Vicki Zhao 赵薇

Zhao Wei is a Chinese film actress and pop singer. Audiences sometimes refer to her by her English name, Vicki Zhao. She is one of the four most promising young film actresses in China (四小花旦), along with Xu Jinglei, Zhang Ziyi and Zhou Xun. After being chosen to work as an extra on a filming set, Zhao developed a passion for acting. While studying at Beijing Film Academy, Zhao participated in various film projects. Zhao's breakout role as a leading actress was in Princess Pearl, a television series.

In 1999, after Princess Pearl was broadcast, Zhao also began a singing career with her first album, Swallow. After her breakthrough, Zhao has been involved in numerous controversies about her personal and professional lives, including posing in a dress resembling a Japanese war flag.Throughout her career, Zhao has engaged herself in more varied roles, such as Lu Yiping in Romance in the Rain, a policewoman named An Xin in Jade Goddess of Mercy, the playful Qu Ran in A Time to Love, and the gentle, intelligent Yao Mulan Moment in Peking. She has also remained active in her music, recording several albums since her debut in 1999.


Stardom, 2003-present

In 2003, Zhao starred in four films - My Dream Girl, Warriors of Heaven and Earth, Green Tea, and Jade Goddess of Mercy. Each film was critically acclaimed and presented Zhao in a different role. One of these four films, Jade Goddess of Mercy, was directed by Ann Hui, a well-known director in Asia. It co-starred Nicholas Tse, a popular singer-actor from Hong Kong. In 2004, the 10th Movie Academic Society presented her the "Golden Phoenix Award" for her role in Jade Goddess of Mercy. In TIME Asia magazine's review of Jade Goddess of Mercy, reviewer Bryan Walsh commented: "Despite plot twists that strain credulity, the film works, thanks mostly to Zhao's soulful performance as a cop torn between love, duty and motherhood. With her elfin stature, Zhao couldn't intimidate a jaywalker, but her convincing portrayal confirms her status as one of China's best actresses."

In 2004, Zhao was cast to dub the character Princess Fiona when Shrek 2 was released in China. Further, she won the "Most Popular Actress" award (the equivalent of a Best Actress award) at the 11th Beijing Student Film Festival for her performance in Warriors of Heaven and Earth, even though she only had 25 lines of dialogue in the entire movie.

Zhao's newest television series is titled Thank You for Having Loved Me. For her role in the series, Zhao received a salary of 100,000 RMB per episode. After three months of filming during the summer in Shanghai, the series was completed in September 2006. It is scheduled to be broadcast possibly by the end of 2006. In 2007, it was also announced that Zhao had been cast as Sun Shangxiang in John Woo's latest blockbuster, Battle of Red Cliff.

Relationships
Throughout her career, the media have engaged in considerable speculation about Zhao's personal life, including relationships with several of her co-stars. However, Zhao has attempted to keep her relationships private. In 2001, Zhao broke up with her long-term boyfriend. As a result, Chiung Yao wrote her the song "Zuihou Yici Fenshou" (最后一次分手), directly translated as "The Last Separation." In 2004, Zhao ended her relationship with Wang Yu.

On occasion, Zhao has discussed her love life with reporters. "I'm not anxious. I have several friends who are over thirty years old, and they are also unmarried. So there's really no hurry. Right now, career comes first..."

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