URL	www.allrovi.com
Commercial?	Yes
Registration	No
Available language(s)	English
Owner	Rovi
Launched	2011
Current status	Online

AllRovi is a commercial database launched by the Rovi Corporation in 2011. It combines information and reviews about music and movies from the former services AllMovie and AllMusic.

Content[link]

Reviewers include Jason Ankeny, Roxanne Blanford, Marisa Brown, John Bush, Al Campbell, Eugene Chadbourne, Matt Collar, Mark Deming, Ken Dryden, Bruce Eder, Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Katherine Fulton, Jo-Anne Greene, David Jeffries, Thom Jurek, Andy Kellman, Rudyard Kennedy, Don Kline, the late Cub Koda, Andrew Leahey, Steve Leggett, Jason Lymangrover, Scott McClintock, Greg McIntosh, Opal Louis Nations, Wilson Neate, Heather Phares, Greg Prato,^[1] Ned Raggett, Margaret Reges, Eduardo Rivadavia, John Phillip Roberts, William Ruhlmann, Tim Sendra, Michael Sutton, Rob Theakston, Richie Unterberger, Joe Viglione, Sean Westergaard, and Scott Yanow.^[2]

AllRovi's database, which is licensed and used in point-of-sale systems by some music retailers, includes:

• Basic data: names, genres, credits, copyright information, product numbers
• Descriptive content: styles, tones, moods, themes, nationalities
• Relational content: similar artists and albums, influences
• Editorial content: biographies, reviews, rankings

AllRovi also claims to have the largest digital archive of music, including about 6 million digital songs, as well as the largest cover art library, with more than half a million cover image scans.

The website allmusic.com (oft-referred to as "AMG", or All Music Guide) is a sample of what is available in the database. The site was launched in 1995 as an online demonstration for potential database licensees of the breadth of content included in the database.

The AllRovi database is also used by several generations of Windows Media Player and Musicmatch Jukebox to identify and organize music collections. Windows Media Player 11 and the integrated MTV Urge music store have expanded the use of AllRovi data to include related artists, biographies, reviews, playlists, and other data.

AllRovi is also used to provide catalog data, artist biographies, album reviews, related artist information, playlists, and other information in the iTunes Music Store, Zune Marketplace, Zune player, eMusic, AOL, Yahoo!, Amazon.com, and other music stores. Additionally, AllRovi is at the heart of the Naim Extended Music database used by the Naim HDX hard disk player.

The web version of AMG has much more information on most forms of popular music than the 1,176 pages of the 1992 book edited by Michael Erlewine and Scott Bultman (All Music Guide: the best CDs, albums & tapes, published by Miller Freeman Inc., San Francisco), but it is missing much of the information on classical music that appeared in the book. One could look up a composer in the book and identify specific recordings recommended by AMG reviewers, but the website only provides a list of recordings.

AMG headquarters is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States.

History[link]

URL	www.allmovie.com
Commercial?	Yes
Registration	No
Available language(s)	English
Owner	All Media Guide (Rovi)
Launched	1998
Current status	Active

AllMovie (previously All Movie Guide) was a commercial database of information about movie stars, movies and television shows.^[3][4] It was founded by popular-culture archivist Michael Erlewine, who also founded AllMusic and Allgame.

The database was licensed to tens of thousands of distributors and retailers for point-of-sale systems, websites, and kiosks. The Allmovie database is comprehensive, including basic product information, cast and production credits, plot synopsis, professional reviews, biographies, relational links, and more.

AllMovie data was accessed on the web at the allmovie.com website. It was also available via the AMG LASSO media recognition service, which can automatically recognize DVDs.

Rovi Corp renovated the website, and, now, the site is renewed/updated, and therefore, active.^[5][6]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website

This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (March 2009)

Ekin Cheng
Cheng at the Beautiful Day Concert 2011
Chinese name	鄭伊健
Chinese name	鄭伊健 (Traditional)
Chinese name	郑伊健 (Simplified)
Pinyin	Zhèng yījiàn (Mandarin)
Jyutping	Zeng6 Ji1-gin6 (Cantonese)
Ancestry	Enping, Guangdong, China
Origin	Hong Kong
Born	(1967-10-04) 4 October 1967 (age 44)
Other name(s)	Cheng Yee-Kin Dior Cheng Noodle Cheng (鄭伊麵)
Occupation	Singer Actor
Genre(s)	Cantopop
Instrument(s)	Singing
Label(s)	BMG (1991-2001, 2004-2005) EEG (2001-2004) BMA Records (2005-2009) Sony BMG (2009-present)
Years active	1986-present (acting) 1992-present (singing)
Partner(s)	Luisa Maria Leitão Maggie Siu Gigi Leung (1999 to 2006) Yoyo Mung (Current)
Official Website	Official Website

Ekin Cheng is a Hong Kong actor and Cantopop singer. Early in his career he used the name Dior (because that was what it sounded like when his younger sister tried to call him 第二哥) as a first name. He has also been referred to as Noodle Cheng, (鄭伊麵) after a popular noodle product with a similar name. Currently Ekin is the name used.

