Nancy Wu - Wikiwand

Nancy Wu (Chinese: 胡定欣) (born 9 September 1981) is a Hong Kong actress contracted to TVB and Shaw Brothers Pictures.

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Wu won the TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actress consecutively in 2015 and 2016. Some of the roles she is best known for include Wan Wan in Twin Of Brothers (2004); Eva in Forensic Heroes III (2011); Ting Ting in Gloves Come Off (2012); Coco in Triumph in the Skies II (2013); Gin in Ghost Of Relativity (2015); Tiu Lan in A Fist Within Four Walls (2016); To Man in Mission Run (2022); Sarah in Narcotic Heroes (2023); and Seventh Master in No Return (2024).

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Early life

Wu was born and raised in the Central and Western District of Hong Kong. She has parents, and a younger brother. Her father managed the family seafood shop in Sai Wan, but closed it in 2002 due to the economy.^[1] As the eldest daughter of the family, Wu began working to help support the family finances while studying, and later graduating from St. Margaret's Girls' College.^[2] Wu sang in school choir while she was in primary school; played track and field, and participated in a dance troupe while in secondary school.^[3]

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Career

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Wu worked as a secretary prior to entering the entertainment industry.^[4] Unlike many of her best friends and colleagues who became actresses by competing in beauty pageants, Wu entered through singing, and modelling competitions.^[5]^[6]

In 1999, Wu participated in TVB's 18th Annual New Talent Singing Awards competition and finished in fourth place.^[7]

In 2001, she entered TVB's 3rd Annual Cover Girl Competition and won the Most Photogenic Award, the Most Fit Award, the Most Attractive Award, and the Overall Winner Award. Following that, she enrolled in the 18th TVB Acting Class and entered the entertainment industry.^[8]

The initial stage of Wu's acting career was marked by cameos and minor character roles in numerous TV shows often cast as a villain, either a temptress, a mistress, or a concubine.^[7] Her biggest, most memorable role early on was in Twin of Brothers as the free-spirited seductress Wan Wan. Her success in tackling the challenging role and turning Wan Wan into a cult favorite character gained Wu attention early in her career. Wu gained more recognition in 2008 where she won the Most Improved Female Artiste award at the TVB Anniversary Awards for her performances in D.I.E., The Silver Chamber of Sorrows, the Wars of In-Laws II, and Legend of the Demigods; and additionally nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Ha Fei Fei in The Silver Chamber of Sorrows.

From 2009 to 2011, Wu was cast in major supporting roles in a number of popular and memorable dramas including Rosy Business, No Regrets, Gun Metal Grey, Forensic Heroes III, and D.I.E. Again. Forensic Heroes III marked the first time Wu was cast in a more serious, intellectual role as Eva Chow, a capable barrister best remembered by the audience for her ambition and arrogance.

In 2012, Wu won the Best Supporting Actress awards at the TVB Anniversary Awards, and at the Asian Television Awards for her breakthrough performance in Gloves Come Off where she portrayed a deaf Muay Ying, or female Muay Thai boxer; her convincing performance required learning sign language as well as boxing, and stunt choreography.^[9] The role also redefined Wu's onscreen image as an action heroine, and not simply a villain, or a concubine.^[7]^[10] Additionally, Wu received a Long Service Award from TVB for her contributions to the company.^[11]

A year later, she won the TVB Star Award Malaysia for Favourite TVB Supporting Actress for her reprise role as CoCo in Triumph in the Skies II wherein she portrays a woman undergoing the emotional tribulations of becoming a surrogate mother for a friend. Wu stated she strives for improvement with every role, working hard, and learning from fellow actors with the goal of being a leading actress.^[12] Among the actors Wu has worked with the most, and appearing onscreen together as a couple, has been Wayne Lai with No Return being their 8th collaboration.^[13]^[14]

In 2015 and 2016, Wu consecutively won both the TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actress and the TVB Star Awards Malaysia My Favourite TVB Actress award for Ghost of Relativity, and for her performance as the memorable, and iconic Tiu Lan in A Fist Within Four Walls.

Since 2016, Wu has played leading roles on TV, and have been nominated, and won major awards during TVB Anniversary Awards, TVB Star Awards Malaysia, StarHub TVB Award, People's Choice awards, and other organizations. Wu credits her success on family, and friends in particular leading actress Myolie Wu who encouraged Wu early on her career.^[15]^[16]

Wu has been involved in other performative works. She performed in the 2018 staging of By Chance: Xu Zhimo with Steven Ma where she sung Kunqu opera and danced with 3-meter length water sleeves.^[17]^[18] In the same year, Wu appeared in the film Men on the Dragon where she was nominated for Best New Performer at the 38th Hong Kong Film Awards, and won Best New Performer at the Movie6 Movie Awards. In 2024, Wu appeared in the movie Rob N Roll.

In 2020, Wu signed a contract with Shaw Brothers Pictures.^[19]^[20]

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Advertising work

Wu has been a paid spokesperson for Vita Green since 2014.^[21] She has also been the spokesperson for Suisse Programme since 2019.^[22]

Advocacy work

Wu has done volunteer, promotional, and charity work with various organizations, and events.

She participated in the 2018 Ronald McDonald House Charities Hong Kong Open Day event, and promoted the organization's fundraiser in 2019.^[23]^[24]

In 2020, Wu visited Nepal as a Plan International ambassador advocating for girl rights and gender equality, and has participated in charitable fundraisers for the organization including Shine Together in 2022, and Run for Girls in 2023 and 2024.^[25]^[26]^[27]

Wu, along with William So, and Kimbee Chan participated in the 125th Anniversary celebration launch of Ebenezer School & Home for the Visually Impaired in 2021.^[28] She sang in a Food for Good fundraising dinner in 2023.^[29]

In 2024, Wu visited Ethiopia as a Plan International ambassador, and narrated a female genital mutilation awareness video for the organization.^[30]^[31]

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Personal life

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Nancy Wu is best friends with Myolie Wu, Paisley Wu, Elaine Yiu, Selena Lee and Mandy Wong. They formed the sisterhood group “胡說八道會” after the Chinese idiom “胡說八道”, meaning "nonsense talk", in addition to several members sharing the same last name, Wu “胡”.^[32]^[33]^[34]

In 2017, the group filmed a travel show together called The Sisterhood Traveling Gang. The show won the TVB Star Awards Malaysia Favorite TVB variety show, and the SINA Weibo Star Award for Awesome Variety Show.^[35]

Wu is friends with Rosina Lam when filming the drama Short End of the Stick, and with Alex Fong whom they met as teenagers.^[36] While she is happy with her best friends, Wu has stated is not so easy to find somebody to entrust for life.^[37] Her previous partners include Deep Ng (2006-2008), Kenneth Ma, (2008-2010), Patt Sham (2011-2014), and Terry Chan (2015-2016).

Wu maintains a healthy, active lifestyle.^[38] Due to their common interest in long-distance running, Wu along with Benjamin Yuen, Joel Chan, Brian Tse, Jack Wu, Paisley Wu, Elaine Yiu, Selena Lee and Mandy Wong formed the group "Crazy Runner".^[39]

In 2018, Wu saved enough money to purchase a large house for her parents in Tuen Mun.^[40] She considers family important, spending time with her dad; and did not attend the 2023 TVB Anniversary Awards ceremony in order to celebrate her parents’ anniversary.^[38]^[41]

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