Born in Taiwan, Hsu Chi now is a very
popular actress in Hongkong. Because of poor living condition, her parents
had to work day and night to keep her and her brothe in her childhood.
The poor family background gave Hsu Chi an independent personality.
Hsu Chi didn't accept education from high school. To make a living,
she became a unprofessional model. In 1996, Hsu chi went to Hongkong
to seek a fortue. Very lucky for her to be selected by famous director,
Wang Jing, Hsu Chi starred in her first exotic film : "Sex and
Zen II". With an attractive figure and a pretty face, this film
made her famous in a short time. With these two movies: "The Street
Angels"( 1996) and "Growing Up"( 1996), Hsu Chi made
great progress. Hsu Chi had shifted gears from the mature entertainment
industry towards being a more serious acting career. She has co-starred
in several movies already. In July,1996, with "Viva Emotica",
Hsu Chi won Hong Kong Film Rwards for Best Supporting
Actress and Best New Performer. She was the first one who won these
rewards from having been an exotic film actress.
As a young, beautiful, and talented girl, Hsu Chi is
probably the fastest rising star in China.
Chinese Name : Shu Qi
Homeplace : TaiWan
Top movies: Young and Dangerous V, Storm Riders, Viva Emotica, scrup
and Zen II
Taiwanese performer Hsu Chi's career as followed the
same flight path in the east as that of Sharon Stone in the west. Like
Stone, the young actress worked in relative obscurity until performances
in a high-profile exotic film hit launched her as a bankable box office
commodity. In both cases, the actresses used their newfound notoriety
to good effect, becoming legitimate leading ladies with impressive film
credits to their names. In Hsu Chi's case, the transition from scrup
kitten to star has been all the more remarkable, given that, in the
Asian film market, the barrier between the mature film industry and
mainstream cinema is rarely crossed. 'scrup And Zen II' made her name
and 'Viva Emotica' made her a star. Shu Qi's performances in last year's
box office smash 'Storm Riders' and this year's Jackie Chan hit 'Gorgeous'
may earn her a wider following than ever before.
Hsu Chi's luminous performance in 'Viva Emotica' surprised
many critics, and the actress herself seemed overwhelmed when she subsequently
swept the board at every Chinese film award ceremony. When she won Best
Newcomer and Best Supporting Actress at the 1997 Hong Kong Film Awards,
she tearfully thanked her mother for supporting her in her choice of
career. Hsu Chi also picked up similar prizes at Hong Kong's Golden
Bauhinia awards and Taiwan's Golden Horse awards. This critical recognition
opened the door for her to work with quality Hong Kong film-makers.
She received excellent notices for her work on the anthology film 'Love
Is Not A Game But A Joke', the directorial debut of regular Stanley
Kwan script-writer Yip Kam-hung. Though not a singer herself, Hsu Chi
has been a 'special featured guest' at concerts held by Leslie Cheung,
with whom she performed in 'Viva Emotica', and Leon Lai. In the case
of the latter, she travelled all the way to Los Angeles to appear on
stage during his show.
Some facts:
She was 'discovered' by Hong Kong-based actor/producer Manfred Wong,
who saw one of her photo books while on a trip to Taiwan.
Despite her scrupy image, Shu Qi has only appeared in starring roles
in two Category III films, 'scrup And Zen II' and 'Viva Emotica'.
