Vivian Wu ( Wu Junmei; ; born February 5, 1967) is a Chinese-American actress.Chen Nan

''China Daily'', 27 April 2007. Her big break came in 1987, appearing in the biographical film '' The Last Emperor''. She later went to starring in films '' Iron & Silk'' (1990), '' The Guyver'' (1991), '' Heaven & Earth'' (1993), '' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III'' (1993), '' The Joy Luck Club'' (1993), and most notably playing the leading roles in ''

The Pillow Book is a book of observations and musings recorded by Sei Shōnagon during her time as court lady to Empress Consort Teishi during the 990s and early 1000s in Heian-period Japan. The book was completed in the year 1002. The work is a collection o ...

'' (1996) and '' The Soong Sisters'' (1997). In 2020, she stars as Dr. Lu Wang in the

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

science fiction drama '' Away''.

Early life

Wu Junmei was born in

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Chinese, Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four Direct-administered municipalities of China, direct-administered municipalities of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the ...

, China. Wu is the daughter of Zhu Manfang, one of the leading actresses in China during the 1940s and 1950s. She attended

Shanghai Shixi High School Shanghai Shixi High School, also known as Shanghai Shixi Middle School (), is an experimental-model public high school founded in 1870 and is located in the Jing'an District of Shanghai, China. Introduction Shanghai Shixi High School was one ...

and began acting at the age of 16 in

Shanghai Film Studio The Shanghai Film Studio (), one of the three biggest film studios in China, is the film division of the Shanghai Film Group Corporation in Shanghai, China. It is responsible for the production of Chinese films and TV programs. History Shang ...

.Feng Yi
''Vivian Wu: The Shanghainese beauty takes to the silver screen once more''
CNN, 20 June 2011. In 1987, she attended the

Hawaii Pacific University Hawaii Pacific University (HPU) is a private university in downtown Honolulu, Makapuʻu and Kāneʻohe, Hawaii. HPU is the largest private university in the central Pacific, most noted for its diverse student body of nearly 5,000 students ...

, studying tourism.

Career

In 1985, Wu, aged 18, was given an audition for the role of Wenxiu in

Bernardo Bertolucci Bernardo Bertolucci (; 16 March 1941 – 26 November 2018) was an Italian film director and screenwriter with a career that spanned 50 years. Considered one of the greatest directors in Italian cinema, Bertolucci's work achieved international ...

's 1987 film '' The Last Emperor''. Six months later, she was chosen for the role, making her big screen debut. Wu later went on to star in the drama film ''

Shadow of China ''Shadow of China'' is a 1989 drama film directed and co-written by Mitsuo Yanagimachi and starring John Lone, Sammi Davis and Vivian Wu. It is based on the novel ''Snake Head'' by Masaaki Nishiki. It was the first Japanese-American co-productio ...

'' (1989), directed and co-written by Mitsuo Yanagimachi, followed by the action comedy '' Iron & Silk'' (1990). The following year, she appeared in the poorly received superhero comedy film ''

The Guyver ''The Guyver'' (released in Europe and South America as ''Mutronics'') is a 1991 American tokusatsu superhero film made in conjunction with Shochiku Films, loosely based on the Japanese manga series of the same name by Yoshiki Takaya. The film ...

'' with

Mark Hamill Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor and writer. He is known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the '' Star Wars'' film series, beginning with the original 1977 film and subsequently winning three Saturn Awards ...

. She was chosen by ''

People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...

'' as one of The 50 Most Beautiful People in the World in 1990. Wu gained some critical acclaim after appearing in '' The Joy Luck Club'' (1993) directed by

Wayne Wang Wayne Wang (; born January 12, 1949) is a Hong Kong–American director, producer, and screenwriter. Considered a pioneer of Asian-American cinema, he was one of the first Chinese-American filmmakers to gain a major foothold in Hollywood ...

, and playing the leading role in the erotic drama film ''

'' (1996). Wu also played Mitsu in the 1993 film '' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III''. She played historical figure of

Soong Mei-ling Soong Mei-ling (also spelled Soong May-ling, ; March 5, 1898 – October 23, 2003), also known as Madame Chiang Kai-shek or Madame Chiang, was a Chinese political figure who was First Lady of the Republic of China, the wife of Generalissimo a ...

in the 1997 historical drama film '' The Soong Sisters'', and ''

The Founding of a Republic ''The Founding of a Republic'' is a Chinese historical drama produced in 2009 to mark the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China and was made to portray the final years of the Chinese Communist Revolution that followed the end of the ...

