Wu Kang-ren[1] (Chinese: 吳慷仁; Wade–Giles: Wu K'ang-jen; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ngô͘ Khóng-jîn; born 24 November 1982), is a Taiwanese actor. He debuted in the short film Fragile in Love: Poetry in Motion in 2007 and gained wider recognition for his role in the 2009 television series Autumn's Concerto. He received the Asian Television Award for Best Actor, his first acting award, at the 18th Asian Television Awards for his performance in the 2012 TV series Emerging Light. In 2023, he won the Golden Horse Award for Best Leading Actor for his performance in Abang Adik.
Wu Kang-ren | |
|---|---|
| 吳慷仁 | |
 Wu for ELLE Taiwan in December 2023 | |
| Born | 24 November 1982 |
| Other names | Wu Kang-jen |
| Alma mater | Kaohsiung Municipal Chung-Cheng Industrial High School |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, model |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Agent | Easy Entertainment (2024–present) |
| Chinese name | |
| Traditional Chinese | 吳慷仁 |
| Simplified Chinese | 吴慷仁 |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Wú Kāng-rén |
| Wade–Giles | Wu K'ang-jên |
| Hokkien POJ | Ngô͘ Khóng-jîn |
Early life
editWu was born on November 24, 1982, in a military dependents' village in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, with his family roots in Anhui. His parents divorced when he was young, after which he lived with his mother. He began working at 14, after graduating from junior high school, to support his family. Initially, he tried his hand as an on-site construction welder despite his lack of experience, which resulted in eye burns. He later worked in various jobs, including restaurants, stalls, and supermarkets and enrolled into the Kaohsiung Municipal Chung-Cheng Industrial High School, where he balanced work with studies. He enlisted in Taiwan’s mandatory military service immediately after graduation.[2] After completing his conscription at the age of 24, he moved from Kaohsiung to Taipei, where he worked as a bartender for three years. At 27, he was discovered by director Li Qiyuan, who helped him break into the entertainment industry.[3][4]
Career
edit2007–2009: Beginnings
editHe started his career as an ad model.[3] Later, he enrolled into an acting program at National Taiwan University of Arts and moved to being an actor. He made his debut performance in Fragile in Love: Poetry in Motion (沿海岸线徵友). Directed by Mickey Chen and Chi Chen Jun, the short film was featured at The LGBT Civil Rights Movement Film Festival[5] and at the Tokyo International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival among others.[6] His first television miniseries came the afterwards in Talking With You Boyfriend's Ex-Girlfriend (與男友的前女友密談). The mini-series was awarded the Best Mini-series Screenplay Award and the Best Editing Award at the 43rd Golden Bell Awards in 2008.[7] The same year, he was cast in Hong Kong film Miao Miao with actors Ko Chia-yen and Wing Fan. The film was selected at the 2009 Melbourne International Film Festival, but it was later pulled out due to controversies about China's boycott against the film festival,[8][9] as well as premiering at the 59th Berlin International Film Festival.[10] The film was also screened at the 11th Taipei Film Festival.[11]
In 2009, Talking With You Boyfriend's Ex-Girlfriend's director Chen Hui Jing cast him once again in his first idol drama Autumn's Concerto starring Vanness Wu and Ady An, where he played the role of Hua Tuoye.[12] In later years, he stated that he was often reprimanded by Li Qiyuan as he had difficulties delivering his lines well in shootings.[3] The series was received favorably by viewers.[13][11]
2010–2015: Recognition
editWu started to receive more television and film projects. In TTV's Zhong Wu Yan, he played the character of Howard, a blind man who finds love in Wu Yen, played by Cheryl Yang.[11] He also starred in When Love Comes which garnered multiple nominations from different award-giving ceremonies.[11][14][15]