Career[link]

Television[link]

Cheng began acting in commercials when he was in high school, the most well-known being for Hi-C Lemon Tea. After high school, he enrolled in TVB's Martial Arts school, but did not like it and switched to their acting school. After that he began to get a number of TV roles. The latest TVB series he participated in was Always Ready, working with Charmaine Sheh, Bowie Lam and Linda Chung.

Film[link]

His first film was Girls Without Tomorrow 1992 (1992) and at the time he was still called by the name Dior Cheng. He changed his name to "Ekin" before his breakout role in the Young and Dangerous series as Chan Ho-nam. The film was first meant to glorify the triad life, but after about the third film, the story focused more on the characters and explored the truth about the Hong Kong triads. It became so popular that it launched Cheng and co-star Jordan Chan to superstar status. And because of its incredible success, it is said^{[by whom?]} to have made many youngsters at that time fond of the triad life, thus making teens throughout Asia join the triads. It also started a trend for triad films around that time and is considered^{[by whom?]} to be a classic. The film led to six sequels, all starring Cheng, and a lucrative working partnership with director Andrew Lau. Together they went on to make The Storm Riders, which was the highest-grossing Hong Kong movie at the time and the first film to utilize a truly large number of special effects. They also worked together on The Legend of Speed, a film about a street racer who would follow his father's footsteps of becoming a racing god, A Man Called Hero a movie adaption of the famous comic, about a martial arts master in America The Duel starring Cheng, Andy Lau, and a few other famous stars, and the comedy Women From Mars. In 2001, he acted in a movie titled Born to be King. This is the last installment of a triad movie series Young & Dangerous.

Cheng has branched out in the roles he has taken, including more comedy like earlier in his career with My Wife is 18 with Charlene Choi and Six Strong Guys with singers Hacken Lee, Andy Hui and George Lam. But he still does action-oriented films like The Twins Effect where he acts with rising pop superstars Twins and Tokyo Raiders where he is cast with Tony Leung and Kelly Chen. My Wife is 18 tells the story of an arranged marriage between 30-year-old Cheng and 18-year-old Charlene Choi. The significant age difference between the two is the source of the comedy. Six strong guys tells the story of Cheng and his other five friends who tell funny stories of the modern Hong Kong man. The Twins Effect is an action film about the feuds between vampires and humans who share the same world. Toyko Raiders is about international thievery in Toyko. He also play as Ming in the legend of zu mountain the movie.

Recently,^[when?] Cheng returned to the movie scene (having taken a break in 2005 to work on the Ultraman TV series in Thailand). He had a brief appearance in My Name is Fame as himself. Soon after that he starred in Heavenly Mission, a triad/cop thriller starring alongside Stephen Fung and Alex Fong (this is not the swimmer Alex Fong.). He has completed a Pang Brothers film called The Forest of Death, which was released in March 2007. His serial filmed in Mainland China based on the life of martial arts master Huo Yuanjia with former Young & Dangerous co-star Jordan Chan is currently in syndication. Current^[when?] projects include a sequel to The Storm Riders, also directed by Pang Brothers and Kamui Gaiden being filmed in Japan. Cheng's latest film with Shawn Yue, Rule Number 1 directed by Kelvin Tong, won Best Actor Awards for both Cheng and Yue.^[1]

Cheng's golden age was during the Young and Dangerous era. At the turn of the century his popularity declined and he has been criticized^{[by whom?]} as being merely an accidental superstar. He has also been criticized by some^[who?] as being a wood-like actor with little expression or feeling in his work. Despite these criticisms, Cheng has continued to make movies throughout his career and currently is once again^[when?] enjoying considerable success.

Music[link]

Cheng had a successful music career with BMG. But in the 2000s, he signed with EEG, a juggernaut company owned by Albert Yeung. Under this company he was 'frozen' and not allowed to put out any records. But as is a custom with EEG, he made several movies with other EEG stars. As of 2004, his contract with EEG ended and he returned to BMG briefly where he released a new record before signing with BMA. As of 2009, Cheng has once again returned as an artist of Sony BMG. Through the course of his career, he has made several hits. Though many criticise Cheng for not having a voice capable of singing harder or higher-noted songs. And though his music career has been going smoothly, his most-acclaimed music came during the Young and Dangerous age. The theme song for Young and Dangerous 1 "Age of Friendship" is considered his best. Though he and Jordan Chan both sing a separate version, it was Cheng who sang it first.

