Jiang Wen

Template:Short description Template:Family name hatnote Template:Infobox person Jiang Wen (born 5 January 1963) is a Chinese actor and filmmaker. As a director, he is sometimes grouped with the "Sixth Generation" that emerged in the 1990s.<ref>Xu, Gary G. (2007). Sinascape: Contemporary Chinese Cinema. Rowman & Littlefield, p. 47. Template:ISBN. Google Book Search. Retrieved 2008-09-10</ref> His representative works include In the Heat of the Sun (1994), Devils on the Doorstep (2000), The Sun Also Rises (2007), and Let the Bullets Fly (2010). Jiang is also well known internationally as an actor, having starred with Gong Li in Zhang Yimou's debut film Red Sorghum (1986), and more recently as Baze Malbus in the Star Wars film Rogue One (2016). He is the older brother of fellow actor Jiang Wu.

Early life, family and education

Template:More citations needed section 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.<ref name="pineapple">Template:Cite book</ref> In 1980, he entered China's foremost acting school, the Central Academy of Drama, graduating in 1984.

Career

Acting

After graduation from acting school, Jiang was assigned to China Youth Art Institute as an actor.<ref name="pineapple"/> That same year, he started acting both on the stage (with the China Youth Theater) and in films.

Jiang's debut role was in the film The Last Empress, portraying Puyi.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He then starred in Hibiscus Town directed by Xie Jin; his role as an intellectual revolutionary earned him the Best Actor Award at the Hundred Flowers Awards.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Jiang once again paired with Hibiscus Town co-star in the film Chun Tao directed by Ling Zifeng.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Jiang was cast in Zhang Yimou's debut film Red Sorghum.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He also performed in the France-Chinese film Tears of the Bridal Sedan and his first commercial film The Trial.

Jiang performed in many television series, becoming especially known for his role in the 1992 television series A Native of Beijing in New York (based on the novel Beijinger in New York. It made him one of the most popular Chinese actors of his generation.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Hebei hae also starred in Black Snow (1990),<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Li Lianying: The Imperial Eunuch (1991),<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Emperor's Shadow (1996),<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and The Soong Sisters (1997). Apart from Red Sorghum, Jiang also collaborated with Zhang Yimou for the 1997 film Keep Cool.

Jiang starred in several films in the early 2000s; namely The Missing Gun, Green Tea, My Father and I, Warriors of Heaven and Earth, Jasmine Women and Letter from an Unknown Woman.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Jiang continued acted in television series, such as Da Qing Fengyun (2006), in which he played Hong Taiji.Template:Citation needed He also played notable historical figures, Mao Renfeng in the propaganda film The Founding of a Republic;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Cao Cao in the historical war film The Lost Bladesman.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Jiang is set to return to the small screen in the historical drama Cao Cao.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Writing and directing

Jiang wrote and directed his first film in 1994, In the Heat of the Sun, adapted from a novel by Wang Shuo.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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<ref name="festival-cannes.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> but was subsequently banned in its home country;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> said to undermine the country because it "seriously distorts Chinese history". Jiang himself was banned from making films for seven years.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2001 he was a member of the jury at the 23rd Moscow International Film Festival.<ref name= "Moscow2001">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He then collaborated with 10 other directors on the romance anthology film New York, I Love You.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2013 he was named as a member of the jury at the 70th Venice International Film Festival.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2014, Jiang directed the action comedy film Gone with the Bullets, which screened at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2018, Jiang directed the Republican-era spy comedy Hidden Man.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The film was China's submission to the 91st Academy Awards.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> These two films together with Let the Bullets Fly form his gangster Beiyang trilogy.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Elley">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Personal life

Family

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Relationships

Jiang met his first partner, Liu Xiaoqing during the production of his debut film Hibiscus Town. As he was 23 and she was 31, their relationship was controversial in the entertainment industry at that time, although it was reported that the crew was very supportive of their relationship. Liu Xiaoqing never confirmed the relationship, but only claimed that the media pressure was so suffocating that she once considered going abroad. Years later at one ceremony, Director Xie Jin finally verified this rumor, revealing that they had actually lived together for three years. Liu and Jiang separated amicably in 1994.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Filmography

Film

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	Template:Sortname	Chinese policeman
1994	In the Heat of the Sun	Ma Xiaojun (adult)
1996	Template:Sortname	Ying Zheng
1997	Keep Cool	Bookseller
	Template:Sortname	Charlie Soong
2000	Devils on the Doorstep	Ma Dasan
2002	Template:Sortname	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	Template:Sortname	Tang Yunlin
2009	Template:Sortname	Mao Renfeng
2010	Let the Bullets Fly	Zhang Mazi
2011	Template:Sortname	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	Let the Music Fly

Filmmaking credits

Feature film

Year	Title	Director	Writer	Producer
1994	In the Heat of the Sun	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:No
2000	Devils on the Doorstep	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
2007	Template:Sortname	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
2010	Let the Bullets Fly	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:No
2014	Gone with the Bullets	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Partial
2018	Hidden Man	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Partial
2025	Let the Music Fly	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:No

Short film

Year	Title	Director	Writer	Producer
2008	New York, I Love You	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:No

Television series

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

Accolades

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	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1996	33rd Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards	Best Director	In the Heat of the Sun	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
		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	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
		Most Popular Actor
	12th Shanghai Film Critics Awards	Best Actor
2004	4th Chinese Film Media Awards	Most Popular Actor	Warriors of Heaven and Earth	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	11th Beijing College Student Film Festival	Most Popular Actor		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2005	10th Golden Phoenix Awards	Society Award		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2007	44th Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards	Best Film Editing	The Sun Also Rises	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2008	21st Tokyo International Film Festival	Asian Film Award - Special Mention
2011	20th Shanghai Film Critics Awards	Best Actor	The Lost Bladesman	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	48th Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards	Best Original Screenplay	Let the Bullets Fly	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	11th Chinese Film Media Awards	Best Director		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2012	3rd China Film Director's Guild Awards	Best Director		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2014	17th Shanghai International Film Festival	Outstanding Contribution Award	Template:NA	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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Sources

• Silbergeld, Jerome (2008), Body in Question: Image and Illusion in Two Chinese Films by Director Jiang Wen (Princeton: Princeton University Press)

External links

• TIMEasia article on Jiang Wen
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