Yao Xingtong (; born 12 April 1983) is a Chinese actress. She is also known as Helen Yao and Anna Yao. Yao is fluent in

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

. Yao is noted for her roles as Ma Liruo and Coco in the film ''Life of Sentime'' (2010) and ''

CZ12 ''CZ12'' (), also known as ''Chinese Zodiac'', is a 2012 Hong Kong action-adventure comedy film co-written, co-produced and directed by Jackie Chan, who also starred as the main character in the film. ''CZ12'' is the third film of a franchise t ...

'' (2012) respectively.

Early life

Yao was born and raised in Nangang District of

Harbin Harbin (; mnc, , v=Halbin; ) is a sub-provincial city and the provincial capital and the largest city of Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China, as well as the second largest city by urban population after Shenyang and largest ...

Heilongjiang Heilongjiang () formerly romanized as Heilungkiang, is a province in northeast China. The standard one-character abbreviation for the province is (). It was formerly romanized as "Heilungkiang". It is the northernmost and easternmost province ...

. Yao graduated from

Beijing Film Academy Beijing Film Academy (BFA; ) is a coeducational state-run higher education institution in Beijing, China. The film school is the largest institution specializing in the tertiary education for film and television production in Asia. The academy h ...

, where she majored in acting.

Acting career

Yao was chosen to act as a supporting actor in several television series, such as ''Together with You'', ''Police Story'', ''War and Destiny'', and ''Records of Kangxi's Travel Incognito 5''. Yao's first film role was uncredited appearance in the film ''Growth'' (2006). After playing minor roles in various films and television series, Yao received her first leading role in a film called ''Blossom'', for which she received

Golden Rooster Award 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 ...

nominations for Best Actress. In 2009, Yao starred in the romantic comedy film ''Life of Sentime'', alongside

Ming Dow Ming Dao (; born 26 February 1980) is a Taiwanese actor, singer and model. He is known for starring in ''The Prince Who Turns into a Frog'', which held the highest single episode average rating of 6.99 for a Taiwanese drama from 2005 to 2008, ...

and

Xia Yu Xia Yu may refer to: *Yu the Great, also known as Xia Yu, legendary founder of the Xia dynasty * Xia Yu (actor) (born 1978), Chinese actor *Ha Yu (actor) Wong Sing (born 14 June 1943), better known by his stage name Ha Yu, is a Hong Kong actor ...

, which earned her a Best Newcomer Award at the

Macau International Movie Festival The Macau International Movie Festival () is an international film festival that takes place in Macau, China. The first festival took place between December 26, 2009 and January 2, 2010. It was organized by mainland Chinese businessman Xu ...

. Yao gained international fame for her starring role as Coco in ''

'' (2012), a Hong Kong-Chinese action film co-produced, written, directed by, and starring

Jackie Chan Fang Shilong (born 7 April 1954), known professionally in English as Jackie Chan and in Chinese as Cheng Long ( zh, c=成龍, j=Sing4 Lung4; "becoming the dragon"), is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman known for ...

. In 2014, Yao played the lead role in ''

Ex-Files ''Ex-Files'' (Chinese: 前任攻略) is a 2014 Chinese romantic comedy film. It was released on January 31, 2014. A sequel titled ''Ex-Files 2'' was released on November 6, 2015. Cast *Han Geng *Helen Yao *Lee Sang-yeob *Wang Likun *Ban Jiajia *Zh ...

'', a romantic comedy film co-starring

Han Geng Han Geng (Chinese: 韩庚; Pinyin: Hán Gēng; ) (born February 9, 1984) is a Chinese Mandopop singer and actor. He started his career in 2001, when he was chosen by S.M. Entertainment to become a member of South Korean boy band Super Junior, ...

Filmography

Film

Television series

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Yao, Xingtong 1983 births Living people Beijing Film Academy alumni Actresses from Harbin Chinese film actresses Chinese television actresses 21st-century Chinese actresses