Vincent Zhao
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Vincent Zhao Wenzhuo (born 10 April 1972), sometimes credited as Vincent Chiu or Chiu Man-cheuk, is a Chinese actor and martial artist. Zhao is best known for playing the Chinese folk hero
Wong Fei-hung Wong Fei-hung (born Wong Sek-cheung with the courtesy name Tat-wun; 9 July 1847 – 17 April 1925) was a Chinese martial artist, physician, and folk hero. His recent fame was due to becoming the subject of numerous martial arts films and televis ...
in the ''
Once Upon a Time in China ''Once Upon a Time in China'' (released in the Philippines as ''Enter the New Game of Death'') is a 1991 Hong Kong martial arts film written and directed by Tsui Hark, starring Jet Li as Chinese martial arts master and folk hero of Cantonese et ...
'' film and television series and for his films '' The Blade'', ''
True Legend ''True Legend'' is a 2010 martial arts film directed by Yuen Woo-ping in his first film as directed since 1996. The film stars Vincent Zhao, Zhou Xun, Jay Chou, Michelle Yeoh, Andy On, David Carradine (in his final film role before his death), G ...
'' and ''
God of War A war god in mythology associated with war, combat, or bloodshed. They occur commonly in both monotheistic and polytheistic religions. Unlike most gods and goddesses in polytheistic religions, monotheistic deities have traditionally been po ...
''.


Early life

Zhao was born in
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 ...
, China the youngest of three boys. His father was a martial arts practitioner, and his mother was a professional sprinter, who broke the record for being the fastest female sprinter of Harbin. Under the instruction of his father, Zhao attended martial arts lessons at the age of eight but he never completely devoted himself to his lessons as he was more interested in singing. In the early 1980s, Zhao was sent to a martial arts academy in Harbin and began to train vigorously, where he started to love the sport. He soon became the youngest member of the Harbin wushu team, which was established in 1985. Trained in various wushu techniques, Zhao mastered
Tongbeiquan Tongbeiquan (通背拳 ''tōngbèiquán''; literally "Spreading Power from the Back Boxing", as ''tong'' means "through," ''bei'' means "back" and ''quan'' means "fist") is a school of martial arts popular in northern China, known for engaging o ...
,
t'ai chi ch'uan Tai chi (), short for Tai chi ch'üan ( zh, s=太极拳, t=太極拳, first=t, p=Tàijíquán, labels=no), sometimes called "shadowboxing", is an neijia, internal Chinese martial art practiced for defense training, health benefits and medita ...
, especially the Chen and
Yang Yang may refer to: * Yang, in yin and yang, one half of the two symbolic polarities in Chinese philosophy * Korean yang, former unit of currency of Korea from 1892 to 1902 * YANG, a data modeling language for the NETCONF network configuration pr ...
styles. Zhao maintained high academic standards, and in 1990, he was accepted by
Beijing Sport University Beijing Sport University (BSU) (), formerly known as "Central Institute of Physical Education" () and "Beijing Institute of Physical Education" (), is a nation-level public university located in Beijing, China. It is one of the National Key Univ ...
to study martial arts. Throughout his university career, he joined many national championships, winning first place titles and gold medals for the National Junior Championship, the National All-Around Championship, and also the National Martial Arts Championship. He was also qualified to be in China's national martial arts team, and his classmates gave him the nickname, "Kungfu King".


Career


''Fong Sai-yuk''

In 1992, Hong Kong film producer
Corey Yuen Corey Yuen (; born Ying Gang-ming (殷元奎); 15 February 1951) is a Hong Kong director, film director, producer, action choreographer, and former actor. Yuen was a member of the Peking Opera Schools and one of the Seven Little Fortunes. As a ...
went to
Beijing Sport University Beijing Sport University (BSU) (), formerly known as "Central Institute of Physical Education" () and "Beijing Institute of Physical Education" (), is a nation-level public university located in Beijing, China. It is one of the National Key Univ ...
to find a martial artist to play the role of the antagonist for his 1993 film ''
Fong Sai-yuk Fong Sai-yuk (or Fang Shiyu) is a semi-fictional Chinese martial artist and folk hero from Zhaoqing City, Guangdong Province of the Qing dynasty. Fong was also associated with Hung Hei-gun and the Five Elders of the Southern Shaolin Mona ...
''. Yuen found Zhao through the latter's instructor and was immediately impressed with Zhao. Initially, Zhao was uninterested, but Yuen insisted on offering him the role because he had "the skill and looks." After further encouragement from peers and mentors, Zhao accepted the offer and shooting began in the same year. Zhao was often teased for looking too nice and young for the role of the villain, the Governor of Kau-man, but under the instruction of Yuen and other directors, he learned the easiest way to "look evil". He said,
"The director told me: Chiu Man-cheuk, when you look at people, don't look at them like how you usually do. You must look at them from the corner of your eyes with your profile facing them. That way, you will look evil."
During filming, Zhao also enrolled in acting classes for three months. ''Fong Sai-yuk'' was released in March 1993 and became a box office hit in Hong Kong, grossing HK$30,666,842.