In 2007, Cheng made a guest appearance at a Leo Ku concert and received popular applause from the audience.^[2] He also represented Hong Kong in the 2009 Asia Song Festival, performing two songs. Since his last concert held 11 years ago, E-kin plans to hold his coming back concert during 18–19 December 2009 in Hong Kong.^[3]

Radio[link]

In the 1990s, Cheng also starred in a number of radio dramas.

Others[link]

In 2002 Cheng was asked to be the official Ocean Environment Ambassador. The Chief Secretary of HKSAR, Anthony Tsang presented the appointment letter. At the same press conference WWF also asked Cheng to be their Ambassador with a special interest in the marine environment. In this capacity he traveled to WWF's Whale Shark conservation site in 2007. TVB's Jade Channel aired the documentary.^[4]

2006 saw the publication of Cheng's first book, 'Looking Into Ekin's Eyes'.^[5][6] This book was very successful and is now in its third edition. In 2007 a Japanese version of the book was published.

Endorsements[link]

Cheng has been asked by numerous companies to endorse their products. The most notable are Canon IXUS,^[7] Seiko,^[8] Shiseido JS^[9] and HTC.^[10] In 2008, Kingsoft featured Cheng in their popular online game The First Myth 2 (封神榜II) as "Er Lang Shen" (二郎神) a character in the game.^[11]

Throughout his career Cheng has been featured in many magazines, and photo books, including an autobiography in Yes Idol Magazine (1997).^[12]

References[link]

External links[link]

• BMA's Official Website for Ekin / Ekin's Blog
• Ekin Cheng at the Internet Movie Database
• HK cinemagic entry
• Ekinpedia An online encyclopedia of Ekin Cheng

Nick Cheung
Chinese name	張家輝
Chinese name	張家輝 (Traditional)
Chinese name	张家辉 (Simplified)
Born	(1967-12-02) 2 December 1967 (age 44) Hong Kong
Spouse(s)	Esther Kwan (m. 2003–present)
Children	1
Awards Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actor 2009 Beast Stalker Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards Best Actor 2008 Beast Stalker Golden Horse Awards Best Actor 2009 Beast Stalker TVB Anniversary Awards Most Improving Actor 1998 Secret of the Heart

Nick Cheung Ka-fai (born 2 December 1967)^[1] is a Hong Kong actor. Cheung was a Royal Hong Kong Police officer^[2][3] for five years and changed his career as an actor with ATV. After a few years Cheung moved over to rival TVB.

Cheung met Hong Kong actress Esther Kwan while he was still working for ATV. The couple married on 8 November 2004 in Australia. Their daughter, Brittany Cheung (張童) was born on 24 January 2006.

Filmography[link]

TV series[link]

Feature Film[link]

Nick Cheung has won totally 7 prizes for Beast Stalker including Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor, Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor, Golden Horse Film Award for Best Actor etc.

Dubbing Roles[link]

Nick Cheung has also dubbed foreign films and Television programs into Cantonese Chinese.

This section requires expansion.

References[link]

• "Beast Within." Giant Robot Magazine Issue 63, 2009

External links[link]

• Nick Cheung at the Internet Movie Database
• Nick Cheung Ka-Fai at the Hong Kong Movie DataBase
• Nick Cheung on LoveHKFilm.com
• Nick Cheung at the Hong Kong Cinemagic

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. No cleanup reason has been specified. Please help improve this article if you can; the talk page may contain suggestions. (April 2011)

Zhao Wei
Zhao Wei in 2011.
Chinese name	趙薇 (Traditional)
Chinese name	赵薇 (Simplified)
Pinyin	Zhào Wēi (Mandarin)
Jyutping	Ziu6 Mei4 (Cantonese)
Born	(1976-03-12) 12 March 1976 (age 36) Wuhu, Anhui, China
Other name(s)	Vicki Zhao, Wei Zhao
Occupation	Actress, singer
Genre(s)	Mandopop
Years active	1993 – present
Spouse(s)	Huang Youlong (2008 - present)
Parents	Zhao Jiahai (father) Wei Qiying (mother)
Official Website	http://www.zhaowei.com.cn/
Awards Hundred Flowers Awards Best Actress 2010 Mulan MTV Asia Awards Favorite Artist, Mainland China 2006 Other awards Changchun Film Festival Best Actress 2006 A Time to Love 2010 Mulan Golden Phoenix Awards 2005 Society Award 2009 Special Jury Award Huabiao Awards Best Actress 2005 A Time to Love Shanghai Film Critics Awards Best Actress 2010 Mulan&14 Blades Shanghai International Film Festival Best Actress 2005 A Time to Love Most Attractive Actress 2007 The Longest Night in Shanghai

This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters.

