Fan Wei (born 2 September 1962) is a Chinese actor known for his roles in Chinese sketch comedies, sitcoms, and films. He gained fame through performances with Zhao Benshan and Gao Xiumin in

CCTV New Year's Gala The ''CMG New Year's Gala'', formerly known as the ''CCTV New Year's Gala'', also known as the ''Spring Festival Gala'', and commonly abbreviated in Chinese as ''Chunwan'' (), is a Chinese New Year special produced by China Media Group (CMG). I ...

s since 1995. He has been featured in films such as ''

Cell Phone A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones ( landline phones). This radio ...

'' (2003), '' A World Without Thieves'' (2004), '' If You Are the One'' (2008), and ''

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 Sino- ...

'' (2009). He has also acted in several television series produced in

mainland China "Mainland China", also referred to as "the Chinese mainland", is a Geopolitics, geopolitical term defined as the territory under direct administration of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War. In addit ...

such as '' Ma Dashuai'' (2003-2006) and '' The Long Season'' (2023).

Early life

Fan was born in Dadong District of

Shenyang Shenyang,; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ; formerly known as Fengtian formerly known by its Manchu language, Manchu name Mukden, is a sub-provincial city in China and the list of capitals in China#Province capitals, provincial capital of Liaonin ...

Liaoning ) , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = Clockwise: Mukden Palace in Shenyang, Xinghai Square in Dalian, Dalian coast, Yalu River at Dandong , image_map = Liaoning in China (+all claims hatched).svg , ...

, on 2 September 1962. His father was a publicity officer in a factory and his mother was a salesperson. He has an elder sister and a younger brother. In 1978, by age 16, Fan studied

xiangsheng Xiangsheng (), also known as crosstalk or comic dialog, is a traditional performing art in Chinese comedy, and one of the most popular elements in Chinese culture. It is typically performed as a dialog between two performers, or rarely as a ...

under mentor Chen Lianzhong (), a xiangsheng actor of Shenyang Ballad Singers Troupe, which Fan officially joined five years later. In 1986, he participated in the National Xiangsheng Competition, which led to widespread recognition among audiences in

northeast China Northeast China () is a geographical region of China, consisting officially of three provinces Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang. The heartland of the region is the Northeast China Plain, the largest plain in China with an area of over . The regi ...

Acting career

In 1999, Fan made his film debut with a minor role in ''Male Sorority Director''. His first main role in a movie came with the '' Spring Subway'', alongside

Xu Jinglei Xu Jinglei ( zh, s=徐静蕾, born April 16, 1974) is a Chinese actress and filmmaker. Regarded as one of the Four Dan Actresses in China, Xu rose to fame with television series '' A Sentimental Story'' (1997) and ''Cherish Our Love Forever'' ( ...

, Geng Le, Zhang Yang and Wang Ning. In 2003, Fan's performance in the

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

''The Parking Attendant in July'' which earned him Best Actor at the 28th

Montreal World Film Festival The Montreal World Film Festival (), commonly abbreviated MWFF in English or FFM in French, was an annual film festival in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from 1977 to 2019.Beijing College Student Film Festival Beijing College Student Film Festival, first held in 1993, is an annual event organized by Beijing Normal University and Beijing Municipal Bureau of Radio, Film and Television. It is held in April or May, and is one of the biggest film festivals ...

and was nominated for Best Actor 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 sha ...

. That same year, he got a small role in

Feng Xiaogang Feng Xiaogang ( zh, s=冯小刚, t=馮小剛, p=Féng Xiǎogāng; born 18 March 1958 in Beijing) is a Chinese filmmaker and actor. Rising to fame for directing comedies, Feng played a pivotal role in shaping the Chinese New Year films, with f ...

comedy-drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

film ''

''. Fan had key supporting role in the 2004 '' A World Without Thieves'', an action drama film starring

Andy Lau Andy Lau Tak-wah ( zh, order=t,j, t=劉德華, j=Lau4 Dak1 Waa4; born Lau Fook-wing; 27 September 1961), is a Hong Kong actor, singer-songwriter and film producer. He was named the "Fourth Tiger" among the Five Tiger Generals of TVB in the 1 ...

