Feng Shaofeng

Feng Shaofeng (born October 7, 1978), born Feng Wei (simplified Chinese: 冯威; traditional Chinese: 馮威; pinyin: Féng Wēi), also known as William Feng, is a Chinese actor. He is currently an artist under the management of Huayi Brothers. He was ranked number 33rd on 2012 Forbes China Celebrity 100 List.^[1]

Feng, with the movie The Monkey King 2 has joined the elite group of actors whose films have grossed over 1 billion yuan at the Chinese box office.^[2]

Early life

Feng was born in Shanghai, China as the only child of an affluent family. His father is in the textile business.^[3] Strongly influenced by his artistic mother, Feng began taking violin lessons and participating in various extracurricular activities when he was a child. Upon graduating from high school, he applied to the Shanghai Theater Academy and was accepted with scholarship.^[4]

Career

Beginnings and Recognition

Feng made his acting debut in 1998, taking on several supporting roles. He has appeared in several television series, including Boy & Girl, Wind and Cloud 2, Assassinator Jing Ke, Sigh of His Highness, and The Conquest. The Conquest introduced him to Hong Kong audiences.

In 2007, Feng gained more attention after starring in a grand production drama by Hong Kong's TVB and mainland China's CCTV, The Drive of Life. He acted as a couple with Myolie Wu, and they were given the nickname, "Fenolie".

In 2008, he starred in the period drama Yun Niang alongside Ady An and Leanne Liu, which achieved #1 in ratings upon its premiere on SMG. Feng once again starred alongside Ady An in Four Women Conflicts. The drama aired on Shanghai Television in 2009, and he won the Fujian TV Station's "I Love My Drama Award" for Audience's Most Favorite Actor.

In 2010, Feng played the role of Liu Zhang and was again paired up with Myolie Wu in Beauty's Rival in Palace.

Rising Popularity and Big Screen Ventures

Feng rose to mainstream popularity after starring in Yu Zheng's television series, Palace in 2011. The series became a commercial hit, placing first in its ratings slot nationally, and gained one of the highest viewership ratings of the year; online views also went on to surpass the 100 million mark. His role as the arrogant yet gentle eighth prince, Yin Si, was well-loved by the audience. Feng won the Most Influential TV actor at the 2011 Sina Web Festival and the Most Valuable TV Actor at the 2011 TV Drama Awards.

In the same year, he starred in the historical film, White Vengeance. The movie became the opening film at the Pyongyang Film Festival, receiving enthusiastic response and good critical reception. For his performance in the film, Feng won the Most Commercially Valuable Newcomer award at the 2011 Harbin Film Festival. Feng placed 41st on the Forbes China Celebrity 100 list for 2011.

In 2012, he starred in Painted Skin: The Resurrection, the sequel to the 2008 movie, and acted alongside Fan Bingbing in Double Xposure. Feng was then chosen as GQ's Man of the Year, based on his outstanding performance on the big screen. He moved up 8 ranks to place 33rd on the Forbes China Celebrity 100 list.

In 2013, Feng took on the role of the titular Lan Ling Wang in the historical series Prince of Lan Ling, which he also took part in producing. The series started airing in August 2013, and gained him more recognition in Taiwan. In September, he starred in the action film Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon, for which he won the Most Popular Actor award at the 2014 Beijing Student Film Festival.

In 2014, Feng starred in the road trip comedy The Continent, directed by Han Han. He then starred in Ann Hui's independent film The Golden Era, portraying the famed writer Xiao Jun.

In 2015, Feng starred in the Chinese-French co-production Wolf Totem, where he plays a Chinese student who is sent to Inner Mongolia to teach shepherds and instead learns about the wolf population. Feng won Best Actor at the 33rd Hundred Flowers Awards for his performance. He was also cast in the science fiction film The Three-Body Problem.

Success in films

With the release of The Monkey King 2 in February 2016, Feng officially joined the elite group of actors whose films have grossed over 1 billion yuan at the Chinese box office.

On July 24 2016, Ice Fantasy which starred Feng as both the male lead and the producer, premiered on Hunan TV. The series is based on the novel City of Fantasy written by Guo Jingming, and boasts an unprecedented investment for a television drama. Shortly after, he reunited with Ice Fantasy co-star Victoria Song in My Best Friend's Wedding, a Chinese remake of the 1997 film.

Feng's upcoming projects are the fantasy film Yi Dai Yao Jing with Liu Yifei, upcoming drama The Starry Night, The Starry Sea, based on Tong Hua's novel of the same name and The Monkey King 3, the sequel to The Monkey 2.

Filmography

Film

Television

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Discography

Singles

References

External links

• (Chinese) Feng Shaofeng's official blog on Sina.com
• (Chinese) Feng Shaofeng on Sina Twitter