Jiang Wen

Wen worked across actor, screenwriter, film director, film actor and singer and 3 further recorded occupations. This article rests on 1 catalogued composition, 1 published texts and 6 scholarly references drawn from named institutional registers. Every statement below returns to a source shown in the evidence panel; where the record is silent or divided, the article says so instead of resolving it.

Jiang Wen studied at Central Academy of Drama. The recorded working language is Standard Chinese and Chinese. The field of work recorded is acting, film direction and film screenwriting. Positions recorded include member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Distinctions recorded are Golden Horse Award for Best Director, China Film Director's Guild Award for Best Director, Prix France Culture Cinéma and Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actor.

• Native Name — 姜文 • Birth Name — Jiang Xiaojun • Born — 5 January 1963 • Birthplace — Tangshan, Hebei, China • Education — Central Academy of Drama • Occupation — Actor, screenwriter, film director • Years Active — 1986–present • Children — 3 • Parents — Jiang Hongqi (father) Gao Yang (mother) • Relatives — Jiang Wu (brother) Jiang Wen (born 5 January 1963) is a Chinese actor and filmmaker. He directed and starred in films such as In the Heat of the Sun (1994), Devils on the Doorstep (2000), The Sun Also Rises (2007), and Let the Bullets Fly (2010). He is also known for his roles in television series A Native of Beijing in New York (1992) and in films Hibiscus Town (1986), Red Sorghum (1988), and Rogue One (2016). He is brother of actor Jiang Wu.

Jiang was born in Tangshan to a family of military personnel. He relocated to Beijing at the age of ten. In 1973, he attended Beijing No. 72 Middle School, where he studied alongside Ying Da. In 1980, he entered the Central Academy of Drama and graduated in 1984.

After graduation, Jiang was assigned to China Youth Art Institute as an actor. That same year, he started acting both on the stage at the China Youth Theater and in films. Jiang's debut role was in the film The Last Empress, portraying Puyi. He rose to prominence for his role in Hibiscus Town, directed by Xie Jin, which earned Jiang the Best Actor at the Hundred Flowers Awards. Jiang reunited with his Hibiscus Town co-star Liu Xiaoqing in the film Chun Tao, directed by Ling Zifeng. In 1988, Jiang starred along side Gong Li in Zhang Yimou's directorial debut Red Sorghum. In the 1990s, Jiang starred in films such as Black Snow (1990), Li Lianying: The Imperial Eunuch (1991), The Emperor's Shadow (1996), and The Soong Sisters (1997). He reunited with Zhang Yimou in the film Keep Cool (1997). Jiang also acted in television, most notably in the television series A Native of Beijing in New York (1992), based on the novel Beijinger in New York. In the 2000s, Jiang's notable credits include The Missing Gun, Green Tea, My Father and I, Warriors of Heaven and Earth, Jasmine Women and Letter from an Unknown Woman. He also played notable historical figures, Mao Renfeng in the propaganda film The Founding of a Republic; and Cao Cao in the historical war film The Lost Bladesman. Jiang co-starred in the Star Wars anthology film Rogue One, released in December 2016. In the film, he portrays Baze Malbus, a native of the moon of Jedha who is drawn into the war against the Galactic Empire.

Jiang wrote and directed his first film in 1994, In the Heat of the Sun, adapted from a novel by Wang Shuo. A tale set in the Cultural Revolution, it won for its young lead actor Xia Yu the Best Actor prize at the Venice Film Festival and garnered six Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan. In 2000, Jiang co-wrote and directed the black comedy film Devils on the Doorstep. The film premiered at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival and clinched the Grand Prix but was subsequently banned in its home country; said to undermine the country because it "seriously distorts Chinese history". Jiang himself was banned from making films for seven years. In 2001 he was a member of the jury at the 23rd Moscow International Film Festival. Jiang returned with his fourth feature The Sun Also Rises in 2007; a fantasy realism film which contains a polyptych of interconnected stories in different time-zones; the film received positive reviews from critics but bombed at the box office. He then collaborated with 10 other directors on the romance anthology film New York, I Love You. Jiang's fifth feature, a Western-styled action comedy Let the Bullets Fly set a box office record by becoming the fastest Chinese-language film to break RMB100m mark ($15.15m) in Chinese cinemas; and received critical acclaim. In 2013 he was named as a member of the jury at the 70th Venice International Film Festival. In 2014, Jiang directed the action comedy film Gone with the Bullets, which screened at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival. In 2018, Jiang directed the Republican-era spy comedy Hidden Man. The film was China's submission to the 91st Academy Awards. These two films together with Let the Bullets Fly form his gangster Beiyang trilogy.

Jiang Wen's father is Jiang Hongqi, a veteran of the Korean War. Described as taciturn and bookish, he played a minor role in his son's 2011 film, Let the Bullets Fly. Jiang's mother Gao Yang — "a cheerful, extroverted woman" — worked as a piano teacher. Jiang Wen is the eldest son in the family; in addition to his younger brother, Jiang Wu, he has a younger sister, Jiang Huan. Close to his family, Jiang has a deep bond with his parents: whenever he is on site for shooting or acting, he arranges for them to come to his workplace so that he can spend time with them. Each movie he makes, he saves the best seats for them and asks for their opinions. Even on artistic composition, he sometimes resorts to them for advice. It was his parents' endorsement on the original novel of A Native of Beijing in New York that propelled Jiang into his performance. Later, during the filming of his first feature film, In the Heat of the Sun, Jiang again considered their evaluation of Xia Yu, before settling on him as the leading actor.