During the press conference of TTV's Local Hero in 2011, Wu stated that he accidentally injured his left hand while shooting.[16] He still participated in their scheduled charity event game that requires peeling fruits despite his hand injury, nevertheless, because he stated that he wanted the kids to enjoy.[citation needed] A year later, he was cast in four more television series. Among them is TTV's What Is Love co starring Jade Chou.[17]
In 2012, Wu was cast in the role of Rong Guang, a farmer raising his son as a single parent, in the film The Third Wish.[18] In preparation for the role, who is a skinny farmer to be diagnosed of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Wu started running 5-kilometer races in the hot sun, and ate only boiled eggs and guava. He lost 8 kilograms of weight in 10 days.[19] He also started acting as a father to child actor Chen Yu-cheng a week before filming began to study the father-and-son's lifestyle.[20]
I was not born an actor... These experiences (doing manual labor jobs at a young age) made me aware of how money is earned that I try my best to be a hardworking actor. — Wu Kang-jen[3]
In January, Wu was cast in TTV's King Flower co-starring James Wen and Nikki Hsieh. He played the character role of Ouyang Tai, the GM of Shen Da Realty who was engaged to Du Liang Yan, but was later killed by accident. The series consistently topped the viewers' ratings during its timeslot, garnering a 1.57 total average by the end of the series.[21] Before the year ended, his performance in the 2012 TV series Emerging Light (愛在旭日升起時) earned him the Best Actor in a Leading Role award at the 18th Asian Television Awards on December 5, 2013, held in Singapore.[22]
In 2014, he played the role of Zhou Shu Yu and David in Rock N' Road and Winnie the Boob (小胸維妮的幸福旅程), respectively. He was once again paired with Judy Chou, his co-star in What Is Love, in the latter series.[23] He also acted alongside Ella Chen in The Lying Game (謊言遊戲) towards the end of the year.[24]
2016–present: Acclaim
editFrom late 2015 to early 2016, he starred in the period drama A Touch of Green as a young fighter pilot, for which he won the Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role at the Golden Bell Awards 2016.[25] In 2023, he won the Golden Horse Award for Best Leading Actor for his performance in Abang Adik. In 2024, Wu signed with Easy Entertainment, marking his first agency partnership in ten years and expanding his career into mainland China.[26]
Personal life
editWu was in a relationship with his White Ant co-star Aviis Zhong from 2015 to 2017, until he started an on-and-off relationship with The Perfect Match co-star Ivy Shao in 2017. On November 11, 2020, after being spotted living together, Shao publicly confirmed their relationship.[27]
Filmography
editTelevision
edit| Year | English title | Original title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Talking With You Boyfriend's Ex-Girlfriend | 與男友的前女友密談 | Film | |
| Fragile in Love: Poetry in Motion | 沿海岸線徵友 | Hsiao-hai | Film | |
| 2008 | Taipei 24H: Save the Lover | 台北異想：舊．情人 | Rookie | |
| 2009 | Autumn's Concerto | 下一站，幸福 | Hua Tuoye | |
| 2010 | Zhong Wu Yen | 鍾無艷 | Howard | |
| Days We Stared at the Sun | 他們在畢業的前一天爆炸 | Police officer | ||
| 2011 | The Local Hero | 田庄英雄 | Ma Shanghong | |
| 2012 | I Love You So Much | 粉愛粉愛你 | Bu Haowen | Cameo |
| Inborn Pair | 真愛找麻煩 | Zhao Dongyang | ||
| What Is Love | 花是愛 | Bai Zongyou | ||
| Emerging Light | 愛在旭日升起時 | Zhang Tingxu | ||
| 2013 | King Flower | 金大花的華麗冒險 | Ouyang Tai | |
| The Sea Reflects the Blue Sky | 碧海映藍天 | Chien Chunyi | ||
| The Day Mom Came to Visit | 那天媽媽來看我 | Ho Xuan | Film | |
| 2014 | Rock N' Road | A咖的路 | Zhou Shuyu | |
| My Antenna Is Broken | 搆不到的訊號 | Antenna man | Film | |
| Winnie The Boob | 小胸維妮的幸福旅程 | David | Film | |
| The Lying Game | 謊言遊戲 | Wei Youliang | ||
