Liu Yifei
Chinese actress (born 1987)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Liu Yifei (刘亦菲; born August 25, 1987) is a Chinese American[a] actress.[3] She has appeared multiple times on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list and was named one of the New Four Dan actresses of China by Tencent Entertainment in 2009.[4] She is known for her roles in Chinese TV shows such as The Story of a Noble Family, Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, Chinese Paladin, A Dream of Splendor, The Tale of Rose and Meet Yourself. She became known to international audiences as the titular character in the Disney live-action film Mulan.[5]
August 25, 1987
- China (before 2002)
- United States (after 2002)
Liu Yifei | |
|---|---|
Liu in 2017 | |
| Born | An Feng August 25, 1987 Wuhan, Hubei, China |
| Other name | Crystal Liu |
| Citizenship |
|
| Alma mater | Beijing Film Academy |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2002–present |
Early life
Liu was born on August 25, 1987[6] in Tongji Hospital in Wuhan, Hubei as An Feng (安风).[7] She is an only child. Her father is An Shaokang (安少康), who served as a first secretary of the Education Office of the Chinese Embassy in France and director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Paris VII.[8] Her mother is Liu Xiaoli (刘晓莉), a dancer and stage performer from Hubei. Her parents divorced when she was 10 years old, and she was raised solely by her mother. That same year, she adopted her mother's surname and changed her name to "Liu Ximeizi" (刘茜美子). Her godfather is Chen Jinfei (陈金飞), the Chairman of Beijing Tongchan Investment Group.[9][10]
In 1997, when Liu was 10 years old, she and her mother immigrated to the United States. She lived in Queens, New York City where she attended Louis Pasteur Middle School 67.[11] In 2002, she returned to China to pursue an acting career and took the stage name "Liu Yifei" (刘亦菲).[12] Several weeks after returning to China, Liu was accepted into the Performance Institute of Beijing Film Academy at age 15[8] and graduated in 2006.
Career
2003–2006: Rising popularity
Immediately after her admittance into the Beijing Film Academy, Liu received offers to star in various television series. Her first television appearance in 2003 was in the period romance drama The Story of a Noble Family (金粉世家), based on Zhang Henshui's eponymous novel.[13] The series achieved the highest ratings on CCTV, and positive reviews from the audience.[14][15] The same year, she was chosen by Zhang Jizhong to play Wang Yuyan in Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, an adaptation of Louis Cha's wuxia novel of the same title.[16] Liu's role as Wang Yuyan earned her the nickname of "Fairy Sister" in China, as the character is nicknamed in the show.[17]
In 2005, Liu starred in Chinese Paladin, a fantasy action drama adapted from the role-playing game The Legend of Sword and Fairy. The drama earned a cult following[18] and solidified her popularity in China.[19]
After the drama aired, Liu gained acclaim for her performance and swiftly experienced a surge in popularity.[20] The same year, she was chosen as the "Golden Eagle Goddess" at the 6th China Golden Eagle TV Art Festival.[21]
2008–2013: Transition to film
After achieving success in television, Liu then ventured onto the big screen. In 2007, she joined William Morris Agency (WMA) and was subsequently cast in her first Hollywood production, The Forbidden Kingdom.[22] She played Golden Sparrow, an orphan seeking revenge against her parents' killer.[23] Thereafter, she starred in romantic-comedy Love in Disguise (2010) with Taiwanese-American singer and actor Wang Leehom.[24]
In 2011, she starred in fantasy supernatural film A Chinese Ghost Story, adapted from Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio. The same year, she was cast as Wu Qing (Emotionless) in Gordon Chan's wuxia film The Four, adapted from Woon Swee Oan's novel series The Four Great Constables. She subsequently reprised her role in two other installments of the film series.[25][26]
Liu won the Best Actress award at the fifth Macau International Movie Festival for her role as Lingju and Diaochan in the historical film The Assassins (2012).[27]
2014–present: International collaborations and television comeback
In 2014, Liu collaborated with Korean actor-singer Rain for the romance film For Love or Money, based on Hong Kong novelist Amy Cheung's 2006 novel of the same name. Though it did reasonably well at the box office, the film was criticized for its storyline and production.[28]
Liu starred in The Third Way of Love (2015). Her performance in the film led to her win for the Most Anticipated Actress award at the 16th Chinese Film Media Awards.[29] The same year, she was named the first Chinese ambassador of Dior Prestige[30] and became the global ambassador of Tissot.[31]
I made a Xixi [Liu Yifei] film festival for myself, and saw her works have the shock moments in her performance. That convinced me that she would be perfect for the part [leading actress in "The Chinese Widow"]. When you have two actors like Xixi and Emile, you know they are so intelligent and so clever and so talented...