'' (2009) and well as on 2011 television series ''Departed Heroes''. Beside films, Wu has also worked in television, making guest appearances in shows, such as ''

The Untouchables Untouchables or The Untouchables may refer to: American history * Untouchables (law enforcement), a 1930s American law enforcement unit led by Eliot Ness * ''The Untouchables'' (book), an autobiography by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley * ''The U ...

'', '' L.A. Law'', ''

Tales from the Crypt Tales from the Crypt may refer to: * ''Tales from the Crypt'' (album), by American rapper C-Bo * ''Tales from the Crypt'' (comics), published by EC Comics during the 1950s ** ''Tales from the Crypt'' (film), a 1972 Amicus film starring Ralph Ric ...

'', '' Highlander: The Series'', '' JAG'', ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The seri ...

'', '' F/X: The Series'', '' ER'', and ''

Ghost Whisperer ''Ghost Whisperer'' is an American supernatural television series, which ran on CBS from September 23, 2005, to May 21, 2010. The series follows the life of Melinda Gordon ( Jennifer Love Hewitt), who has the ability to see and communicate wit ...

''. She also starred in the

live action Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ...

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedba ...

'' Supreme Warrior'' (1994). As May–Lin Eng in ''

Eve and the Fire Horse ''Eve and the Fire Horse'' is a 2005 Canadian film written and directed by Julia Kwan. It won the Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and the Claude Jutra Award for the best feature film by a first-time film director in Canada. Plot ...

'' (2005), Wu received a

Genie Award The Genie Awards were given out annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to recognize the best of Canadian cinema from 1980–2012. They succeeded the Canadian Film Awards (1949–1978; also known as the "Etrog Awards," for sc ...

nomination. She also appeared in the video game ''

Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb ''Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb'' is a 2003 action-adventure video game developed by The Collective and published by LucasArts for the Xbox, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2 and OS X. It features cover art by Drew Struzan. The game is an a ...

'' as Mei Ying. She is one of the original four judges of Hunan TV's "Worlds's got Talent". In 2020, Wu made her return to Hollywood productions after nearly 25 years, with a starring role as Chinese astronaut Lu Wang, in the

science fiction drama '' Away'' opposite

Hilary Swank Hilary Ann Swank (born July 30, 1974) is an American actress and film producer. She first became known in 1992 for her role on the television series '' Camp Wilder'' and made her film debut with a minor role in ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1992 ...

Personal life

Wu married Cuban-born American director and producer Oscar Luis Costo in 1994. She later became a United States citizen.

Filmography

Film

* '' The Last Emperor'' (1987) * '' Iron & Silk'' (1990) * ''

'' (1990) * '' The Guyver'' (1991) * '' Heaven & Earth'' (1993) * '' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III'' (1993) * '' The Joy Luck Club'' (1993) * ''

Vanishing Son ''Vanishing Son'' is an American action television series that was part of Universal Television's Action Pack. Starting as a series of four television films in 1994, the series debuted in syndication on January 16, 1995. ''Vanishing Son I'', ''V ...

'' (TV) (1994) * ''Woman Rose'' (1996) * ''

'' (1996) * '' The Soong Sisters'' (1997) * ''

A Bright Shining Lie ''A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam'' (1988) is a book by Neil Sheehan, a former '' New York Times'' reporter, about U.S. Army lieutenant colonel John Paul Vann (killed in action) and the United States' involvement in ...

'' (1998) (TV Film) * ''The Legend of Pig Eye'' (1998) * ''Blindness'' (1998) * '' 8½ Women'' (1999) * ''

Dinner Rush ''Dinner Rush'' is a 2000 American independent feature film, written by Brian S. Kalata and Rick Shaughnessy, and directed by Bob Giraldi. It stars Danny Aiello as a restaurateur-bookmaker in New York City's Tribeca neighborhood and Edoardo Baller ...

'' (2000) * ''Roses Are Red'' (2000) * ''Red Skies'' (2002) * ''

Encrypt In cryptography, encryption is the process of encoding information. This process converts the original representation of the information, known as plaintext, into an alternative form known as ciphertext. Ideally, only authorized parties can deci ...

'' (2003) * '' Beauty Remains'' (2005) * ''

Kinamand ''Kinamand'' ( en, Chinaman and ) is a 2005 Danish-Chinese comedy drama film that deals with the Chinese immigrant experience in Denmark and marriages of convenience. Plot Keld, a plumber, is bored with his job and life. His wife, Rie, tries ...

