Vivian Wu
Vivian Wu (Wu Junmei; born February 5, 1966) is a Chinese-born American actress. Starring in a variety of North American and Chinese productions, her big break came in 1987, when she appeared in the biographical film The Last Emperor. She later went to starring in films Iron & Silk (1990), The Guyver (1991), Heaven & Earth (1993), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993), The Joy Luck Club (1993), and most notably playing the leading roles in The Pillow Book (1996) and The Soong Sisters (1997).
Also recorded as Vivian Wu Junmei
Vivian Wu
- Name
- Vivian Wu
- Birth Name
- Wu Junmei
- Born
- 5 February 1966
- Birthplace
- Shanghai, China
- Occupation
- Actress
- Nationality
- People's Republic of China · United States
- Education
- Hawaii Pacific University · Shanghai Shixi High School
- Known for
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
- Languages
- English · Chinese
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Documentary connections
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q464754 · wikipedia · Vivian Wu
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
The documentary record
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Institutions cited
Bibliothèque nationale de France · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Complete reading chain (JSON)In this article
Biography
Biography
In 2020, she starred as Dr. Lu Wang in the Netflix science fiction drama series Away, while in 2023, she portrayed Vivian Zhu in the Apple TV+ murder mystery comedy series The Afterparty.
Documentary record
For the birthplace of Vivian Wu, Schanghai is recorded by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek and Shanghai, Chine by the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Vivian Wu • Native Name — 邬君梅 • Birth Name — Wu Junmei • Born — 5 February 1966 • Birthplace — Shanghai, China • Citizenship — United States • Occupation — Actress • Years Active — 1981–present
Documentary record
Vivian Wu (born 5 February 1966) is recorded as a film actress and actress. The birth of Vivian Wu is recorded on 5 February 1966.
Early life
Early life
Wu Junmei was born in Shanghai, China. Wu is the daughter of Zhu Manfang, one of the leading actresses in China during the 1940s and 1950s. She attended Shanghai Shixi High School and began acting at the age of 16 in Shanghai Film Studio. In 1987, she attended the Hawaii Pacific University, studying tourism.
Career
Career
In 1985, Wu was given an audition for the role of Wenxiu in Bernardo Bertolucci's 1987 film The Last Emperor. Six months later, she was chosen for the role, making her big screen debut. Wu went on to star in the drama film Shadow of China (1989), directed and co-written by Mitsuo Yanagimachi, followed by the action comedy Iron & Silk (1990). The following year, she appeared in the poorly received superhero comedy film The Guyver with Mark Hamill. She was chosen by People as one of The 50 Most Beautiful People in the World in 1990. Wu gained some critical acclaim after appearing in The Joy Luck Club (1993), directed by Wayne Wang, and playing the leading role in the erotic drama film The Pillow Book (1996). Wu also played Mitsu in the 1993 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III. She portrayed the historical figure of Soong Mei-ling in the films The Soong Sisters (1997) and The Founding of a Republic (2009), as well as the 2011 television series Departed Heroes. As May-Lin Eng in Eve and the Fire Horse (2005), Wu received a Genie Award nomination. Beside films, Wu has worked in television, making guest appearances in shows such as The Untouchables, L.A. Law, Tales from the Crypt, Highlander: The Series, JAG, Murder, She Wrote, F/X: The Series, ER, and Ghost Whisperer. She was one of the original four judges of Hunan TV's World's Got Talent. Wu also starred in the live action video game Supreme Warrior (1994) and appeared in the video game Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb as Mei Ying. In 2020, Wu made her return to Hollywood productions after nearly 25 years with a starring role as Chinese astronaut Lu Wang in the Netflix science fiction drama Away opposite Hilary Swank.
Personal life
Personal life
Wu married Cuban-born American director and producer Oscar Luis Costo in 1994. She later became a United States citizen.
TV series
TV series
• Millennium - "Siren" (1998) • Dwelling Narrowness (2009) • Strange World (1999 - 2000) • Highlander: The Series (1994) May-Ling Shen • Secret Agent Man (2000) "Uncle SAM" Ling #1 • JAG “Deja Vu” (1995) Angelique Sonsiri • Tales from the Crypt "Comes the Dawn" (1995) Jeri Drumbeater • Murder She Wrote "Kendo Killing" (4 Jan 1996) Miko Ishida • The First Half of My Life (2017) • Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace (2018) • Qin Dynasty Epic (2019) • Away (2020) • Station 19 (2021) • Irma Vep (2022) • The Afterparty (2023) • A Better Life (2025)
Video games
Video games
• Supreme Warrior (1995) as Yu Ching • Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb (2003)
Identity
Identity
Vivian Wu is recorded as a citizen of People's Republic of China. Recorded with the occupation film actor.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1966
Vivian Wu was born on 5 February 1966.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Vivian Wu was born at Shanghai.
Birthplace
Shanghai.
Birth place
Film
• The Last Emperor (1987) • Iron & Silk (1990) • Shadow of China (1990) • The Guyver (1991) • Heaven & Earth (1993) • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993) as Mitsu • The Joy Luck Club (1993) • Vanishing Son (TV) (1994) • Woman Rose (1996) • The Pillow Book (1996) • The Soong Sisters (1997) • A Bright Shining Lie (1998) (TV Film) • The Legend of Pig Eye (1998) • Blindness (1998) • 8½ Women (1999) • Dinner Rush (2000) • Roses Are Red (2000) • Red Skies (2002) • Encrypt (2003) • Beauty Remains (2005) • Kinamand (2005) • Eve and the Fire Horse (2005) • Shanghai Red (2006) • Desires of the Heart (2008) • The Founding of a Republic (2009) • Shanghai Blue (2010) • Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (2011) • The Story of a Piano (2011) • Departed Heroes (2011) • To Forgive (2012) • Judge Zhan (2012) • The Palace (2013) • Feed Me (2013) • Who is Undercover (2014) • Perfect Couple (2014) • The Queens (2015) • Go Lala Go 2 (2015) • Everybody's Fine (2016) • Youth Dinner (2017) • The Chinese Widow (2017) • Father and Son (2017) • Cry Me a Sad River (2018) • Knockout (2019) • Dead Pigs (2019) • Slanted (2025)
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Vivian Wu, revision 1367026293 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Reference to Chinese celebraties who hold citizenship in other countries, scmp.com. Accessed 24 August 2022.
- 2.Chen Nan: Lady Shanghai, China Daily, 27 April 2007.
- 3.Vivian Wu: The Shanghainese beauty takes to the silver screen once more. travel.cnn.com.
- 4.Liu Wei: For love or money. China Daily, 28 April 2007.
- 5.Feng Yi: Vivian Wu: The Shanghainese beauty takes to the silver screen once more. CNN, 20 June 2011.
- 6.The Pillow Book (1997).
- 7.IDG. Supreme Warrior Prepares to Fight. GamePro. 64. 60–62. November 1994.
- 8.Vivian Wu Talks 'Away' on Netflix and Her Return to Hollywood. Entertainment Tonight.
- 9.Team, Poptimes News. 'Away' Star Vivian Wu on Her Return to Hollywood After Nearly 25 Years (Exclusive). March 2025.
- 10.Reference to Chinese celebraties who hold citizenship in other countries, scmp.com. Accessed 24 August 2022.
- 11.邬君梅变身霸气甄嬛 《如懿传》再度开启诡谲宫斗. Sina. November 2, 2017.
- 12.Vivian Wu. imdb.com.
- 13.chinesemov.com. Vivian Wu.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Film memorabilia
38,713 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
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