Taiwanese actress Shu Qi, who celebrates her 44th birthday on April 16, burst onto the Hong Kong film scene in the early 2000s and left a mark like no other. She moved to Hong Kong at the tender age of 17 with nothing more than some soft porn and Chinese Playboy credits to her name.
With her unique brand of charm and irresistible allure, Shu transitioned to the mainstream, and given how conservative Asian media can be, this is quite an incredible achievement.
She has gone on to receive countless accolades and starred in many movies and ad campaigns. Here are some of her most unforgettable moments.
Coquettish ingénue
Shu burst onto the silver screens in Hong Kong in Derek Yee’s film about the city’s porn industry. Her unabashed attitude to nudity and her ability to portray the development of her character from a naive wannabe porn star to professional erotic actress impressed audiences and critics alike. She won the Best Supporting Actress in the Hong Kong Film Awards as well as the Golden Bauhinia Awards.
Video vixen
Not long after her partnership with Leslie Cheung in Viva Erotica, the two teamed up again in Cheung’s music video for Blamefully Beautiful. The video solidified Shu’s unique ability to balance innocence and sexuality in a likeable way, proving her popularity with both male and female audiences.
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Woman in red
Shu Qi was selected by Kenzo Takada to be part of the advertising campaign for its fragrance, Flower by Kenzo, identified by a single stem red poppy. Shu dons a red dress for the campaign and nobody has rocked a red dress like her for the brand since.
Demon hunter
Shu sheds her famous allure to become demon hunter Duan in Journey to the West: Conquering Demons. Here, she channels her childish charm into a boyish bravado where she kicks demon ass. She is barely made up in the movie and her ability to bring this character to life won her Best Actress in a comedy at Fantastic Fest.
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Beautiful wedding
An accomplished actress like Shu shouldn’t be identified by her marriage, but when you combine her and her husband Steven Fung’s charm and talent – as he is also a famous actor as well as director and producer – with true happiness, the result is a set of the most adorable wedding photos ever.
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