Zhao Wei (born 12 March 1976) is a Chinese actress and pop singer. Audiences sometimes refer to her by her English name, Vicki Zhao (sometimes spelled Vicky Zhao).^[1] She has been awarded the Hundred Flowers Award, Shanghai Film Critics Award, Huabiao Award, Golden Eagle TV Award as well as Shanghai Film Festival Golden Globe, amongst others.

After being chosen to work as an extra on a filming set, Zhao developed a love 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 Chinese television series. In 1999, after Princess Pearl was broadcast, Zhao also began a singing career with her first album, Swallow. She is considered one of the "Four Young Dan actresses" in China (四小花旦), along with Xu Jinglei, Zhang Ziyi and Zhou Xun.^[2]

Zhao rose to international stardom in films such as Stephen Chow's Shaolin Soccer (2001), So Close (2002) and the epic Warriors of Heaven and Earth (2004). In John Woo's historical epic Red Cliff (2009), she played warrior princess Sun Shangxiang. She gained positive reviews from the Associated Press: "But the biggest surprise in the cast is Chinese actress Zhao Wei, who steals the show with her portrayal of Sun's spunky tomboy sister Sun Shangxiang."^[3] For her achievements in film, television, and music, Japanese media dubbed her China's No.1 actress,^[4] and UK's The Independent described her as "China's box office darling."^[5]

Early life[link]

Born and raised in Wuhu, Anhui, China, Zhao is the youngest of two children. Her parents are Zhao Jiahai (Chinese: 赵家海; pinyin: Zhào Jiāhǎi), an appliance designer, and Wei Qiying (Chinese: 魏启颖; pinyin: Wèi Qǐyǐng), a schoolteacher,^[6] and her brother is Zhao Jian (Chinese: 赵堅; pinyin: Zhào Jiān; born 1971). She graduated from Teachers’ College Elementary School (Shi Fan Fu Xiao) and Teachers’ College High School (17th Secondary School Shi Fan). Zhao studied dancing for 3 years,piano for 6 years. And her performance of Tibetan dancing was shown as part of a local TV spring festival celebration in 1994.^[7]

Zhao has claimed that she never planned to become famous, later explaining, "I thought actresses had to be beautiful, and I thought I was ordinary."^[1] When she was 17 years old, a filming crew arrived in Wuhu looking for extras for the film Hua Hun, starring Gong Li. After participating in the filming as an extra, Zhao decided she wanted to act, and left her hometown. She eventually enrolled in a new film arts school in Shanghai, founded by film director Xie Jin. At the age of 20, Zhao received first class results in her entrance exam to Beijing Film Academy's Performance Institute, graduating in 2000.^[8]

Career[link]

1993-1997[link]

Zhao received her first experience in front of the camera in 1990 when she was chosen to act as an extra in Hua Hun, a film starring Gong Li. In 1995, after completing her high school exams, Zhao quit the job, as a teacher of kindergarten. The same year, she was chosen by Xie Jin, founder of Xie Jin's Star Academy, to star in one of his movies, Penitentiary Angel. This was her first substantial acting role. Zhao did not find her own performance fulfilling, but considered it to be a valuable experience. "I was too young to understand the role," she said, "but if you've been cast in a film by a famous director, no matter how well you did, other less-famous directors will also want to cast you."^[1] Her score rank 1 in national art of acting examination when she entered the acting institute of Beijing Film Academy in 1996. As one of the most outstanding student in BFA, Zhao scored 5 you (A), 9 youliang (A-) of the 14 courses. Her Graduation thesis scored 90.^[9]

1998-2002[link]

After playing minor roles in various series and films, Zhao received her first leading role in a series called Sisters in Beijing. She was spotted by Taiwanese novelist Chiung Yao, who was looking for actors. Chiung Yao noted that Zhao was a little chubby but talented. By 1997, however, Zhao had lost some weight and was offered one of the leading roles in his television series Princess Pearl. Filming the series was an arduous task for Zhao and her co-stars; Zhao herself acknowledged the intensity of filming:

We shot 18 to 20 hours a day. There were two groups of actors. One shot during the day, one at night. Frequently I'd have to do both. A few times I worked so hard that I actually threw up from the exertion. But I was young then. I didn't get tired easily. And I never complained about the working conditions. I thought that's just how it was supposed to be. Now I know that's wrong. But at the time I had no clue. Whatever they'd give me, I'd do. And as soon as I was done working I could just fall asleep. They'd say, 'Go to sleep,' and I'd go right to sleep.

