Xu Zheng (simplified Chinese:
Xu Zheng | |||||||
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Born | |||||||
Alma mater | Shanghai Theatre Academy | ||||||
Occupation(s) | Actor, director, screenwriter, producer | ||||||
Years active | 1996–present | ||||||
Spouse | |||||||
Children | 1 | ||||||
Awards | 'China Movie Channel Media Awards Favourite Actor 2009 One Night in Supermarket Beijing College Student Film Festival Favourite Director 2013 Lost in Thailand China Film Director's Guild Awards Best Actor 2014 No Man's Land Chinese American Film Festival Best Actor 2015 Lost in Hong Kong Changchun Film Festival Best Actor 2018 Dying to Survive | ||||||
Chinese name | |||||||
Traditional Chinese | |||||||
Simplified Chinese | |||||||
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Xu found fame with the TV series Sunny Piggy (2000), co-starring his future wife Tao Hong. He gained further recognition after other comedy TV dramas Li Wei the Magistrate (2001) and Love Through Different Times (2002), as well as comedy films Call for Love (2007) and Lost on Journey (2010). Xu has acted in most of Ning Hao's films including No Man's Land (2013) and Breakup Buddies (2014).
Xu ranked 38th on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list in 2013,[1] 68th in 2015,[2] 92nd in 2017,[3] 4th in 2019,[4] and 2nd in 2020.[5]
Biography
editGrowing up in Shanghai, Xu Zheng performed regularly in Children's Palace theatres. After graduating from Shanghai Theatre Academy in 1994, Xu portrayed mostly minor roles on television and film for years. His big break came in 2000 with the romance TV series Sunny Piggy, in which he portrayed the dimwitted protagonist Zhu Bajie.[6] Sunny Piggy received high ratings nationally, paving way for other popular TV dramas such as Li Wei the Magistrate (2001) and Love Through Different Times (2002).[7] Since appearing in Ning Hao's Crazy Stone (2006), Xu also began to turn more and more to comedy films, starring in Call for Love (2007) and One Night in Supermarket (2009). He also worked with Ning Hao again in Crazy Racer (2009) and No Man's Land (2013).
Xu had wanted to try his hands in filmmaking since acting was, in his words, "too passive".[8] After the success of the comedy road film Lost on Journey (2010), Xu invited his co-star Wang Baoqiang to join his directorial debut Lost in Thailand, a film with the same premise. However, as a first-time director, Xu had a difficult time selling his story, meeting with 3 different production companies before convincing Beijing Enlight Pictures to invest US$4 million. Huang Bo, Xu's good friend and frequent co-star in Ning's films, also joined the project. Released in December 2012, Lost in Thailand raked in over US$200 million from about 40 million people[9][10] to become the highest-grossing domestic film in China's history.[11] Shot mainly in Thailand, the film greatly boosted tourism to the country, and Xu even received a private meeting with the Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra in 2013.[12]
In 2014, Ning's comedy road film Breakup Buddies starring Xu and Huang Bo grossed over US$195 million to become the highest-grossing domestic film of the year. Xu's second directorial feature Lost in Hong Kong (2015), which he again starred in, co-wrote and co-produced, broke Lost in Thailand's Chinese 2-D film grossing record with US$250 million.[13]
Personal life
editXu Zheng first shaved his head while in college, and has been bald ever since.[6]
Xu married his Sunny Piggy co-star Tao Hong in 2002. They have portrayed a married couple in Unfinished Girl (2007) and Lost in Thailand. Other collaborations include Sky Lovers (2002 TV series), No Lonely Angels (2002 film), The Last Red Hot Lover (2005–06 theatre production), No Man's Land, and How Long Will I Love U. Tao also made a cameo in Lost in Hong Kong. Their daughter was born on December 30, 2008, in Beijing.[14]
