' (2008), a remake of the American film ''
Cellular Cellular may refer to: *Cellular automaton, a model in discrete mathematics * Cell biology, the evaluation of cells work and more * ''Cellular'' (film), a 2004 movie *Cellular frequencies, assigned to networks operating in cellular RF bands *Cell ...
''. But Liu’s brooding onscreen presence truly came into full view with the nearly simultaneous release of
Lu Chuan Lu Chuan (born 8 February 1971) is a Chinese filmmaker, screenwriter and producer. He is the son of novelist Lu Tianming (). Education Educated at the in Nanjing, Lu spent two years serving in the Army as a secretary to a general. After his time ...
’s tribute to the Nanjing massacre, ''
City of Life and Death ''City of Life and Death'' is a 2009 Chinese drama film written and directed by Lu Chuan, marking his third feature film. The film deals with the Battle of Nanjing and the following massacre committed by the Japanese army during the Second World W ...
'', and Yin Li’s ''Iron Man'' (both in 2009). The leading man in both films, Liu plays a brave soldier in Lu’s war epic and a bronzed oil worker in Yin’s film about those who struggled to develop China’s oil industry in the Taklamakan desert in West China; successfully shedding off his previous screen image. In the 2011 patriotic tribute, ''
The Founding of a Party ''The Founding of a Party'', alternatively titled in English ''Beginning of the Great Revival'' for its international release,Patrick Frater, 21 May 2011Party becomes Revival for int'l release, Film Business Asia is a Chinese propaganda film relea ...
'', it was reported that Liu was required to gain 10 kg in order to play a 30-year-old
Mao Zedong Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC) ...
, a feat he achieved by eating 20 eggs a day. After filming
Andrew Lau Andrew Lau Wai-keung ( zh, t=劉偉強, born 4 April 1960) is a Hong Kong film director, producer, and cinematographer. Lau began his career in the 1980s and 1990s, serving as a cinematographer to filmmakers such as Ringo Lam, Wong Jing and Wong ...
's romantic film '' A Beautiful Life'' the same year, Liu reunited with
Lu Chuan Lu Chuan (born 8 February 1971) is a Chinese filmmaker, screenwriter and producer. He is the son of novelist Lu Tianming (). Education Educated at the in Nanjing, Lu spent two years serving in the Army as a secretary to a general. After his time ...
in ''
The Last Supper Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art have been undertaken by artistic masters for centuries, ...
'' (2012), a US$15-million historical epic where he plays
Liu Bang Emperor Gaozu of Han (256 – 1 June 195 BC), born Liu Bang () with courtesy name Ji (季), was the founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty, reigning in 202–195 BC. His temple name was "Taizu" while his posthumous name was Emper ...
. Liu received the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government in 2013. In 2014, Liu starred in war drama ''All Quiet in Peking'' by novelist Liu Heping. The series, based on the events of the War for Liberation in the late 1940s, earned widespread acclaim for its interesting story and historical accuracy; and was a massive success in China. Liu won the
Golden Goblet Award for Best Actor The Golden Goblet Award for Best Actor (Chinese: 金爵奖最佳男演员) is a prize given to the films in the main category of Competition at the Shanghai International Film Festival The Shanghai International Film Festival (, French: ''Fest ...
for his performance as a car mechanic who is unexpectedly involved in a murder case in the film '' Cock and Bull'' (2016), his first award in ten years.


Other activities

Liu was named ambassador of the French Riviera in 2016. He has been previously appointed tourism ambassador for Israel in 2014. On April 6, 2018, Liu become an honorary citizen of
Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative c ...
.


Personal life

Liu married French (of Jewish descent) photographer Anais Martane in Beijing on July 5, 2009. Their first child, a son named Noé (Nuoyi in Chinese), was born on October 10, 2010, in France. Two years later, their daughter named Nina was born on January 22, 2012, in Beijing.


Filmography


Film


Television series


Variety show


Awards and nominations


References


External links


Liu Ye at hkmdb.com


* {{DEFAULTSORT:Liu, Ye Male actors from Changchun 1978 births Living people Central Academy of Drama alumni 20th-century Chinese male actors 21st-century Chinese male actors Chinese male stage actors Chinese male film actors Chinese male television actors