| Mr. Right Wanted | 徵婚啟事 | Xu Lei | Cameo | |
| Love by the River | 河畔卿卿 | Passerby | Cameo | |
| 2015 | Heart Of Steel | 鋼鐵之心 | Dance instructor | Cameo |
| Wake Up | 麻醉風暴 | Yeh Chien-te | ||
| Long Day's Journey into Light | 出境事務所 | Zhao Shengwei | ||
| The Crossing Hero | 超級大英雄 | Sun Yen-chun | ||
| A Touch of Green | 一把青 | Kao Jen | ||
| 2016 | Q Series: Love of Sandstorm | 植劇場-戀愛沙塵暴 | Lin Yi-de | |
| In Love - Love | 滾石愛情故事-愛情 | Chang Ching-yeh | ||
| Where the River Flows | 鮮肉老爸 | Chiu Min-hui | Film | |
| Lost? Me Too | 迷徒Chloe | Wang Shih-chi | Webseries | |
| Code | CODE浮士德遊戲 | Alex Chen | Webseries | |
| 2017 | The Perfect Match | 極品絕配 | Huo Ting-en | |
| The Masked Lover | 我的愛情不平凡 | Huo Ting-en | Cameo | |
| My Gifts | 我的禮物 | Chao Yi-chung | Film | |
| We Are One | 望月 | Chou Ta-lung | Film | |
| Ping Pong | 乒乓 | Fang Yi | Film | |
| Wake Up 2 | 麻醉風暴2 | Yeh Chien-te | ||
| 2018 |
Your Children Are Not Your Children | 你的孩子不是你的孩子 | ||
| 2019 | The World Between Us | 我們與惡的距離 | Wang She | |
| 2020 | The Ghost Bride | 彼岸之嫁 | Er Lang | Webseries |
| 2021 | Light the Night | 華燈初上 | Liu Pao-lung | |
| Brave Animated Series | 勇者動畫系列 | Chief Brave | Animated series | |
| 2022 | Mom, Don't Do That! | 媽，別鬧了！ | Chen Ru-rong | |
| Shards of Her | 她和她的她 | Tu Chun-ju | ||
| 2023 | Copycat Killer | 模仿犯 | Guo Xiao-qi | Netflix series |
| Living | 有生之年 | Gao Jia-yue | ||
| TBA | Friend Begin | 吳慷仁 | Chi Hei-ye |
Film
edit| Year | English title | Original title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Miao Miao | 渺渺 | Bei Jiaxin | |
| In the Coming of Surprise | 意外之前 | Short film | ||
| 2009 | The End Of Love | 愛情的盡頭 | A-kai | Short film |
| 2010 | When Love Comes | 當愛來的時候 | Mu Zongfu | |
| 2011 | Blowfish | 河豚 | ||
| 2012 | The Third Wish | 第三個願望 | Ho Rong-guang | |
| Dive In | 這一刻，愛吧！ | Shuai Yiqiang | Short film | |
| Economical Man | 經濟適用男 | A-han | Short film | |
| Xiao Yuan San Kuai Ke | 校園三快客 | Wu Shihan | Short film | |
| Love in Kyushu | 九州 向愛走 | Lin Bai | Short film | |
| Life in Tokyo | 東京 不見不散 | A-zhi | Short film | |
| 2013 | Star of Bethlehem | 微光閃亮 第一個清晨 | A Sheng | |
| 2014 | 42 Minutes | 42分鐘 | Husband | Short film[28] |
| 2015 | The Bride | 屍憶 | Yeh Cheng-hao | |
| 2016 | White Ant | 白蟻─慾望謎網 | Bai Yide | |
| Beyond All Doubt | 我們都不應該討論愛情 | Ming-lung | Short film | |
| 2017 | Portrait Coffee Shop | 寫真咖啡館 | Lin Wen-lung | Short film |
| Solo | 獨奏 | Short film | ||
| Father with Dark Circles | 我的黑眼圈爸爸 | Short film | ||
| 2018 | High Flash | 引爆點 | ||
| The Scoundrels | 刁民 | |||
| Xiao Mei | ||||
| 2019 | The Lady Improper | |||
| 2023 | Abang Adik | 富都青年 | Abang | |
| 2024 | Fly Me to the Moon | 但願人長久 | Lam Kok Man | [29] |
Music video appearances
edit| Year | Song title | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "Breathless" (缺氧) | Rainie Yang |
| 2008 | "Too Bad" (殘念) | Jeff Chang |
| "Unable To Guess" (猜不透) | Della Ding | |
| 2012 | "It Can Hurt More" (再痛也沒關係) | Andrew Tan |
| 2014 | "The Real Me" (真的我) | Ella Chen |
| 2015 | " A Million Butterflies" (一百萬隻蝴蝶) | We Save Strawberries |
| "Travel" (放心去旅行) | Wing Lo | |
| "As It Is" (看淡) | Hebe Tien | |
| "Men Over Clouds and Women on Earth" (天上的男人 地上的女人) | Yoga Lin | |
| "You Are Nothing" (什麼東西) | Kris Kuan | |
| 2016 | "Truth Be Told" (說實話) | Lee Chien-na |
| "Tough" (頑固) | Mayday | |
| 2017 | "Beginning of the End" (終於結束的起點) | Mayday |
Discography
editSoundtrack contributions
edit| Year | Song title | TV series/Film |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | "Sleep" (睡吧) | The Third Wish |
| 2014 | "In The Spring" (春天裡) | Rock N' Road |
| "Onion" (洋蔥) | ||
| "Friends" (朋友) | ||
| 2016 | "Wild Fires of Youth" (野性的青春) | Where the River Flows |
Awards and nominations
editReferences
edit- ^ "台北電影節 Taipei Film Festival Archive 2017 Winners". Taipei Film Festival. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
- ^ "《下一站》吳慷仁當粗工 搶中年男頭路". Apple Daily Entertainment (in Chinese). Retrieved February 17, 2015.
