Actor-turned-producer Daniel Wu promises that Chinese cinema's abutting aggressive arts hero will appear out of his studio. Liu Wei reports.
He may be one of China's best constant sex symbols, but amateur Daniel Wu, 37, has additionally played circuitous roles that accept put the spotlight on his acting talents rather than on his acceptable looks and squeaky apple-pie image. Such as the brigand in New Police Story who kills cops because his policeman ancestor does not affliction for him, or the bifold role of two brothers with adverse personalities in Night Corridor. In his latest assignment Overheard 2, a abomination abstruseness to be appear on Aug 18, he plays an avenger who places bombs on city streets and manipulates the banal market.
The University of Oregon architectonics major's abutting role, however, is alike added demanding.
The actor-turned-producer set up a studio, Diversion Pictures, with amateur Stephen Fung, beforehand this year, with the aggressive ambition of creating the abutting Chinese kungfu star.
Kungfu films are an basic and important allotment of Chinese cinema, he says, but Jet Li hardly fights now, and Jackie Chan is 57. We accept Donnie Yen, but he cannot be in all the kungfu films. We charge new blood.Wu worries that in approaching Chinese kungfu films will end up accepting close-up shots of stars who apperceive annihilation about aggressive arts and action sequences that are dubbed.How will our films be any altered from the Hollywood ones then? he says.
Fortunately, he and Fung accept begin a 22-year-old, who has never been on the big awning before, to advance Tai Chi, Diversion's aboriginal project.According to Wu, the adolescent man has won abounding kungfu contests and is an amazing actor. "I cannot affiance he will be the abutting Jet Li or Jackie Chan, but at atomic we are accomplishing something. If we do not try, annihilation will change.Huayi Brothers, which is partnering Diversion, will not absolution the name of the amateur yet.The easygoing actor's allure with kungfu goes aback to his childhood. Born in the United States to Chinese parents, Wu had few opportunities to see Asian idols on awning until his grandfathering took him to see Jet Li's Shaolin Temple back he was 7.
He was absorbed and began acquirements aggressive arts at 11, eventually founding the University of Oregon's wushu club in 1994 and confined as the team's aboriginal coach.Although his filmography has no kungfu film, he has never chock-full practicing aggressive arts."It is in my blood," he says.
He alike joins the professionals back he has the time, practicing with them for months. It was while training with a Shanghai aggregation in 2005 that he bankrupt the bond in his appropriate knee. "The drillmaster asked me why I formed so hard, because bodies as alpine as me (1.86 meters) tend to get aching accomplishing wushu," he recalls. "It happened on the aftermost day I was with them. I heard my bond breeze like a banknote stalk. I accomplished again that every being has his or her limits."He says he has no abjure about not arena the advance in a kungfu film, acquainted he has acquired abundant from the industry.
"One cannot demand everything," he says. "The actuality that I am actuality as an amateur is already a miracle."He says he never anticipation of acceptable an amateur back he landed in Hong Kong in 1997 afterwards backpacking about Asia for two years. He had spent all his money, $2,000, on the cruise and his sister, who formed in Hong Kong as a model, appropriate that he booty up clay as a part-time job.Director Yonfan approached him for his gay adulation adventure Bishonen (Japanese for "beautiful youth"), afterwards seeing one of his photos. At aboriginal Wu angry him down, assured of neither his acting nor his Cantonese.
But Yonfan would not let go. He kept calling him and told him he could absolutely do it, so he took the role, and soon, others followed."I accept been actual advantageous and accept acquired so abundant from the industry. It's time to accolade it," he says.
He intends to absorb added time and activity on his studio, and an bureau he has been active for several years to advice accomplished artists. Although he will abide acting, he says he will be added dainty about the projects he takes on.
The flat aims to aftermath 10 to 15 films in bristles years, targeting adolescent audiences, in the 15-25 age group.His bureau has six artists and artisan groups, including a hip-hop band, an actor, a rocker and a beheld furnishings specialist. What they allotment in accepted is that their works are generally accounted non-mainstream in Hong Kong."I demand to see a added adapted art arena in Hong Kong," Wu says. "That's why I adulation Beijing more, because actuality you see a array of everything, such as indie bands and the 798 art zone."
Although bearing a blur or announcement an artisan is added arduous than acting, Wu looks advanced to it.
"Actors aloof delay for roles, and accept to face the paparazzi," he says. "Now I can accept things I anticipate are appropriate and fun."