Filmography
editFilm
editYear | English title | Original title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1989 | In One Married Year | 结婚 |
Tiantian | TV film |
1992 | Their Marriages | Xiao Sheng | ||
1998 | The Soul of the Sea | Xiaoman | ||
1999 | Something About Secret | 说出你的 |
Zhang | |
2002 | No Lonely Angels | Zhao | ||
2003 | A Surprise Victory | Sanduo | TV film | |
2006 | The Happy Fate of Love | Ding Zihan | TV film | |
Crazy Stone | 疯狂 |
Feng Hai | ||
2007 | Call for Love | 爱情 |
Xu Lang | |
Unfinished Girl | He Wei | |||
Crossed Lines | Dr. Sun | Segment 1: "The Misunderstanding" (误会) | ||
2008 | Fit Lover | 爱情 |
Xu Lang | |
2009 | Crazy Racer | 疯狂 |
Cemetery manager | |
One Night in Supermarket | He Sanshui | Also administrative producer | ||
Mars Baby | Ma Zhihao | |||
2010 | Lost on Journey | Li Chenggong | ||
The Swordman Dream | 嘻遊 |
Tang Sanju | ||
2011 | The Founding of a Party | Xu Shuzheng | Some scenes were deleted | |
Legend of a Rabbit | Crocodile bandit | Only has voice role | ||
2012 | Love in the Buff | Sam | ||
Meet the In-Laws | 搞定 |
Fan Jianqiang | Also the supervising producer | |
Lost in Thailand | Xu Lang | Also the director, co-producer, and co-writer | ||
2013 | Fake Fiction | Ou Dawei | ||
One Night Surprise | He Fengfeng | |||
No Man's Land | 无人 |
Pan Xiao | ||
2014 | The Great Hypnotist | Xu Ruining | Also the executive producer | |
Breakup Buddies | Hao Yi | |||
2015 | Lost in Hong Kong | Xu Lai | Also the director, co-producer, and co-writer | |
2016 | Xuanzang | Li Daliang | ||
2018 | A or B | Zhong Xiaonian | Also executive producer | |
Ash Is Purest White | Man from Karamay | |||
How Long Will I Love U | Noodle chef | Also the original story and producer | ||
Dying to Survive | Cheng Yong | Also the co-producer | ||
The Island | Cameo | |||
2019 | Crazy Alien | 疯狂 |
Alien | |
Robosaur Wars | ||||
My People, My Country | Director of Part 3: The Champion[15][16] | |||
2020 | Lost in Russia | 囧妈 | Xu Ivan | Also the director |
My People, My Homeland | Xiao Fan | Also the director[17][18] | ||
2021 | My Country, My Parents | Zhao Pingyang | Also the director of Part 3: AD MAN[19] |
Miniseries
editYear | English title | Original title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | It's So Good to Be In Love | Dou Ding | Sitcom | |
2010 | Unusually Crazy for Love | President Xu | Web sitcom | |
2018 | The Island | Web miniseries |
TV series
editYear | English title | Original title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1994 | Little Stories from the Orient | Bao Xuan | Episode: "Bao Xuan Gets Married" ( | |
1996 | Hu Xueyan | Huang Zuoqing | ||
1997 | Soaring to the Sky | 风生 |
Segment: "The Stock Market" ( | |
Zhou Enlai in Shanghai | Wang Ming | |||
1998 | Vicissitude of Shanghai | Tang Boye | ||
The Beauty of the Warring States | Shi Sha | |||
1999 | It's So Annoying at Home | Xiaogua | Sitcom | |
2000 | Red Dust from the Past | Li Xinzhi | ||
Sunny Piggy |
|
|||
2001 | Imperial Envoy of the 7th Grade | Zhou | ||
Li Wei the Magistrate | Li Wei | |||
2002 | Love Through Different Times | Zhu Yunwen | ||
Sky Lovers | Flatfish | Segment 5: "Sun Tanning" ( | ||
Daddy's Name is Hongqi | 爸爸 |
Feng Yong | ||
2003 | The Return to Shanghai Bund | Zhu Shijun | ||
The Eight Hilarious Gods: Sunü's Story | Lü Dongbin | |||
The Showroom Tales | 售楼处的 |
Deng Feng | Sitcom | |
2004 | Thirteen Sons of Heaven Bridge | Shi Yukun | ||
Li Wei the Magistrate II | Li Wei | Also the co-director; sequel to the 2001 series | ||
The Execution of Chen Shimei | Emperor Zhenzong only appears in flashbacks | |||
The Perfect Banquet | Zhang Dongguan | |||