Rene Liu Rene Liu Ruo-ying (; born 1 June 1969) is a Taiwanese singer-songwriter, actress, director and writer. In the Sinophone world, Liu is widely known by her affectionate nickname "Milk Tea". Her music often focuses on love stories and has built an ...

Ge You Ge You (born April 19, 1957) is a Chinese actor. One of the most critically acclaimed performers in China, Ge is known for his signature bald head, comic timing, and intelligent, subtle acting. Ge became the first Asian actor to win the Best A ...

, Li Bingbing, and

Wang Baoqiang Wang Baoqiang (; born 29 May 1984) is a Chinese martial artist, actor and director. Wang first received recognition in the film '' Blind Shaft'' (2003), for which he shared the Best New Performer prize at the Golden Horse Awards. He went on to ...

. In 2007, he appeared in the comedy film ''Lucky Dog'', which earned hi a Best Actor at the 9th Chinese Film Media Awards and received nomination at the 23rd

. That same year, he co-starred with Liu Ye,

Gao Yuanyuan Gao Yuanyuan ( zh, s= 高圆圆, p=Gāo yuányuán, born 5 October 1979) is a Chinese actress and model. She gained attention in 2000 for appearing in a commercial for Qingzui (Clear Mouth) lozenges, earning her the nickname "Clear-Mouth Girl." She ...

, and Qin Lan in

Lu Chuan Lu Chuan (born 8 February 1971) is a Chinese filmmaker. One of China's Sixth Generation directors, he is known for his films '' Kekexili: Mountain Patrol'' (2004), '' City of Life and Death'' (2009)'', and The Last Supper'' (2012). Early life ...

's drama film ''

''. In 2008, Fan was cast in

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...

film '' If You Are the One'', opposite

, Shu Qi, Alex Fong Chung-Sun, Feng Yuanzheng and

Vivian Hsu Vivian Hsu (; ; born March 19, 1975) is a Taiwanese actress, model, and singer. In 1990, at 15, she won first place in a talent show in Taiwan and formed Girl's Team (1991–1993). At 19, she moved her career to Japan, where she became active ...

. He won the Students' Choice Award for Favorite Actor at the 16th

Beijing College Student Film Festival Beijing College Student Film Festival, first held in 1993, is an annual event organized by Beijing Normal University and Beijing Municipal Bureau of Radio, Film and Television. It is held in April or May, and is one of the biggest film festivals ...

for his performance in ''Set Off''. Fan had a small role in the 2009

historical drama A historical drama (also period drama, period piece or just period) is a dramatic work set in the past, usually used in the context of film and television, which presents history, historical events and characters with varying degrees of fiction s ...

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 ...

''. In 2010, for his role in ''Brothers' Happiness'', Fan won the Audience Favorite TV Actor at the 25th Golden Eagle Awards and Most Charismatic Actor at the 16th Magnolia Awards. In 2011, Fan portrayed politician

Li Yuanhong Li Yuanhong (; courtesy name ; October 19, 1864 – June 3, 1928) was a prominent Chinese military and political leader during the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. He was the Provisional Vice President of the Republic of China from 191 ...

in the

propaganda film A propaganda film is a film that involves some form of propaganda. Propaganda films spread and promote certain ideas that are usually religious, political, or cultural in nature. A propaganda film is made with the intent that the viewer will ad ...

'' The Founding of a Party''. He played the title role in the comedy film '' Crazy Dinner Party'', co-starring

Huang Bo Huang Bo ( zh, c=黄渤, p=Huáng Bó; born August 26, 1974) is a Chinese actor, film director, singer and the current vice-chairman of China Film Association. He is the winner of multiple Chinese film awards, and ranked 34th on Forbes China ...

, Monica Mok, and Liu Hua. He played a lead role as Priest in the comedy film '' Guns and Roses'', alongside Lei Jiayin, Guo Tao and Tao Hong. He played the role of Kong Lingxue in ''Tracks Kong Lingxue'', for which he earned Most Brilliant Actor at the 3rd China Image Film Festival in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. In 2012, he played Lao Ma, the lead role in

's ''

Back to 1942 ''Back to 1942'' is a 2012 Chinese historical drama film directed by Feng Xiaogang. It is based on Liu Zhenyun's novel ''Remembering 1942'', and is about a major famine in Henan, China, during the Second Sino-Japanese War. On 11 November 2012, ...