—^[1]

The hard work of the cast yielded unexpected results. After Princess Pearl was broadcast, it enjoyed the highest ratings in China^[1] and Zhao quickly rose to prominence.^[10] In 1999, she became the youngest actress to win the Golden Eagle Awards for "Best Actress."^[11] Zhao's performance received critical acclaim in Taiwan as well; Zhao was named one of Taiwan's "Top Ten Most Outstanding Individuals in Television Industry." After this, she continued to star in a number of successful television series and movies and released a number of commercially successful albums.^{[citation needed]} Chinese critics and media considered Zhao is the first entertainment culture idol in mainland China.^[12]

In 2000, Zhao starred in a romantic comedy television series Treasure Venture, alongside Taiwanese actor-singer Nicky Wu. However, Zhao soon felt that she had achieved all she could in television,^{[inconsistent]} so she went on to star in a few movies in Hong Kong. In 2001, she guest-starred in the box office hit Shaolin Soccer alongside Hong Kong actor and director Stephen Chow. Zhao played an unattractive steamed bun maker, which greatly differed from the glamorous image she had established for herself in previous roles. Zhao disliked her appearance in the movie, saying: "Have you seen it? I looked disgusting in it."^[13] However, Zhao felt that role was also a learning experience for her. "I wanted a challenge", Zhao stated in an interview, "and he really gave it to me. In China people think I'm cute; he didn't let me look cute. People say I have big eyes; he taped them down. My old characters were all kind of wild; here I was very subdued. Everything I did before, he reversed."^[1]

In 2001, Zhao filmed another series written by Chiung Yao titled Romance in the Rain. Zhao also participated in a romantic comedy called Chinese Odyssey 2002 as "Princess Phoenix." Zhao was nominated for "Best Supporting Actress" at the 39th Golden Horse Awards.^[14] In 2002, Zhao worked with actresses Shu Qi and Karen Mok in So Close.^[1] Although Zhao quit Chiung Yao's agency, the Taiwanese writer still said her favorite actresses are Brigitte Lin, Leanne Lau and Zhao, who successfully portrayed the classic characters of her novel adaption.^[15]

2003-2009[link]

Zhao at the Huabiao Awards, 2007

After filming Romance in the Rain, Zhao began to focus on filming movies. In 2003, Zhao starred in four films: My Dream Girl, Warriors of Heaven and Earth, Green Tea, and Jade Goddess of Mercy. Each film was critically acclaimed and presented Zhao in a different light.

After much speculation over who would receive the female lead in Ann Hui's film, Jade Goddess of Mercy, the lead role of An Xin was finally offered to Zhao, and her performance was well received by critics. In 2004, the 10th Movie Academic Society presented her the "Golden Phoenix Award" for her role.^[16] In TIME Asia magazine's review of the film, reviewer Bryan Walsh commented: "Despite plot twists that strain credulity, the film works, thanks mostly to Zhao's soulful performance as a cop torn between love, duty and motherhood. With her elfin stature, Zhao couldn't intimidate a jaywalker, but her convincing portrayal confirms her status as one of China's best actresses."^[17] On numerous occasions, Zhao told reporters about the respect she had for Ann Hui, the director of the film. In an article by Time Asia, Zhao recalled: "In the morning, when I'd come to the set, Ann would scrutinize my face and eyes to see if they were bright or dull. And she'd say, 'I can see you slept well last night.' She really understood the actors she was working with, as if we were precision instruments."^[1]

In 2004, Zhao was cast to dub the character Princess Fiona when Shrek 2 was released in China.^[18] She won the "Favorite Actress" award (the equivalent of a Best Actress award) at the 11th Beijing Student Film Festival for her performance in Warriors of Heaven and Earth,^[19] and was nominated for the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress, even though she only had 25 lines of dialogue in the entire movie.

2005 proved to be a successful year for Zhao after she won the Best Actress award at the Shanghai International Film Festival and tied with Zhang Ziyi for the Huabiao Award, the highest governmental award in the film industry.^[19] Both were for her performance in A Time to Love. Zhao once again won "Best Actress" for her performance in A Time To Love at The 8th Changchun China Film Festival in 2006.^[20] Zhao's performance in the film was also praised by film critics, with Derek Elley of Variety magazine writing "The ability of mainland Chinese actress (Vicki) Zhao Wei to transform even average material into something of interest illumines A Time to Love. Succulently lensed yarn about two childhood friends who finally get together well into adulthood is fairly standard Asian romantic fare -- given luster (and an emotional wallop in the final scene) purely by Zhao's gamine personality."^[21]

Finally, after a four year break from television series, Zhao starred as Yao Mulan in a remake of Lin Yutang's Moment in Peking. 80% of audiences preferred Zhao's portrayal of Yao Mulan over the previous actress's performance.^[22] Asia Times stated in a review that "Zhao Wei is graceful, elegant, and holds down the fort."^[23] She was ranked No. 4 on Forbes' 2006 China Celebrity 100 list.^[24] In June 2006, Zhao was selected by voters as the "Most Popular Mainland Actress" at the 2nd Top Chinese TV Drama Awards.^[25] Zhao selected as the "Most Beautiful Woman" in China (national voting by Sina.com & Sohu.com's users).^[26]