My Way | Gym customer | |||
2005 | Thrice Revealing the Emperor's Edict | Fu Yingxing | ||
The Lucky Stars | Zhang Guolao | |||
2006 | Crazy King and General Iron | Hongzhou, Prince He | ||
To Live to Love | 长恨 |
Kang Mingxun | ||
2007 | Be a Man | Zhou Feng | ||
2008 | The Melody of Wedding | 结婚进行 |
Yao Xiang | |
Firewall 5788 | He Nian | |||
2009 | Distant Mountain | Commissioner Xie | ||
I'm a Boss | Xu Tianlai | |||
2010 | Run Daddy Run | Zhang San | ||
The Amateur Imperial Bodyguard |
|
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2012 | The Bachelor | Cao Xiaoqiang | ||
2017 | A Splendid Life in Beijing | Passenger | ||
2018 | The Drug Hunter | 猎毒 |
Wu Xiong |
Reality shows
edit- 2016: Twenty-Four Hours (
二 十 四 小 时) on Zhejiang Television - 2016: Lost in Food (
食 在 囧途) on Zhejiang Television - 2018: I Am an Actor (
我 就是演 员) on Zhejiang Television
Theatre
editA member of the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre, Xu was a stage star before finding fame in television and film. He starred in Chinese versions of The Liar (as Lelio), Long Day's Journey into Night (as Jamie), Much Ado About Nothing (as Antonio), and Art (as Serge), as well as many Chinese plays in both Mandarin and Shanghainese. He also directed at least 3 plays as early as 1998.[22][23] In 2005, he and Tao Hong starred in a 2-person play adapted from the Broadway comedy Last of the Red Hot Lovers, which caused a sensation in Beijing.[7] The couple subsequently performed the play over 30 times in 10 major cities, receiving overwhelming support everywhere that they canceled their holiday travel plans for more performances.[24]
Awards and nominations
editYear | # | Award | Category | Work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Film & TV | |||||
2008 | 29th | Hundred Flowers Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Crazy Stone | Nominated |
2009 | 6th | China Movie Channel Media Awards | Favourite Actor | One Night in Supermarket | Won |
2010 | 4th | Huading Awards (TV Drama) | Best Supporting Actor | I'm a Boss | Nominated |
2012 | 4th | TV Drama Awards Made in China | Best Actor | The Bachelor | Nominated |
2013 | 15th | Huabiao Awards | Outstanding Young Director | Lost in Thailand | Won |
9th | Huading Awards (Film) | Best New Director | Won | ||
20th | Beijing College Student Film Festival | Favourite Director | Won | ||
4th | Youth Film Handbook Awards | Best New Director | Won | ||
Best Actor | Nominated | ||||
4th | China Film Director's Guild Awards | Best Director | Nominated | ||
Best Screenwriter | Nominated | ||||
Best Actor | Nominated | ||||
2014 | 32nd | Hundred Flowers Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | |
5th | China Film Director's Guild Awards | Best Actor | No Man's Land | Won | |
2015 | 11th | Chinese American Film Festival | Best Actor | Lost in Hong Kong | Won |
2018 | 14th | Changchun Film Festival | Best Actor | Dying to Survive | Won |
55th | Golden Horse Awards | Best Actor | Won | ||
2019 | 13th | Asian Film Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | |
26th | Beijing College Student Film Festival | Best Actor | Won | ||
17th | Golden Phoenix Awards | Society Award | Won | ||
32nd | Golden Rooster Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | ||
Theatre | |||||
1998 | 10th | Magnolia Stage Awards | Best Actor | Color of Shares | Co-winner |
1999 | 3rd | Zuolin Drama Arts Awards | Best Actor | Won | |
2002 | 6th | Art | Won | ||
2008 | 12th | Brothers | Co-winner | ||
18th | Magnolia Stage Awards | Best Actor | Co-winner | ||
2011 | 15th | Zuolin Drama Arts Awards | Best Actor | Das Kapital | Nominated |
2nd | One Drama Awards | Best Actor | Won |
References
edit- ^ "2013 Forbes China Celebrity 100 List: Fan Bingbing in Top Spot". JayneStars. April 24, 2013.
