Biography
Who is Tang Wei?
Early life and education
Tang Wei was born on October 7, 1979, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. Her father, Tang Yuming, is a painter, while her mother, Shi Xifeng, works as a Yue opera actress. Because of her father's employment, she lived in Shenzhen, Guangdong, from 1992 until 1994.
She attended a vocational school in Hangzhou to study fine arts and graduated in 1996. After completing her studies, she worked as a model. Tang Wei later pursued acting, and though she failed three attempts to enter the Central Academy of Drama, she was admitted to their directing program in 2000 on her fourth try.
How Tang became famous
While studying at university, she worked in a production of the play A Dream Like a Dream. This role continued until she was selected for the 2007 film Lust, Caution. Out of more than 10,000 candidates, she was chosen by Ang Lee for this part. She learned both Suzhou Pingtan and Shanghainese to prepare for the role.
Her performance in Lust, Caution earned her a Golden Horse Award for Best New Performer. However, the Chinese government issued a media ban against her due to the explicit nature of the movie. She returned to the screen in 2010 with the film Crossing Hennessy, which marked the end of that ban.
Career highlights
Tang Wei has appeared in many successful films such as Late Autumn, Finding Mr. Right, and The Golden Era. She also starred in the 2022 mystery-romance Decision to Leave. She is the first non-Korean actor to win Best Actress at the Baeksang Arts Awards multiple times, along with honors from the Blue Dragon Film Awards and Chunsa Film Art Awards.
Her filmography includes the martial arts movie Dragon and the action thriller Blackhat. She has also worked in the historical drama Empress of the Ming and the film Wonderland. In 2008, she was ranked 72nd on the Forbes China Celebrity 100 list, later reaching 38th in 2014.
Brand endorsements and fashion
As a model and actress, she represents several luxury brands. She has served as a global ambassador for the skincare brand SK-II since 2015. Tang Wei is also a global spokesperson for the watch brand Rado and the jewelry brand Lola Rose. Also, she works with the fashion house Loewe and the luxury brand Burberry.
She has been a global face for Piaget's rose jewelry and the makeup brand Charlotte Tilbury. Her work in fashion includes several campaigns for Loewe, such as the Year of the Rabbit Collection. She also serves as a brand ambassador for the Swiss brand Chopard.
Birthday and age
Tang Wei was born on October 7, 1979, which makes Tang 47 years old today. That birthday falls under the Libra sign. Tang shares the date with 38 other famous people.
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