In 1987, Jiang began a relationship with Liu Xiaoqing, when he was 24 and she was 37. Liu, who was then married to Chen Guojun, divorced in 1989 after Chen discovered the affair. After an eight-year relationship, during which they lived together for three years, Liu and Jiang separated amicably in 1994. In 1995, Jiang began a relationship with Sandrine Chenivesse, a Doctor of Anthropology at the University of Paris, researching philosophy and Taoism in China, at an artistic event. They married in Paris in 1997 and had a daughter together, but the marriage remained discreet until their appearance on the red carpet of the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. In 2005, Chenivesse announced their divorce, citing long-distance separation as the cause. In 2001, during the filming of Warriors of Heaven and Earth, Jiang was introduced to cast member Zhou Yun, by fellow actress Zhao Wei. Later, Jiang recommended Zhou to the cast of The Music Box, but each left the crew after a creative difference between Jiang and the director Chen Yifei. Jiang and Zhou married in 2005 and have two sons together.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1993 — Beijinger in New York — Wang Qiming • 1997 — A Sentimental Story — Producer • 2005 — Lotus Lantern — Chenxiang • 2006 — Da Qing Fengyun — Hong Taiji

• Year — Award — Category — Nominated work — Notes • 1987 — 10th Hundred Flowers Awards — Best Actor — Hibiscus Town • 1989 — 12th Hundred Flowers Awards — Best Actor — Chun Tao • 2nd Golden Phoenix Awards — Society Award — Red Sorghum • 1994 — 12th China TV Golden Eagle Award — Best Actor — A Native of Beijing in New York • 1996 — 33rd Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards — Best Director — In the Heat of the Sun • Best Original Screenplay • 1998 — 17th Hong Kong Film Awards — Best Supporting Actor — The Soong Sisters • 2000 — 53rd Cannes Film Festival — Grand Prix — Devils on the Doorstep • 2001 — 54th Cannes Film Festival — France Culture Award - Foreign Cineaste of the Year • 2003 — 3rd Chinese Film Media Awards — Best Actor — The Missing Gun • Most Popular Actor • 12th Shanghai Film Critics Awards — Best Actor • 2004 — 4th Chinese Film Media Awards — Most Popular Actor — Warriors of Heaven and Earth • 11th Beijing College Student Film Festival — Most Popular Actor • 2005 — 10th Golden Phoenix Awards — Society Award • 2007 — 44th Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards — Best Film Editing — The Sun Also Rises • 2008 — 21st Tokyo International Film Festival — Asian Film Award - Special Mention • 2011 — 20th Shanghai Film Critics Awards — Best Actor — The Lost Bladesman • 48th Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards — Best Original Screenplay — Let the Bullets Fly • 11th Chinese Film Media Awards — Best Director • 2012 — 3rd China Film Director's Guild Awards — Best Director • 2014 — 17th Shanghai International Film Festival — Outstanding Contribution Award

Jiang Wen was born on 5 January 1963 in Tangshan. Wen held the nationality of People's Republic of China. Wen was educated at Central Academy of Drama. Married to: Zhou Yun. Recorded sibling: Jiang Wu. Wen worked as actor, screenwriter, film director and film actor, and the authority record catalogues a further 4 occupations under the same name, among them singer, television actor, film screenwriter and director. Wen was active from 1986. Wen held the posts of member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Wen worked in Standard Chinese and Chinese. Wen is placed by the collections within sixth generation Chinese cinema.

Wen worked for the screen, as screenwriter, film director and film screenwriter. 8 films survive in the institutional catalogues, spanning 1994 to 2025. Among them are In the Heat of the Sun (1994), Devils on the Doorstep (2000), The Sun Also Rises (2007), New York, I Love You (2008), Let the Bullets Fly (2010) and Gone with the Bullets (2014). The whole run is set out in the catalogue below.

Acting roles • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1986 — The Last Empress — Puyi • Hibiscus Town — Qiu Shutian • Tears of the Bridal Sedan • 1987 — Red Sorghum — My grandpapa • 1989 — Chun Tao — Wen Chiang • 1990 — Black Snow — Li Huiquan • 1991 — Li Lianying: The Imperial Eunuch — Li Lianying • 1993 — The — Chinese policeman • 1994 — In the Heat of the Sun — Ma Xiaojun (adult) • 1996 — The — Ying Zheng • 1997 — Keep Cool — Bookseller • The — Charlie Soong • 2000 — Devils on the Doorstep — Ma Dasan • 2002 — The — Ma Shan • 2003 — Green Tea — Chen Mingliang • My Father and I — Policeman • Warriors of Heaven and Earth — Lieutenant Li • 2004 — Jasmine Women — Mr. Meng • Letter from an Unknown Woman — Writer / Mr. Xu • 2007 — The — Tang Yunlin • 2009 — The — Mao Renfeng • 2010 — Let the Bullets Fly — Zhang Mazi • 2011 — The — Cao Cao • 2014 — Gone with the Bullets — Ma Zouri • 2016 — Rogue One: A Star Wars Story — Baze Malbus • 2018 — Hidden Man — Lan Qingfeng • 2021 — The Curse of Turandot — Khan — Cameo appearance • 2025 — You are the Best — Lang Guoren