Liu Xiaoqing

Liu Xiaoqing (born 30 October 1950 ) is a Chinese actress and businesswoman. One of the leading actresses in China in the 1980s, she is known for her roles in the films The Little Flower, Reign Behind a Curtain (1983), The Burning of Imperial Palace (1983), Hibiscus Town (1986) and in the TV series Wu Zetian (1995).

Biography In her early days Liu worked as a farm labourer, a propagandist for the People's Liberation Army and then a stage actor for the Chengdu Military Drama Group.

Liu rose to national fame in a series of Chinese films such as The Great Wall of the South China Sea (1976), Her star power reached new heights when she portrayed the ruthless Qing dynasty Empress Dowager Cixi in Chinese-Hong Kong co-produced epics The Burning of the Imperial Palace (1983) and Reign Behind the Curtain (1984), directed by Li Han-hsiang. During the back-to-back shooting of the film series, in response to the unprecedented publicity and scrutiny as a movie star in newly opened China, Liu published a 30,000-character autobiography titled I Did It My Way in a magazine in 1983, which included her famous quote: "Being a person is hard; being a woman is harder; being a famous woman is even harder; and being a single famous woman is the hardest of all." Her autobiography sparked a major debate on "individualism" in Chinese society at the time, was translated into 14 languages, and distributed worldwide. Liu also became a member of the China Writers Association as a result.

Liu later reprised the role of the Empress Dowager Cixi in two unrelated films, including Li Lianying: The Imperial Eunuch (1991). She won Best Actress at the Hundred Flowers Award for her role as Hua Jinzhi in The Savage Land, filmed in 1981 but not released until 1987, She holds a record for having won the most number of awards in the actress categories of the Hundred Flowers Award, with three Best Actress and one Best Supporting Actress.

Since the 1990s, she had shifted from acting to a successful business career. She became one of the richest people in China, appearing at 45 on Forbes' list of the 50 richest Chinese businesspeople in 1999. She promoted her success by publishing a book titled From A Movie Star to A Billionaire. However, in 2002, she was arrested for tax evasion in connection with her company, Beijing Xiaoqing Culture and Arts Company Ltd., After her release, she made a comeback to the entertainment industry. From 2005 to 2008, she performed in a stage play, The Last Night of Tapan Chin, in China and Taiwan.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1975 The Great Wall of the South China Sea南海长城 Tiannü 1976 Thank You, Comrades Yang Jie 1977 Spring Songs春歌 Li Cuizhi 1979The Little Flower 小花He Cuigu 1979 What a Family瞧这一家子 Zhang Lan Hundred Flowers Award for Best Supporting Actress 1979 Wedding婚礼 Sheng Min 3rd place - Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress 1980 Mysterious Buddha神秘的大佛 Meng Jie 1980 The Little Flower小花 He Cuigu, Yongsheng's mother Wenhui Award for Best Actress2nd place - Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress 1981 The Savage Land原野 Hua Jinzi Hundred Flowers Award for Best ActressNominated - Golden Rooster Award for Best Actress 1981 The Invisible Web潜网 Luo Xuan 1981 Xu Mao and His Daughters许茂和他的女儿们 Xu Zhen 1982 Deep at Heart心灵深处 Ouyang Lan 1983 The Burning of the Imperial Palace Empress Dowager Cixi 1983 Reign Behind the Curtain垂帘听政 Empress Dowager Cixi Nominated - Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress 1984 Hibiscus Town芙蓉镇 Hu Yuyin Golden Rooster Award for Best ActressHundred Flowers Award for Best Actress 1984 Ormosia from the North北国红豆 Lu Yunzhi 5th place - Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress 1984 San Bao in Shenzhen三宝闹深圳 Manager 1985 The Ruthless Lover无情的情人 Namei Qincuo also producer 1986 A Wild Field Hua Jinzi Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress 1987 Chuntao春桃 Chuntao Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress 1987 The Imperial Cannon Team大清炮队 Feng Yushu also producer 1988 A Dream of Red Mansions (parts 1 & 2)红楼梦 Wang Xifeng 1989 A Dream of Red Mansions (parts 3-6)红楼梦 Wang Xifeng 1989 The Empress Dowager一代妖后 Empress Dowager Cixi also titled Xi Taihou (西太后) 1991 Li Lianying: The Imperial Eunuch大太监李莲英 Empress Dowager Cixi 2004 Plastic Flower春花开 Xie Chunhua 2010 Rang Ai Huijia让爱回家 Female cop 2011 Legendary Amazons杨门女将之军令如山 Princess Chai 2012 37 2012 The Monkey King: Uproar in Heaven 2015 Mojin: The Lost Legend 2016 For a Few Bullets 2016 Air Strike 2019 The Eight Hundred 八佰 Sister Rong 2019 Spy Wolf Chameleon

Television Year Title Role Notes 1992 Fenghua Juedai风华绝代 Chunni 1993 Xin Bao Qingtian Zhi Yinglie Qianqiu新包青天之英烈千秋 1995 Wu Zetian武则天 Wu Zetian 1996 Huoshao Efang Gong火烧阿房宫 Princess, Innkeeper, Mrs Yu also producer 1998 Tao Zhi Lian逃之恋 Xiaofengxian also producerNominated - Golden Eagle Award for Best Actress 2000 Huang Sao Tian Guihua皇嫂田桂花 producer 2001 Huo Fenghuang火凤凰 (various roles) also producer 2002 Where the Legend Begins洛神 producer 2003 281 Feng Xin281封信 Fang Meihui also producer 2003 Hero During Yongle Period永乐英雄儿女 Jinniang 2003 Jiangshan Meiren江山美人 Empress Dowager Meng also titled Da Song Bei Ge (大宋碑歌) 2003 Changhe Dongliu长河东流 Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang also titled Shei Zhu Chenfu (谁主沉浮) 2004 Huanle Sangtian欢乐桑田 Magu 2004 Wo De Xiongdi Jiemei我的兄弟姐妹 Ailian 2004 Lotus Lantern宝莲灯 Queen Mother of the West 2004 Jingcheng Si Shao京城四少 Ninth Aunt 2005 Hui Niang Wan Xin徽娘宛心 Mrs Wu 2005 Ayou Zhengzhuan阿有正传 Zhen Gege 2006 The Shadow of Empress Wu日月凌空 Wu Zetian 2006 Chao Lin Jie超临界 Lu Yan 2007 Jiazu Rongyu家族荣誉 Duan Huijun 2007 Wang Zhaojun王昭君 Lady Guan 2008 Nüren Heku Weinan Nüren女人何苦为难女人 Zhang Yuying 2008 Lotus Lantern宝莲灯前传 Queen Mother of the West 2008 Yunxiu云袖 Liang Yunxiu 2008 Chengjiang Qingyuan澄江情缘 Liu Guiying 2009 Ning Xiang Jie凝香劫 Tang Mu 2009 Xu Beihong徐悲鸿 Jiang Biwei 2010 Hong Meigui Hei Meigui红玫瑰黑玫瑰 Song Dachuan 2011 Heroes of Sui and Tang Dynasties 1 & 2隋唐英雄 Empress Xiao 2011 Secret History of Empress Wu武则天秘史 Wu Zetian (middle age) 2011 Yangnü养女 Liu Jianying 2014 Heroes of Sui and Tang Dynasties 3 & 4 Ouyang Feiyan