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Zhao Wei

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Zhao Wei, also known as Vicky or Vicki Zhao, is a prominent Chinese actress, singer, filmmaker, and businesswoman. She is widely recognized as one of China's "Four Dan" actresses, a term for top-tier female stars. Her career spans television, major motion pictures, and film direction. Zhao has also established herself in the business world as the second largest shareholder of Alibaba Pictures.

Zhaoweiredcarpet
Zhaoweiredcarpet

Zhao's journey into the arts began with a small, non-speaking role in the 1994 film *A Soul Haunted by Painting*. This experience inspired her to pursue professional training. After graduating from Wuhu Normal School, she moved to Shanghai to attend the Xie Jin-Hengtong Star Academy. She later achieved academic excellence at the Beijing Film Academy. In 1996, she entered the academy with the highest entrance examination score in the country. She graduated in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in performing arts, scoring 90 out of 100 on her thesis.

Her rise to stardom was driven by the 1998 television series *My Fair Princess*. In this production, she played the title role of Huan Zhu Ge Ge, also known as Xiao Yanzi. The character was a rebellious and funny princess who challenged palace rules. The series became a massive sensation across mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asian countries like Singapore and Vietnam. In 1999, Zhao became the youngest actress to win the Golden Eagle Award for Best Actress. While she became a national idol, the role also faced criticism from some who felt the character was a bad influence on children.

Following her success in television, Zhao transitioned into a diverse film career. She demonstrated her range by playing a tai chi-master steamed bun-maker in the comedy *Shaolin Soccer* in 2001. She also appeared in the historical epic *Red Cliff* (2008–2009), which was the most expensive mainland Chinese production at that time. In 2009, she portrayed the legendary character Mulan. This role earned her the Best Actress Award at the 10th Changchun Film Festival and the 30th Hundred Flowers Awards. Her acting has consistently earned her high honors, including a Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress for the film *Dearest* in 2014.

Zhao also expanded her expertise into film direction. She returned to the Beijing Film Academy as a postgraduate student in 2006 to study under director Tian Zhuangzhuang. She graduated in 2012 with an MFA in film directing, earning a dissertation score of 99 out of 100. Her directorial debut, *So Young* (2013), was a major commercial and critical success. It became the first film by a female director to break the 100 million yuan mark in China during its opening weekend. The film eventually earned over 700 million yuan at the box office.

Director Zhao Wei filming second feature
Director Zhao Wei filming second feature

Beyond her creative work, Zhao has maintained a significant presence in the business and celebrity sectors. She has released seven albums as a singer and has held high rankings on the Forbes China Celebrity 100 list. Her ranking on this list fluctuated significantly, moving from 80th in 2013 to 7th in 2015, before dropping to 28th in 2017. On June 3, 2015, she reached a major international milestone. She became the first Chinese actress to leave handprints and footprints at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

Zhaoweihandprints
Zhaoweihandprints

Zhao's career has also involved leadership roles within professional organizations. In 2009, she was elected vice-president of the China Film Performance Art Academy. She also became an executive member of the council of the China Environmental Society. However, her public career faced a major shift on August 27, 2021. At that time, the Chinese government blacklisted her, resulting in most of her content being removed from the Chinese Internet.

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