Zhao Wei (Vicki Zhao) – Chinese Singer Actress

Zhao Wei is a Chinese film actress and pop singer. Audiences sometimes refer to her by her English name, Vicki Zhao. She is considered one of the four most promising young film actresses in China (四小花旦), along with Xu Jinglei, Zhang Ziyi and Zhou Xun.

After being chosen to work as an extra on a filming set, Zhao developed a passion for acting. While studying at Beijing Film Academy, Zhao participated in various film projects. Zhao’s breakout role as a leading actress was in Princess Pearl, a television series. In 1999, after Princess Pearl was broadcast, Zhao also began a singing career with her first album, Swallow. After her breakthrough, Zhao has been involved in numerous controversies about her personal and professional lives, including posing in a dress resembling a Japanese war flag.
Throughout her career, Zhao has engaged herself in more varied roles, such as Lu Yiping in Romance in the Rain, a policewoman named An Xin in Jade Goddess of Mercy, the playful Qu Ran in A Time to Love, and the gentle, intelligent Yao Mulan Moment in Peking. She has also remained active in her music, recording several albums since her debut in 1999.

Born and raised in Wuhu, Anhui Province, China, Zhao was the second child of Zhao Jiahai (赵家海) and Wei Qiying (魏启颖). Her father, Zhao Jiahai, was an appliance designer. Zhao has one older brother, named Zhao Jian. She graduated from Teachers’ College Elementary School (Shi Fan Fu Xiao) and Teachers’ College High School (17th Secondary School Shi Fan). Originally, Zhao was working towards a career in teaching, like her mother. At the time, Zhao claimed to have never considered the prospect of an acting career, once commenting “I thought actresses had to be beautiful, and I thought I was ordinary”. In 1993, however, a filming crew arrived in Wuhu looking for extras for the film Hua Hun, starring Gong Li. Afterward, Zhao decided to pursue an acting career. Looking for ways to leave town, Zhao looked for opportunities to enroll in a film school. She later discovered a new film arts school in Shanghai, opened by the renowned director Xie Jin. In 1996, Zhao received first class results in her entrance exam to Beijing Film Academy’s Performance Institute. She graduated from there in 2000.

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Tags: china, vicki zhao, zhang ziyi, zhao wei