- ^ "2015 Forbes China Celebrity List (Full List)". Forbes. May 13, 2015.
- ^ "2017 Forbes China Celebrity List (Full List)". Forbes. September 22, 2017.
- ^ "
福 布 斯中国 发布100名人 榜 吴京黄 渤胡歌 位 列 前 三 ". Sina (in Chinese). August 20, 2019. - ^ "
福 布 斯中国 发布2020名人 榜,00后 少年 易 烊千玺荣登榜首". Forbes China (in Chinese). August 27, 2020. - ^ a b Meng Jing (2010-07-22). "Comedian Celebrates Novel Way to Get Ahead". China Daily. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
- ^ a b "Xu Zheng: The Most Busy Entertainer". CCTV News. 2007-10-29. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
- ^ Yu, Evelyn (2015-08-11). "China's King of Comedy". China Daily Asia. Retrieved 2015-11-05.
- ^ Young, Deborah (2013-02-11). "Lost in Thailand (Ren zai jiongtu zhi tai jiong): Berlin Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2019-09-04.
- ^ Chan, Kelvin; Chen, Angela (2013-03-29). "'Lost In Thailand': Xu Zheng Says China's Biggest Film Focused On Simple Life". Associated Press. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
- ^ Zhou, Raymond (2013-01-13). "A Movie that Moves". China Daily. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
- ^ Brzeski, Patrick (2013-03-22). "Chinese Director Xu Zheng Kicks Off Controversy With Casual Wear". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2015-04-30.
- ^ Ma, Kevin (2015-10-06). "Lost in Hong Kong sets China 2-D record". Film Business Asia. Retrieved 2015-11-04.
- ^ "First Online Photos of Tao Hong and Xu Zheng's Baby Girl". China Radio International. 2009-01-03. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
- ^ ""
我 和 我 的 祖国 "七大导演首曝时尚大片 陈凯歌 徐 峥宁浩 管 虎 强强 联手献 礼 建国 70年 ". Mtime (in Chinese). April 25, 2019. - ^ "
徐 峥搭档吴京 !《我 和 我 的 祖国 》曝"夺冠"角 色 海 报". Mtime (in Chinese). August 27, 2019. - ^ "《
我 和 我 的 家 乡》官 宣 主演 阵容". Mtime (in Chinese). August 7, 2020. - ^ "《
我 和 我 的 家 乡》徐 峥单元 曝光海 报,范伟杨紫王 俊 凯等出演 ". Beijing News (in Chinese). September 9, 2020. - ^ "《
我 和 我 的 父 辈》主 创:这是一 场4×100的 接 力 赛" (in Chinese). The Paper. 2021-10-02. Retrieved 2021-10-07.徐 峥已经是第 三 次 参与 "我 和 "系列 电影的 创作,《鸭先知 》也一直延续了他的小市民喜剧的风格 - ^ Xu Zheng at douban.com
- ^ Xu Zheng at chinesemov.com
- ^ Adam, Frank (January 1996). "The Double Life of Shanghai Theatre". American Theatre. Retrieved 2015-04-23.
- ^ "
演 员俱乐部:徐 峥 (Actor's Club: Xu Zheng)". Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre (in Chinese). Retrieved 2015-04-23. - ^ Ma Yingying (2006-01-11). 话剧《
最 后 一 个情圣》春 节封箱 演出 (Last Performances of the Play The Last Red Hot Lover During Spring Festival). China Times (in Chinese). Retrieved 2015-04-23.