Vivian Wu is a Chinese American actress and producer, born in Shanghai, China, to a renowned Chinese actress mother and a college professor father. She was discovered by director HuangShuQin at the age of 15, who offered her a lead role in the film Long Live Youth, marking the beginning of her illustrious acting career.
As a young actress, Vivian was chosen by legendary director Bernardo Bertolucci to play the role of Wen Xiu in his Oscar-winning film, The Last Emperor. Her performance earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Italian David Donatello film festival, making her the first Asian actress to receive such an honor.
Vivian then pursued a degree in Travel Industry Management at Hawaii Pacific University and later moved to Los Angeles in 1990. She was selected by People Magazine as one of the fifty most beautiful people in the world and dedicated herself full-time to her acting career.
Throughout her career, Vivian has appeared in numerous notable films, including The Joy Luck Club, Heaven and Earth, and The Pillow Book, in which she starred alongside Ewan McGregor and received international acclaim for her portrayal of Nagiko.
In addition to her Western film work, Vivian has continued to thrive in the Chinese film industry, starring in several independent feature films and earning critical acclaim for her performances in Chinaman and Eve and the Firehorse, the latter of which earned her a nomination for Canada's Genie Award.
In 2018, Vivian starred in Cathy Yan's directorial debut Dead Pigs, earning a Best Performance by an Ensemble Cast Award at the Sundance Film Festival alongside her costars. Her recent television credits include hit series such as Wo Ju, Ru Yi Zhuan, and Hot Mama.
Vivian has also been involved in various charity foundations, including the "Vivian Wu and Friends Educational Charity Foundation" she founded in 1999 to aid children with special educational needs.
Vivian has been married to producer/writer/director Oscar Luis Costo since 1996, and they have collaborated on several projects together. In 2019, she played the role of Dr. Lu Wang in the Netflix series Away, a series that premiered globally in September 2020.