In 2006, Zhao was listed in People Magazine's '100 Most Beautiful People' in 2006.^[27] following her performance in Moment in Peking, Zhao starred in two more films. The first of these films, The Postmodern Life of My Aunt, premiered at film festivals around the world, including the Toronto International Film Festival. Her guest starring role in the film resulted in Zhao's second Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Golden Horse Awards and her first nomination as Best Supporting Actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards.^[28] Zhao then portrayed a taxicab driver in her 2007 film The Longest Night in Shanghai, starring alongside Japanese actor Masahiro Motoki and Taiwanese actor Dylan Kuo (郭品超).^[29]

In 2006, Zhao took an exam for a Masters' class in directing at her alma mater, Beijing Film Academy. After passing with flying colors, Zhao returned to Beijing Film Academy in September 2006 as a graduate student in the Directing Department. Currently, she is studying under the instruction of director Tian Zhuangzhuang.

Zhao's 2007 television series is titled Thank You for Having Loved Me. For her role in the series, Zhao received a salary of 100,000 yuan per episode.^[30] After three months of filming during the summer in Shanghai, the series was completed in September 2006. It was scheduled to be broadcast possibly by the end of 2006.^[31] In 2007, it was also announced that Zhao had been cast as Sun Shangxiang in John Woo's historical epic, Red Cliff.^[32] She received critics praise for her performance. Alliance of Women Film Journalists reviewed "John Woo's history epic features a great performances by actresses Wei Zhao as a heroic princess who refuses to let men do all the fighting in the battle to save the dynasty."^[33]

In 2008, Zhao played the role of Pei Rong in Gordon Chan's film Painted Skin, for which she received nominations at the Hong Kong Film Awards, Golden Rooster Awards and Asian Film Awards. On 6 August 2009, Zhao was elected the vice-president of China Film Performance Art Academy and executive member of the council of China Environmental Socitey.^[34]

In early 2009, she was cast to play the main role of Hua Mulan in Jingle Ma's film Mulan.^[35][36] Zhao gained her fourth Hong Kong Film Awards nomination for her performance in Mulan. Asia Weekly (Yazhou Zhoukan) said "Zhao's strong performance made the role full of vitality. ."^[37] Singapore's MovieXclusive.com said, "Thankfully, Ma doesn’t make a wrong casting choice for his lead actress. Mulan is anchored by a strong performance by Vicki Zhao Wei, the wide-eyed expressive star vividly portraying her character’s sorrow, anguish, fear and terror."^[38] She also starred in 14 Blades along with Donnie Yen, which was released in 2010. Zhao won her third Favorite Actress award at the Beijing Student Film Festival.

2010 - present[link]

On 11 April 2010, Zhao gave birth to a baby girl in Singapore.^[39] Zhao received the blessings of the media and her fans.^[40]

On 27 May 2010, the Shanghai International Film Festival announced that Zhao will be making her comeback as a judge on the panel,^[41] alongside John Woo, Leos Carax and other acclaimed actors.^[42] On 12 June 2010, Zhao attracted immense media attention and cheers from her fans throughout the day at the Shanghai International Film Festival, and she stated that she was pleased to see such a good turnout from the press.^[43] She was crowned Best Actress at the Shanghai Film Critics Awards, Hundred Flowers Awards and Changchun Film Festival for Mulan.

On July 19, 2011, the 20th Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival announced the Retrospective honoured actress, Zhao. The Retorspective will present Zhao's films for screen.^[44] On August 6, Zhao recruited as vice-president of China Television Actors Guild.^[45] In 2011, Zhao played a single mom in film LOVE, directed by Doze Niu. The mainland China-Taiwan co-produced film will open in Asia around Valentine's Day in 2012.^[46] The film's box office broke both of mainland China and Taiwan's Valentine's Day record.^[47] Derek Elley wrote "Zhao, looking slim-line and refreshed after her two-year maternal lay-off, handles both the comedy and romance with gusto".^[48]

Media[link]

Rumours and controversy[link]

As a result of her fame, Zhao has been a regular subject of tabloids. On 3 December 2001, a woman named Zou Xue published a picture of Zhao wearing a dress with a Japanese military flag on the cover of Fashion Magazine.^[49] The public saw it as a sign of disrespect toward government policy and offensive to the Chinese public, who are still sensitive over the Second Sino-Japanese War. Public outcry following the incident caused Zhao's relations with mainland Chinese audiences to become strained. On 9 December, the newspaper Beijing Evening News and network Sina.com published Zhao's apology letter to the nation,^[50][51] and on 17 December, Zhao again apologized on the TV show Entertainment Live, which was broadcast on 200 TV stations and 100 radio stations in China.^[52]