''Once Upon a Time in China''

After only a month into the filming of ''Fong Sai-yuk'', contract problems between
Tsui Hark Tsui Hark (, vi, Từ Khắc, born 15 February 1950), born Tsui Man-kong, is a Hong Kong film director, producer and screenwriter. Tsui has directed several influential Hong Kong films such as ''Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain'' (1983), the ...
and
Jet Li Li Lianjie (courtesy name Yangzhong; born 26 April 1963), better known by his stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese film actor, film producer, Chinese martial arts, martial artist, and retired wushu (sport), Wushu champion. He is a naturalized Singapo ...
caused Li to back out from the fourth installment of the ''
Once Upon a Time in China ''Once Upon a Time in China'' (released in the Philippines as ''Enter the New Game of Death'') is a 1991 Hong Kong martial arts film written and directed by Tsui Hark, starring Jet Li as Chinese martial arts master and folk hero of Cantonese et ...
'' saga. Tsui met Zhao on the set of ''Fong Sai-yuk'' and was impressed with Zhao's performance that he quickly recruited Zhao to replace Li in playing the role of
Wong Fei-hung Wong Fei-hung (born Wong Sek-cheung with the courtesy name Tat-wun; 9 July 1847 – 17 April 1925) was a Chinese martial artist, physician, and folk hero. His recent fame was due to becoming the subject of numerous martial arts films and televis ...
. Tsui also encouraged Zhao to sign a three-year contract to be a full-time actor, but Zhao rejected the offer, stating that he felt that his education was more important. Zhao continued to devote himself to filming during school vacations for '' Green Snake'' (1993) and ''
Once Upon a Time in China IV ''Once Upon a Time in China IV'' is a 1993 Hong Kong–Chinese martial arts film and the fourth installment in the ''Once Upon a Time in China'' film series. It was directed by Yuen Bun in his directorial debut and produced by Tsui Hark, who dir ...
'' (1994). During filming for Green Snake, Zhao was hung high up in the air during a stunt with two steel wires supporting him but during an incident one of the steel wires broke and Zhao stated that if the other wire were to also break that he could have lost his life as well. Zhao was ultimately very frightened especially after filming this scene. During the filming of one of the Wong Fei Hung movies, he seriously injured his ankle to the point where it hadn't healed until the year 2012. He stated that some of the bones in his ankle still hasn't healed yet and that before this injury he was okay with doing the majority of his stunts even jumping from third or second story high buildings. The injury has also affected his flexibility as well. Although ''Once Upon a Time in China IV'' grossed less in the box office than the first three installments, it was significant enough to continue the franchise with a fifth installment, ''
Once Upon a Time in China V ''Once Upon a Time in China V'' is a 1994 Hong Kong–Chinese martial arts action film written and directed by Tsui Hark. The film is the fifth installment in the ''Once Upon a Time in China'' film series, with Vincent Zhao reprising his role as ...
'' (1995). While shooting a scene, Zhao slipped during a fighting sequence and injured his head. He was rushed to the hospital and got stitches. He recovered quickly and shooting continued after several weeks. ''Once Upon a Time in China V'' was Zhao's last role as Wong Fei-hung in the films, as Jet Li returned for the sixth and last installment, ''
Once Upon a Time in China and America ''Once Upon a Time in China and America'', also known as ''Once Upon a Time in China VI'', (Chinese: 黃飛鴻之西域雄獅) is a 1997 Hong Kong martial arts western film directed by Sammo Hung in his last directorial effort until 2016, w ...
'' (1997). Zhao continued playing Wong Fei-hung in the television drama ''
Wong Fei Hung Series The ''Wong Fei Hung Series'' is a 1995 to 1996 Hong Kong–Chinese television film series of five stories about Wong Fei-hung, a Chinese martial artist and folk hero, each told in four episodes. The series was produced by Tsui Hark and starred Vinc ...
'', also produced by Tsui Hark. The series was aired on ATV in Hong Kong for two years and received high ratings (although ''Wong Fei Hung Series: The Final Victory'' only had moderate ratings).