'' (2005) * ''

'' (2005) * ''Shanghai Red'' (2006) * '' Desires of the Heart'' (2008) * ''

'' (2009) * ''Shanghai Blue'' (2010) * ''

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan ''Snow Flower and the Secret Fan'' is a 2005 novel by Lisa See set in nineteenth-century China. In her introduction to the novel, See writes that Lily, the narrator, was born on June 5, 1824—"the fifth day of the sixth month of the third year ...

'' (2011) * ''The Story of a Piano'' (2011) * ''Departed Heroes'' (2011) * ''To Forgive'' (2012) * ''Judge Zhan'' (2012) * ''

The Palace ''The Palace'' is a British drama television series that aired on ITV in 2008. Produced by Company Pictures for the ITV network, it was created by Tom Grieves and follows a fictional British Royal Family in the aftermath of the death of King ...

'' (2013) * '' Feed Me'' (2013) * '' Who is Undercover'' (2014) * '' Perfect Couple'' (2014) * '' The Queens'' (2015) * '' Go Lala Go 2'' (2015) * '' Everybody's Fine'' (2016) * ''

Youth Dinner ''Youth Dinner'' is a 2017 Chinese youth romance film based on the novel ''Six People's Dinner'' by Lu Min. It stars Shawn Dou, Janine Chang, Wu Gang and Vivian Wu. The film was released in China on June 16, 2017. Synopsis Set during the 1990s ...

'' (2017) * '' The Chinese Widow'' (2017) * ''Father and Son'' (2017) * ''Cry Me a Sad River'' (2018) * ''Knockout'' (2019) * ''

Dead Pigs ''Dead Pigs'' ( zh, 海上浮城; literally "floating city on the sea") is a 2018 comedy drama film written and directed by Cathy Yan in her directorial feature film debut. It stars Vivian Wu, Haoyu Yang, Mason Lee, Meng Li, and David Rysdahl. The ...

'' (2019)

TV series

* ''

Millennium A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannus, kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting ...

'' "

Siren Siren or sirens may refer to: Common meanings * Siren (alarm), a loud acoustic alarm used to alert people to emergencies * Siren (mythology), an enchanting but dangerous monster in Greek mythology Places * Siren (town), Wisconsin * Siren, Wiscon ...

" (1998) * ''

Dwelling Narrowness ''Dwelling Narrowness'' (), also known literally as ''Snail House'', is a 2009 television series broadcast in Mainland China, based on a 2007 novel of the same name by Liu Liu. It depicts two sisters struggling with life in Jiangzhou, a fictional ...

'' (2009) * '' Strange World'' (1999 - 2000) * '' Highlander: The Series'' (1994) May-ling Shen * '' Secret Agent Man'' (2000) "Uncle SAM" Ling #1 * '' JAG '' “Deja Vu” (1995) Angelique Sonsiri * ''

'' "Comes the Dawn" (1995) Jeri Drumbeater * ''

Murder She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series ...

'' "Kendo Killing" (4 Jan 1996) Miko Ishida * ''

The First Half of My Life ''The First Half of My Life'' () is a 2017 Chinese television series based on Hong Kong novelist Yi Shu's novel of the same name, and centers on a group of city dwellers who have to make choices about love and career. It was directed by Shen Yan ...

'' (2017) * ''

Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace ''Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace'' (, lit. ''The Legend of Ruyi'') is a 2018 Chinese television series based on novel ''Hou Gong Ru Yi Zhuan'' by Liu Lianzi. Starring Zhou Xun and Wallace Huo, the series chronicles the relationship between Em ...

'' (2018) * ''Qin Dynasty Epic'' (2019) * '' Away'' (2020) * ''

Station 19 ''Station 19'' is an American action- drama television series created by Stacy McKee for ABC that premiered on March 22, 2018. It is the second spin-off of '' Grey's Anatomy'' (after '' Private Practice''). Set in Seattle, the series focuses on ...

'' (2021) * '' Irma Vep'' (2022)

Video games

* '' Supreme Warrior'' (1995) * ''

'' (2003)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wu, Vivian 1966 births Living people Naturalized citizens of the United States Actresses from Shanghai Chinese expatriates in the United States Chinese television actresses Chinese film actresses 20th-century Chinese actresses 21st-century Chinese actresses