Wei Zi

Wei Zi (; born January 1956) is a Chinese film and television actor.

Early life Born and raised in Ningxia, he was originally named Wang Wei .

Education He graduated from the Ningxia College of Art in 1978 and was assigned to the Ningxia Repertory Theatre the same year.

In 1985, he was accepted to the Central Theatre Academy. It was one of the two higher educational institutions of modern theatre in entire China and highly professional coming only second to the Shanghai Theatre Academy.

In January 1989, Wei Zi was admitted to Beijing People's Art Theatre, a first-rate national theatre company of China where he was recognized as a National Class-A Actor (国家一级演员). He left BPAT in 1994.

Career

Early work For his 1988 university graduation, it was required for the students to perform in a play entitled "Stories of Mulberry Village" based on Zhu Xiaoping's three novellas about hardship and struggles in a village in Northern China. Wei played the role of a lunatic farmer and received the highest score for his performance. Later the play went public and unprecedentedly was a huge success. People's Daily described it as "Turning a New Leaf of China's Modern Theatre" and senior authorities such as drama master and Beijing People's Art Theater president Cao Yu and vice-president of the Chinese Film Artists' Association Chen Huangmei who seldom seen in public events attended the performance. Wei was and won the Plum Blossom Award for the best performer in 1988.

Wei's first appearance in front of the camera dates back to 1989 when he acted in the "Ballad of the Yellow River", a film by the famous director Teng Wenji which describes the past lives of the people living along the old course of the Yellow River. It won the Best Director Award in the 14th Montréal World Film Festival . Their cooperation continued in 1996 with "The Conqueror" and "The Story of Xiangxiang" and again in 2005 with another Montréal World Film Festival nominee "Sunrise, Sunset".

Other activities In 1992 he starred in his second movie "The Scientist Jiang Zhuying", a biographical based on the true life of Jiang Zhuying for which he was nominated for a best actor award at the Golden Rooster Awards. The film itself was awarded the Best Feature Film Prize by the Ministry of Radio, Film, and Television . The same year Wei Zi appeared in his first TV drama entitled "Qing Man Zhu Jiang". In 1994 he was nominated again for the best actor award at the Golden Rooster Awards for his notable performance in the movie "Stay in the Village".

In 2000, China Central Television (CCTV) decided to produce a mainland adaptation of one of Jin Yong's Wuxia novels entitled The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. Wei Zi was offered the role of the negative character of the novel Yue Buqun because the director Huang Jianzhong believed that he was the only one who could perform that difficult character very well . At first Wei Zi showed no interest in it since it was a martial arts themed project but agreed to read the script. Upon reading the scenario he noticed the dual characteristics of the hypocrite Yue Buqun who was wearing a gentleman's face while a devil was hidden inside him. Wei Zi found this a challenging role and finally expressed his acceptance of doing it. His successful development of the character was received quite well by both the audience and the critics and paved the way more for his further presence in the TV dramas. "The Great Dunhuang", "The Red Merchant Hu Xue Yan", "Thrill", "Betrayal", "The World's First Restaurant" and "DA Division" are some of his other notable series in the 21st century.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1989 Huanghe Yao黄河谣 Danggui 1993 The Scientist Jiang Zhuying蒋筑英 Jiang Zhuying 1994 Xiangxiang Renews Oil Vender香香闹油坊 He Dawang 1994 Conqueror征服者 1994 The Day the Sun Turned Cold天国逆子 Lover 1994 Stay in Village留村察看 Jian Zheng 1998 Green Snake Assassin青蛇杀手 2005 Sunrise, Sunset日出日落 2006 Winter Waltz冬天的华尔兹 2013 Crimes of Passion

Television Year Title Role Notes 1992 Qing Man Zhujiang情满珠江 Lin Bicheng 1994 Fei Jia You Nü费家有女 1995 Beijing Shenqiu De Gushi北京深秋的故事 also known as Dushi Ping'an Ye (都市平安夜) 1997 Thousand Years百年沉浮 Pei Yijiang 1998 Shanghai Cangsang上海沧桑 Tang Tongshu 1998 Fengyu Aomen风雨澳门 Li Jinyun 1999 Bairi Zhuizong百日追踪 Wei Bingnan 1999 Meiyou Jiayuan De Linghun没有家园的灵魂 Zhang Shaojie 1999 Shengsi Jiaoliang生死较量 Yang Yisong 2000 Laughing in the Wind笑傲江湖 Yue Buqun 2001 Betrayal背叛 Song Yikun 2001 Soft Pitfall温柔陷阱 Zhang Dawei 2001 Feichang Jiechu非常接触 Lei Heping 2002 DA ShiDA师 Zhao Ziming 2002 Days of Passion and Spirit激情岁月 Wei Yanzhou 2002 The Price of Glory刺虎 Yongzheng Emperor 2003 Wolong Xiao Zhuge卧龙小诸葛 2003 Hong Qi Pu红旗谱 Feng Guitang 2003 Changping of the War铁血长平 Bai Qi 2003 The World's First Restaurant天下第一楼 Lu Mengshi 2004 Lihun Zai Hun离婚再婚 also known as Nüren Buhao Re (女人不好惹) 2004 The Red Merchant Hu Xueyan红顶商人胡雪岩 Hu Xueyan 2005 Blossom of Hibiscus Flowers芙蓉花开 Su Shilong 2005 The Great Dunhuang大敦煌 Liang Moyan 2005 Fanhei Shiming反黑使命 2005 Undercover Swordsman剑出江南 Prince of Ning 2006 Weixian Guanxi危险关系 Su Shilong 2006 Chuan Zheng Fengyun船政风云 Shen Baozhen 2006 Xuese Shaji血色杀机 2006 Xuese Nianhua血色年华 2007 Wang Zhaojun王昭君 Shepherd 2007 Shanghai Wang上海王 Chang Lixiong 2007 Qinhuai Beige秦淮悲歌 Qian Muzhai 2007 Menghui Chun Gu梦回春谷 Master Xie 2007 Xuanfeng Bao旋风暴 Yan Zhanfei also known as Canghai Yingxiong (沧海英雄) 2007 Thrill心跳 Zhou Zhilong also known as Zhenfeng Xiangdui (针锋相对) 2007 Juechu Fengsheng绝处逢生 also known as Chun Xia Qiu Dong (春夏秋冬) 2008 Lang Yan狼烟 Zhongtian Yingxiu 2008 Tai'an Tang Yu Jing Chuanqi太安堂玉井传奇 Ke Yujing 2008 Qiongtu Molu穷途末路 Zhang Shaojie 2008 Xiongbing Chuji雄兵出击 also known as Tejing Xiongfeng (特警雄风) 2008 Jinqu禁区 Xu Hangzhou 2009 Tie Lihua铁梨花 Zhao Yuangeng 2009 Dixia Dishang地下地上 Xu Yinchu 2010 Jiang Jun将·军 Guo Jingyu 2010 Shangri-La香格里拉 Lecangduoji 2011 Journey to the West西游记 Jade Emperor 2012 Chinese Traditional Magic大戏法 Shen Wankui 2013 Dagougun打狗棍 Dai Tianli

Notable stage performances Stories of Mulberry Village 《桑树坪纪事》 (1988) Tiger Tally 《虎符》