In 2016, Liu starred in romance film Night Peacock, a Chinese-France co-production directed by Dai Sijie.[33] She then starred in the youth romance film So Young 2: Never Gone.[34]
In 2017, Liu starred in romantic fantasy film Once Upon a Time by award-winning director Anthony LaMolinara and Zhao Xiaoding.[35] She also starred in the historical film The Chinese Widow directed by Bille August.[36] The film premiered at the Shanghai International Film Festival as the opening film, and Liu was nominated as Best Actress.[37] The same year, Liu reunited with White Vengeance co-star Feng Shaofeng in the fantasy comedy film Hanson and the Beast.[38]
In November 2017, Liu was cast as Mulan in the live-action adaptation of the 1998 Disney animated film, which was released in 2020 to mixed reviews.[5]
In December 2017, it was announced that Liu would star in the upcoming fantasy mystery television series, The Love of Hypnosis. This marked her first small-screen comeback in 12 years.[39]
In 2022, she won the Best Actress Award at the 13th Macau International Television Festival for her role as Zhao Paner in the costume drama "Meng Hua Lu"(梦华录).
Music
Liu signed with Sony Music Entertainment Japan in 2005.[40][41][42] She released her first Japanese single "Mayonaka no Door" with Sony Music on July 19, 2006. Her debut album Liu was released the next month in various parts of Asia such as mainland China, Hong Kong and throughout Southeast Asia, featuring a diverse music repertoire including rap and soft rock.[43] In the same year, Liu also released her Japanese album in which the single, "Mayonaka no Door" was chosen to be an ending theme for the anime series Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z by TV Tokyo.[44]
In 2020, she performed the Mandarin and English version of the song "Reflection" for the live-action Mulan.[45]
Politics
In August 2019, Liu reshared an image posted by Chinese newspaper People's Daily, an official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, during the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests.[46] The image quoted Fu Guohao, a Global Times journalist who had been searched, tied up, and beaten by protestors at the Hong Kong International Airport.[47]: 11–12 His statement during the attack, "I support the Hong Kong police; you can beat me now" had become a viral expression of pro-establishment support.[47]: 11–12 The image Liu reshared included Fu's quote and the phrase "What a shame for Hong Kong".[47]: 12 This sparked international controversy, with Liu being accused of supporting police brutality.[48][49] Following this, the hashtag #BoycottMulan started trending supporting a boycott of the movie.[50][51][52] In response to the controversy, Liu was not present at the 2019 D23 Expo, which gave fans an exclusive sneak peek of Mulan.[53] When asked about the controversy in February 2020, Liu stated: "I think it's just a very sensitive situation."[54]
During an interview with Variety magazine at the premiere of Mulan on March 10, 2020, Liu described herself as "Asian" instead of "Chinese", which caused anger among some Chinese social media netizens, who threatened to boycott the movie and accused her of forgetting her roots. They also questioned why a non-Chinese national was playing the "legendary Chinese icon".[55][56]
In March 2021, Liu cut ties with clothing brand Adidas over its support for the Better Cotton Initiative, an industry group that promotes sustainable cotton, after the trade body pulled out of Xinjiang, China citing concerns of forced labour involving Uyghur Muslims.[57]
Personal life
Liu is notably free of romantic gossip. Her only publicly known boyfriend was South Korean actor Song Seung-heon, with whom she collaborated on the film The Third Way of Love. In August 2015, shortly before the film's release in China, photos of the two on a date were revealed, and they soon admitted they were "dating with the intention of marriage." The couple reportedly split in late 2017, with Liu confirming their break-up in January 2018.[58]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Love of May | Zhao Xuan | |
| The Love Winner | Jin Qiaoli | [59] | |
| 2006 | Abao's Story | Xixi | Cameo[60] |
| 2008 | The Forbidden Kingdom | Golden Sparrow | |
| 2010 | Love in Disguise | Song Xiaoqing | |
| 2011 | A Chinese Fairy Tale | Nie Xiaoqian | |
| White Vengeance | Consort Yu | ||
| 2012 | The Four | Wu Qing | |
| The Assassins | Lingju / Diaochan | ||
| 2013 | The Four II | Wu Qing | |