'', costarring Zhang Guoli,

Chen Daoming Chen Daoming (born 26 April 1955) is a Chinese actor who has starred in various genres of film and television series. Career Chen graduated from the Central Academy of Drama. His first notable role was Puyi (the last emperor of China) in the 19 ...

, Li Xuejian, Zhang Hanyu, Feng Yuanzheng and Xu Fan. In 2013, Fan was cast as a lead role in the

Huayi Brothers Huayi Brothers Media Corp. () is a Chinese multinational entertainment company that owns a film studio, a television production company, a talent agency, a record label, entertainment theme parks, and a movie theater chain founded in Beijing ...

's production '' Personal Tailor'', costarring

, Bai Baihe, Li Xiaolu and Zheng Kai. Fan was cast in the fantasy-adventure-comedy film '' Monk Comes Down the Mountain'' (2014), playing the teacher of

's character. In 2016, he landed a guest starring role in the comedy film '' I Am Not Madame Bovary'', a film adaptation based on the novel ''I Did Not Kill My Husband'' by novelist Liu Zhenyun. He took the lead role in the drama film '' Someone to Talk To'', which also adapted from Liu Zhenyun's

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

. In 2017, Fan earned critical acclaim for his performance in the black-and-white film '' Mr. No Problem'', for which he earned Best Leading Actor at the 53rd Golden Horse Awards, Best Actor at the 7th Beijing International Film Festival, and received Best Actor nominations at the 11th

Asian Film Awards The Asian Film Awards are presented annually by the Asian Film Awards Academy to recognise the excellence of the film professionals in the film industries of Asian cinema. History On January 29, 2007, Wilfred Wong, the Chairman of Hong Kon ...

, 25th

, and 9th China Film Director's Guild Awards. In 2019, he was cast in the

crime film Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...

''Hunt Down'', playing the father of

Jiao Junyan Jiao Junyan (; born 6 May 1987) is a Chinese actress, best known for her role as Fang Huihui on '' When Larry Met Mary'' (2016) and has also starred in a number of films and television series, including ''Love Is Not Blind'' (2011), ''Editorial D ...

's and husband of Chen Shu's characters. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 12th Macau International Movie Festival. Fan starred opposite Liu Haocun and Zhang Yi in

Zhang Yimou Zhang Yimou (; born 14 November 1950) is a Chinese filmmaker.Tasker, Yvonne (2002). "Zhang Yimou" i''Fifty Contemporary Filmmakers'' Routledge Publishing, p. 412. . Google Book Search. Retrieved 21 August 2008. A leading figure of China's Cinem ...

's drama film '' One Second''. He also appeared in ''Love You Forever'', opposite Li Yitong and Lee Hong-chi. In 2021, he starred in the

war film War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about navy, naval, air force, air, or army, land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle s ...

'' Railway Heroes'' with Zhang Hanyu, Vision Wei, Zhou Ye and Yu Haoming. In 2023, Fan starred in '' The Long Season'', which earned him the International Competition: Best Actor at the 18th

Seoul International Drama Awards Seoul International Drama Awards (), simply known as SDA, is an annual award ceremony based in Seoul, South Korea which honors excellence in television drama In film and television show, television, drama is a category or genre of narrat ...

and Best Actor at the 32nd China Television Golden Eagle Awards.

Personal life

In 1988, Fan was introduced by a friend to Yang Baoling (), a nurse of Shenyang Children's Hospital. They got married on 10 April 1990. Their son Fan Xiwen () was born at the end of 1992.

Filmography

Film

Television

Fan Wei at chinesemov.com
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CCTV New Year's Gala

Awards and nominations

Film awards

Television series awards

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fan, Wei Male actors from Liaoning 1962 births Male actors from Shenyang Living people Chinese male stage actors Chinese xiangsheng performers Chinese male film actors Chinese male television actors Chinese male voice actors