1997–1999

In 1997, Zhao signed a management contract with China Star, a Hong Kong talent agency, after which he began to work on more films, such as ''The Blacksheep Affair'' (1998), ''Body Weapon'' (1999) and ''
Fist Power ''Fist Power'' is a 2000 Hong Kong action film directed by Aman Chang, starring Chiu Man-cheuk, Anthony Wong, Gigi Lai and Sam Lee. Shooting for the film took place in Hong Kong between February and March 1999. The film was released in Hong Ko ...
'' (1999–2000). Many considered him as "the next Jet Li".


2000–2010

Zhao's contract with China Star ended in 1999, and he decided to turn his focus to the mainland Chinese market in hope of making more money (probably due to economic differences), working on television series and films such as ''
The Sino-Dutch War 1661 ''The Sino-Dutch War 1661'' (), also known as ''Hero Zheng Chenggong'', is a 2000 Chinese historical drama film directed by Wu Ziniu, starring Vincent Zhao, Jiang Qinqin, Du Zhiguo, Yoko Shimada, Xu Min and Zhang Shan. The film is loosely based on ...
'', ''
Wind and Cloud ''Wind and Cloud'', also known as ''Fung Wan'' and ''The Storm Riders'', is a Taiwanese television series based on Hong Kong artist Ma Wing-shing's manhua series '' Fung Wan''. Vincent Zhao and Peter Ho starred as the titular protagonists. The se ...
'' and ''
Seven Swordsmen ''Seven Swordsmen'' is a 2006 Chinese television series directed by Clarence Fok and produced by Tsui Hark. The series is loosely adapted from Liang Yusheng's ''wuxia'' novels ''Qijian Xia Tianshan'' and '' Saiwai Qixia Zhuan''. It is also the tel ...
''. In 2006, Zhao returned to Hong Kong and began working on ''
The Master of Tai Chi ''The Master of Tai Chi'' (Traditional Chinese: 太極) is a Hong Kong martial arts television drama that aired on Jade and HD Jade from 25 February to 28 March 2008. Produced by Tommy Leung and Raymond Chai, ''The Master of Tai Chi'' is a TVB p ...
'', produced by
TVB Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) is a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong SAR. The Company operates five free-to-air terrestrial television channels in Hong Kong, with TVB Jade as its main Cantonese language service, and ...
. During an interview concerning his career and the transition from movie actor to television actor. He said tactfully "at the beginning of the transition, my heart felt like it was in a uncomfortable state." Reviews for Zhao's performance in television series were mixed, and many criticized him for giving up big productions and the silver screen. Zhao explained:
"I never took professional acting classes. The only thing I could do back then were sports and martial arts. In order to train myself, I must accept more television series to touch up my acting."
While working on ''The Master of Tai Chi'', Zhao was given a script for a new martial arts film and he accepted the lead role. Zhao signed with Hollywood agency CAA in 2006 with help from
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 ...
. He was originally selected to play the lead villain in ''
Rush Hour 3 ''Rush Hour 3'' is a 2007 American buddy action comedy film directed by Brett Ratner, written by Jeff Nathanson, and starring Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Max von Sydow, Hiroyuki Sanada, Noémie Lenoir, Yvan Attal and Youki Kudoh. It is the thi ...
'', but the role was eventually given to
Hiroyuki Sanada is a Japanese actor and martial artist. He is best known to international audiences for his roles as Genbu in ''Ninja in the Dragon's Den'' (1982), Ryuji Takayama in ''Ring'' (1998), Seibei Iguchi in ''The Twilight Samurai'' (2002), Ujio in ''T ...
. After spending one year and a half in America, Zhao returned to
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 ...
and went into an obvious physical breakdown. In September 2008 he returned to Beijing to prepare for his next film, ''
True Legend ''True Legend'' is a 2010 martial arts film directed by Yuen Woo-ping in his first film as directed since 1996. The film stars Vincent Zhao, Zhou Xun, Jay Chou, Michelle Yeoh, Andy On, David Carradine (in his final film role before his death), G ...
''. ''True Legend'' opened up to mixed reviews and was a failure at the box office. In April 2010 Zhao joined ''
Sacrifice Sacrifice is the offering of material possessions or the lives of animals or humans to a deity as an act of propitiation or worship. Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Greeks, and possibly exi ...
s star-studded cast and was only given a minor role.