| 2014 | The Four III | Wu Qing | |
| For Love or Money | Xing Lu | ||
| 2015 | Outcast | Zhao Lian | |
| The Third Way of Love | Zou Yu | ||
| 2016 | Night Peacock | Elsa | |
| So Young 2: Never Gone | Su Yunjin | ||
| 2017 | Once Upon a Time | Bai Qian / Si Yin / Su Su | |
| The Chinese Widow | Ying | ||
| Hanson and the Beast | Bai Xianchu | ||
| 2020 | Mulan | Hua Mulan | |
Television series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | The Story of a Noble Family | Bai Xiuzhu | |
| Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils | Wang Yuyan | ||
| 2005 | Chinese Paladin | Zhao Ling'er | |
| Doukou Nianhua | Xiao Zhao | Cameo | |
| 2006 | The Return of the Condor Heroes | Xiaolongnü | |
| 2020 | The Love of Hypnosis | Lu Mansheng | [61] |
| 2022 | A Dream of Splendor | Zhao Paner | |
| 2023 | Meet Yourself | Xu Hongdou | |
| 2024 | The Tale of Rose | Huang Yimei | [62] |
Discography
Albums
| Album information | Track list | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Title: Liu Label: Sony BMG Music Entertainment (Hong Kong) Limited Release date: August 31, 2006 |
|
Chinese album |
| Title: All My Words Label: Sony Music Entertainment Japan Release date: September 6, 2006 |
|
Japanese album |
Singles
| Album information | Track list | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Title: Mayonaka no Door Label: Sony Music Entertainment Japan Release date: July 19, 2006 |
|
Japanese album |
Soundtracks
| Year | English title | Chinese title | Album | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | I Want My Taste | 我要我的滋味 | N/a | theme song for Yili milk |
| 2011 | Lan Ruo's Lyrics | 兰若词 | N/a | theme song for video game A Chinese Ghost Story Online |
| Song of Chu | 楚歌 | White Vengeance OST | with Feng Shaofeng | |
| 2012 | Dreams Won't Die | 梦不死 | The Four OST | with Deng Chao, Ronald Cheng & Collin Chou |
| Waiting For Snow | 等雪来 | The Assassins OST | with Chow Yun-fat | |
| 2013 | Letting Go | 放下 | The Four II OST | |
| 2016 | Still Here | 还在这里 | So Young 2: Never Gone OST | with Reno Wang |
| 2017 | Three Lifetimes, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms | 三生三世十里桃花 | Once Upon a Time OST | with Yang Yang |
| 2020 | Reflection | 自己 | Mulan (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | Liu also sung this song in English |
Awards and nominations
Film awards
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 5th Macau International Movie Festival | Best Actress | The Assassins | Won | [63] |
| 2016 | 16th Chinese Film Media Awards | Most Anticipated Actress | The Third Way of Love | Won | [29] |
| 13th Guangzhou College Student Film Festival | Most Popular Actress | Night Peacock, Never Gone | Won | [64] | |
| 2017 | 9th Macau International Movie Festival | Best Actress | Once Upon a Time | Nominated | [65] |
| 2021 | 1st Critics' Choice Super Awards | Best Actress in an Action Movie | Mulan | Nominated | [62][66] |
| 34th Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Movie Actress | Nominated | [67] | ||
| 46th Saturn Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | [68] |
Television awards
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 35th Huading Awards | Best Actress in the Top 100 Chinese TV series | A Dream of Splendor | Nominated | [69] |
| 13th Macau International Television Festival | Best Actress | Won | [70] | ||
| 2023 | 3rd New Era International TV Festival Ammolite Awards | Best Ancient Costume Actress | Won | [71] | |
| 18th Seoul International Drama Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | [72] | ||
| 1st Golden Panda Awards | Best Actress in Leading Role | Nominated | [73] | ||
| 14th Macau International Television Festival | Best Actress | Meet Yourself | Won | [74] | |
| 2024 | 2nd CMG Annual Chinese TV Drama Ceremony | Actress of the Year | Nominated | [75] | |
| 2024 Weibo Vision Conference | Actor of The Year | The Tale of Rose | Won | [76] | |
| 2025 | 3rd CMG Annual Chinese TV Drama Ceremony | Actress of the Year | Won | [77] | |
| 2025 Television Directors' Conference | Actress of The Year | Won | [78] | ||
| 30th Shanghai Television Festival | Best Actress | Nominated | [79] | ||
Forbes China Celebrity 100
Notes
- Liu only holds United States citizenship.[1] China's nationality laws do not recognize dual nationality, and if a Chinese national acquires a foreign nationality, "they automatically lose Chinese nationality".[2] Her birthplace, family and early life are all covered in the "Early life" section.