- ^ a b c d "吳慷仁被酸「5個字都講不好」 新加坡稱帝翻身". Apple Daily Entertainment (in Chinese). Retrieved February 17, 2015.
- ^ Zhang, Shida. "吳慷仁睡書店學調酒 床戲成精倒穿衣服". Yahoo Taiwan (in Chinese). 中時電子報. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
- ^ Yi, Ho. "LGBT Film Festival targets the general public". Taipei Times. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ^ "The 17th Tokyo International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival". Tokyo International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ^ "Taipei Filmakers" (PDF). Taipei Film Commission. p. 24. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ^ "A Statement from TECO in Response to the Withdrawal of Miao Miao". MIFF. Archived from the original on February 18, 2015. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ^ Hsiang, Cheng-chen; Pan, Jason. "Supreme Court orders return of subsidy". Taipei Times. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ^ Roxborough, Scott. "Berlin's Generation for maturing audiences". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ^ a b c d "2011愛演愛酒吳慷仁". GQ Taiwan (in Chinese). Retrieved February 17, 2015.
- ^ "[新聞] 板模工躍升男二～吳慷仁靠3女翻紅！". PTT (in Chinese). Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ^ "「下一站，幸福」突破敗犬女王最高收視紀錄, 吳建豪飆戲大挑戰". TTV (in Chinese). Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ^ "13th 2011 TAIPEI FILM FESTIVAL Winners". Taipei Film Festival. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ^ "Winners of the 47th Golden Horse Awards". Golden Horse Awards. Archived from the original on February 18, 2015. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ^ Deng, Kaixin. "《田莊》開鏡吳慷仁澄清沒為手傷哭啦！". China Yes (in Chinese). Archived from the original on February 18, 2015. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
- ^ "What Is Love: Story". TTV. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
- ^ "第三个愿望 第三個願望(2011)". Yahoo Taiwan (in Chinese). Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ^ Jiāng, Zhǐléng. "吳慷仁甩８kg演活漸凍人". Yahoo Taiwan (in Chinese). 中時電子報. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
- ^ Cai, Bo Jie. "吳慷仁扮漸凍人 自虐10天瘦8kg". Liberty Times (in Chinese). Retrieved February 17, 2015.
- ^ "Nielsen Ratings". China Times (in Chinese). Archived from the original on January 26, 2013. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ^ Lu, Xin Hui. "亞洲電視獎 男女主角獎落台灣". The Central News Agency (in Chinese). Retrieved February 17, 2015.