2011–present

Zhao starred alongside
Yang Mi Yang Mi (, born 12 September 1986) is a Chinese actress and singer. She made her acting debut in historical television series '' Tang Ming Huang'', and later received recognition for her leading roles in various television series such as ''Wang Zha ...
, Louis Fan,
Xu Jiao Xu Jiao (, born 5 August 1997) is a Chinese actress. She made her film debut in the 2008 sci-fi film ''CJ7'' where she played a boy, and won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best New Performer The Hong Kong Film Award for Best New Performer is a ...
and Dennis To in the 2012 martial arts fantasy film '' Wu Dang'' that was directed by Patrick Leung, written by Chan Khan, and action choreographed by
Corey Yuen Corey Yuen (; born Ying Gang-ming (殷元奎); 15 February 1951) is a Hong Kong director, film director, producer, action choreographer, and former actor. Yuen was a member of the Peking Opera Schools and one of the Seven Little Fortunes. As a ...
. On 19 January 2012, in a press conference held 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 ...
, it was announced that Zhao would be starring with
Donnie Yen Donnie Yen Chi-tan (; born 27 July 1963) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, and action director. Yen is one of Hong Kong's top action stars. Yen is widely credited for bringing mixed martial arts (MMA) into the mainstream Asian cinema by cho ...
in the film ''Special Identity''. However, on 29 February, Zhao left the production due to changes in the script by Yen. Since March 1, 2017, Zhao is employed as Health Qigong ambassador. In 2021, he joined the cast of '' Call Me By Fire'' as a contestant.


Personal life

Zhao graduated from
Beijing Sport University Beijing Sport University (BSU) (), formerly known as "Central Institute of Physical Education" () and "Beijing Institute of Physical Education" (), is a nation-level public university located in Beijing, China. It is one of the National Key Univ ...
in 1994 and decided to remain there as a martial arts instructor. However, due to his busy filming schedule, he only taught classes for three months before resigning. During his time at Beijing Academy, Zhao signed on for two months of dancing classes and won the National College Dance Championship Competition. He was once linked with
Anita Mui Anita Mui Yim-fong (; 10 October 1963 – 30 December 2003) was a Hong Kong singer and actress who made major contributions to the Cantopop music scene and received numerous awards and honours. She remained an idol throughout her career, and i ...
in early 1995 but the pair broke apart in 1996. Zhao had a son from a previous relationship with a
Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
college student known as "Xiao Lian" () studying in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
and a reported pianist in 2001. His son, named "Zhao Yuanda" (), English name "Joseph", was born in August 2002. The reason for their break up is unknown. In 2004, Zhao Yuanda and his mother moved back to Beijing, where she opened a yoga center in the luxury apartments of Beijing Suburbs. Zhao married his girlfriend Zhang Danlu, whom he met in 2002, in June 2006, and their daughter was born in September 2007. In November 2007, Zhao brought his family back to Beijing. At the airport, when interviewed, Zhao said his daughter is named "Rosita", Chinese name "Zhao Ziyang" (). His daughter shares the same name as the late politician
Zhao Ziyang Zhao Ziyang ( zh, 赵紫阳; pronounced , 17 October 1919 – 17 January 2005) was a Chinese politician. He was the third premier of the People's Republic of China from 1980 to 1987, vice chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 198 ...
, whose name has been a taboo subject in China since 1989. On 15 July 2011, Zhao's wife gave birth in Hong Kong to their second son, who is named "Zilong" after the
courtesy name A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theobald ...
of
Zhao Yun Zhao Yun ( ) (died 229), courtesy name Zilong (), was a military general who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. Originally a subordinate of the northern warlord Gongsun Zan, Zhao Yun later came ...
, a famous general of the
Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Han dynasty#Eastern Han, Eastern Han dynasty and wa ...
period. On 14 September 2016, Zhao and Zhang welcomed their third child (Zhao's fourth), a daughter named Luna Zhao.


Filmography


Film


Television


References


External links

* *
Vincent Zhao's blog
on
Sina.com Sina Corporation (, "new wave") is a Chinese technology company. Sina operates four major business lines: Sina Weibo, Sina Mobile, Sina Online, and Sinanet. Sina has over 100 million registered users worldwide. Sina was recognized by '' South ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zhao, Vincent 1972 births Male actors from Harbin Chinese wushu practitioners Living people Sportspeople from Harbin Chinese male film actors Chinese male television actors People's Republic of China Buddhists