However, on 28 December 2001, at a concert, she was tackled by Fu Shenghua, a construction worker who said his grandparents had been killed during the war with Japan.^[53] Reflecting upon his actions, Fu told a Chinese magazine: "I know what I did wasn't right. But I believe my cause was just... As a famous Chinese person, she should have been aware of such an important event in Chinese history."^[1] Later, a Chinese newspaper, Beijing Youth Daily, published a special report after a two-month investigation and alleged that Fu had lied to the media, claiming that no one in his family had died during the war and that he was not a construction worker but instead had been unemployed for several years. The reporting journalist noted that it was difficult to have conversations with Fu due to his alleged extremist views. After this report was published, the hype surrounding the incident died down and the Chinese media seldom mentioned it again.^[54]

In 2004, Zhao was embroiled in further controversy when the same Zou Xue accused Zhao Wei of beating her while Zou was pregnant. Zhao and Zou had been business partners, together establishing the bar Z1 in Beijing.^[49] Zou claimed that Zhao had instructed her chauffeur to hit Zou after a business dispute between the two in July. At the time, Zou was eight months pregnant. In response, Zou filed a lawsuit demanding compensation in the amount of 2,246.6 yuan (US$272), as well as a public apology. Zhao denied hitting Zou.^[55]

After filing the lawsuit against Zhao, Zou welcomed attention from journalists, while Zhao ignored them. Zou further claimed that Zhao often used drugs with her friends at their bar, Z1. She told the press that Zhao was often vulgar and abusive toward her staff. In response, Zhao's brother, Zhao Jian, argued that Zou published the picture of his sister in the "Military Flag" dress as a direct attack against her.^[49]

During 2003-2004, a few of Zhao's movies, such as Green Tea, Jade Goddess of Mercy, and A Time to Love, failed to receive high box office earnings. Because of this, the media dubbed Zhao as the "bane of the box office", or "box office poison." When reporters confronted Zhao about this, she expressed discomfort and frustration. She commented:

I don't mind people saying I'm not good. I know my own weaknesses and limits, but I've always tried my best in what I do. To label me as the 'bane of the box office' just because the earnings of a couple of movies are not ideal is not fair. Besides, a movie's success does not depend on a single person. Hence, such talk is very biased and subjective. Anyway, this is not the first time, so I feel there's no need to respond to such baseless remarks.

—^[56]

Other work[link]

Alongside her acting career, Zhao has become actively involved in commercial work. In 2001, she was selected as one of China's Top Ten Most Popular Commercial Models, the culmination of her work for Red Earth and Amoisonic Mobile Phone. The same year, Zhao was ranked second on "China's Top 10 Artists for Advertisements" list.^[16] South Korean television network KBS ranked Zhao number one in China and Japan and number two in South Korea, crowning her "Commercial Queen in 3 countries."^[57]

On several occasions, Zhao has also been praised by the media for her sense of style. At the Lycra Channel Young Awards (now known as the China Fashion Awards), Zhao was chosen as the "Most Stylish Actress" in Mainland China.^[58] The same year, MTV China also selected Zhao as the "Most Stylish Asian Actress." Zhao also garnered another fashion award at the 2004 Pierre Cardin Awards.^[16] Zhao was awarded the "Most Stylish Female Artist" and "Most Stylish Actor" at the China Fashion Award (CFA) in 2005.^[59] In 2007, Zhao won her the third "Most Stylish Actor" in China Fashion Awards.^[60] The same year, she won Most Stylish Female Artist at the MTV China Style Gala.^[61]

Until 18 April 2011, Zhao is climbing up the ranks of the most followed microbloggers worldwide. Her fan count has exceeded 6 million, bringing her ever closer to American celebrities Ellen DeGeneres, Ashton Kutcher and Katy Perry, all of whom also recently surpassed the 6 million fan mark.^[62]

Personal life[link]

Zhao is a practicing Buddhist and vegetarian.^[63][64] China Daily reported that Zhao is one of few celebrities who has great handwriting in Chinese.^[65]. The Sohu.com in its Women Section,^[66] has reported that Zhao, is one who loves and believes in sustaining beauty from within the body system. This article in Sohu.com^[66] also captures Zhao's experiences in living a healthy lifestyle despite her busy schedules.