- ^ Yun, Chenqiu. "吳慷仁、周幼婷 「小胸維妮」再對戲". United Daily News (in Chinese). Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ^ "與中視共同製作2014年最新偶像劇《謊言遊戲》". DDS.com (in Chinese). Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ^ "Chris Wu and Alice Ke Win Best Acting Trophies at the 51st Annual Golden Bell Awards - A Koala's Playground". koalasplayground.com. October 9, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
- ^ sina_mobile (September 30, 2024). "演员吴慷仁与壹心娱乐达成合作，已有数部影视项目洽谈中". news.sina.cn. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ "邵雨薇、吳慷仁分手後復合更確定是對的人！每天早晚都會親親、注重生活儀式感". ELLE (in Chinese (Taiwan)). November 17, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
- ^ 2015Festival-Cannes 2015Festival Cannes Short Film Catalog
- ^ Lee, Edmund (April 9, 2024). "Fly Me to the Moon movie review: Hong Kong writer Sasha Chuk makes directing debut with wistful coming-of-age drama". South China Morning Post. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ Wu Kang-jen at hkmdb.com
- ^ Wu Kang-jen at chinesemov.com
- ^ "「因為怕被忘記所以一直努力」吳慷仁40歲終於與自己和解：你不需要很努力才值得被愛！". Vogue Taiwan (in Chinese). November 14, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "金鐘50得獎名單出爐！《16個夏天》奪戲劇節目大獎 藍正龍、朱芷瑩成本屆視帝、視后". Marie Claire 美麗佳人 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). September 26, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "第50屆廣播電視金鐘獎官方網站". 影視及流行音樂產業資訊平臺. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "2016第51屆金鐘獎完整得獎名單|娛樂新聞-VOGUE時尚網". Vogue Taiwan (in Chinese). October 8, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "第19屆台北電影獎得獎名單出爐！吳慷仁以《白蟻》封影帝 尹馨奪影后大獎|娛樂新聞-VOGUE時尚網". Vogue Taiwan (in Chinese). July 15, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "金鐘獎入圍名單揭曉 《植劇場》一口氣入圍24項". GQ Taiwan (in Chinese). August 23, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "22nd Asian Television Awards 2017 Nominations Announcement". Business Insider. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "Taiwanese film trio named best actor, actress, producer". Taipei Times. August 30, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "【2019金鐘獎】金鐘54入圍名單公布！賈靜雯、吳慷仁爭影后影帝，《我們與惡的距離》入圍14項成最大贏家！". GQ Taiwan (in Chinese). August 28, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "2019 NATIONAL WINNERS". Asian Academy Creative Awards. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "【2021台北電影獎】入圍得獎名單一覽！". Vogue Taiwan (in Chinese). May 14, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "金鐘獎男配角競爭史上最激烈？「三視帝」李銘順、吳慷仁、薛仕凌力抗最強男配劉冠廷". Vogue Taiwan (in Chinese). October 11, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ Manori, Ravindran; Naman, Ramachandran (December 8, 2022). "Asian Academy Creative Awards Unveil 2022 Winners: Netflix Scores Five Wins on Night Two". Variety. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
- ^ "《富都青年》感人金句盤點：「你們都過得很好，我也想和你們一樣，但我沒辦法。」". Vogue Taiwan (in Chinese). August 28, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "【2023金鐘獎】金鐘58「戲劇類」得獎名單一覽！薛仕凌、蔡淑臻成金鐘獎最佳男女主角". Vogue Taiwan (in Chinese). September 14, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ Shackleton, Liz (November 25, 2023). "'Stonewalling' Wins Best Film At Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "Malaysian film leads QCinema 2023's Asian Next Wave winners". ABS-CBN News. November 24, 2023. Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
Kang Ren Wu, who played a hearing-impaired illegal immigrant in "Abang Adik," won the Best Lead Performance, QCinema's sole acting award.
- ^ Brzeski, Patrick (March 10, 2024). "Asia Film Awards: Ryusuke Hamaguchi's 'Evil Does Not Exist' Wins Best Film". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "吳慷仁新作《但願人長久》！從真摯父愛看見小人物的動人生活剪影". Vogue Taiwan (in Chinese). March 20, 2024. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "2024 金像獎｜《白日之下》入圍16項大獎成最大贏家，林保怡、黃子華首度入圍同梁朝偉爭影帝". Vogue Hong Kong (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). February 6, 2024. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ Khanh Ngoc (July 7, 2024). "Mai wins big at the 2024 Da Nang Asian Film Festival". Vietnam.vn. Archived from the original on July 7, 2024.
- ^ "Closing Ceremony: The Second Danang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF II) – The film festival finds a series of award winners". DANAFF. September 11, 2024. Archived from the original on December 3, 2024.
- ^ "ACA & Global OTT Awards". Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
- ^ "[BIFF Press Release] Announcing the Nominees and Jury of the Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards 2024!". Busan International Film Festival. August 30, 2024. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
- ^ "金鐘59／導演代吳慷仁領獎死守「黑色側背包」他曝背後真相藏洋蔥" [Golden Bell 59/Director accepted the award on behalf of Wu Kangren and stuck to the "black side backpack". He revealed the truth behind the onion.]. Yahoo! News Taiwan (in Chinese). October 20, 2024.
External links
edit
- Wu Kang-ren at IMDb
- Wu Kang-ren on Facebook
- Wu Kang-ren on Sina Weibo