Relationships[link]

In 2004, Zhao ended her relationship with Wang Yu. When Wang began dating actress Huang Yi in 2005, it became a popular subject in the media,^[67] because Huang was selected to replace Zhao in her famed role as "Xiaoyanzi" in Princess Pearl 3 after Zhao turned the part down. The media often depicted a feud between the two actresses. Zhao herself has not expressed any regret regarding her relationship with Wang Yu. "After becoming an actor, I've gained a lot, but I also lost many things. I got a job that I like; I had many opportunities, and I also received many kinds of love."^[68]

On occasion, Zhao has discussed her love life with reporters. "I'm not anxious. I have several friends who are over thirty years old, and they are also unmarried. So there's really no hurry. Right now, my career comes first..." Zhao stressed that she will not give up her acting career even after she gets married, as acting is her passion. "If I stop acting, I will not have anything to focus on. Life will be so empty, and I definitely can't endure such emptiness. So, my would-be husband must understand me on this issue."^[56]

Pop divas Faye Wong and Na Ying are some of Zhao's best friends and the Chinese media dubbed them together as the "Queen Club (天后团)."^[69] After a party at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, Song Hye-kyo and Zhao also became friends.^[70]

Zhao married Singaporean businessman Huang You Long in 2008. The couple's daughter was born on 11 April 2010.^[71] In December 21, 2011, a French website reported that Zhao bought château Monlot.^[72]

Charity work[link]

Zhao has been actively involved in various causes. In 2002, she donated 100,000 yuan to China Youth Foundation's "Hope Project."^[73] In 2004, she set up a scholarship fund in Wuhu, her hometown. In 2005 she was appointed as a spokesperson and ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund and China Youth Concern Committee's "Awareness for Children Affected by AIDS" campaign; she also wrote the song "来得及的明天" (pinyin: lái dé jí dè míng tiān; literally "Still Time for Tomorrow") as the theme song for the campaign.^[74] In 2006, Zhao, along with her former classmate Chen Kun, was chosen to represent YALU, a fashion company. YALU had set up a fund of 5 million yuan to help the construction of new villages in China.^[75] Zhao attended a charity banquet in December 2006. The banquet, held in Beijing, raised money for the Smile Angel Foundation, an organization established by Zhao's friend Faye Wong.^[76]

The morning following the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, Zhao donating 100,000 yuan to China Red Cross.^[77] Soon afterward, she donated 500,000 yuan to China Children and Teenagers' Fund to construct a Spring Bude building School.^[78]

On 29 March 2010, Zhao donated 200,000 yuan to the Yunnan government, as Yunnan was suffering from the worst drought in half a century.^[79] On 17 April, the third day after Qinghai Yushu Earthquake, Zhao donated 200,000 yuan to the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation.^[80]

For Zhao's contribution to charity work, the China Charity Billboard Award honoured her.^[81]

Filmography[link]

Discography[link]

Ambassadorships[link]

• 2001 World University Games^[82]
• 2002 China Youth Development Foudation "Hope Project"^[83]
• 2002 All-China Eviroment Federation^[84]
• 2004 China Farmers Games^[85]
• 2005 UN's "Orphan and Vulnerable Children, Children Affected by AIDS Awareness."^[86]
• 2007 World Special Olympic Games^[87]
• 2007 China Foundation of Disabled Person "Lighting Acitivies"^[88]
• 2008 China Red Cross "Heart Project"^[89]
• 2009 China Flowers Expo^[90]
• 2010 Changchun Film Festival^[91]
• 2011 Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival^[92]

Awards & nominations[link]

In 1999, Zhao won a Golden Eagle Award for Best Actress for her breakthrough role "Xiaoyanzi" ("Little Swallow") in Princess Pearl (1999). She was the youngest actress to win an award in this category. Zhao won a Shanghai International Film Festival Golden Globet Award for Best Actress, a Huabiao Film Award for Outstanding Actress, a Changchun Film Festival Golden Deer Award for Best Actress for her critically acclaimed performance in A Time to Love (2005). Chinese critics considered her portrayal of the titular character in Mulan one of her best performances. Zhao also won a Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress, a Changchun Film Festival Golden Deer Award for Best Actress, a Shanghai Film Critics Award for Best Actress (for 14 Blades).

Zhao also has been nominated for numerous awards, including a Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress for Mulan (2009), and three Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress for The Postmodern Life of My Aunt (2006), Red Cliff (2008 / 2009), two Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actress for Chinese Odyssey 2002 (2002) and The Postmodern Life of My Aunt (2006). In addition, Zhao was nominated for an Asian Film Award for Best Actress and Golden Rooster Award for Best Actress for Painted Skin (2008).

As a pop singer, she won MTV Asia Award for Favorite Artist - Mainland China, and dozens of Chinese music awards for Favorite Female Artist. Angel's Suitcase (2007) highlighted Zhao's music career, won Top Chinese Music Chart Award for Best Female Vocal Performance and Music Radio Top Chart Award for Best Album.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Zhao Wei Official site
• Zhao Wei's Official Mini-blog
• Zhao Wei's Blog at sohu
• Zhao Wei International Net Family
• Vicki Zhao at the Internet Movie Database
• Soundunwound
• HK cinemagic entry
• Zhao Wei International's English Forum