Liu Xiaoqing

Last updated
Liu Xiaoqing
Born (1950-10-30) 30 October 1950 (age 74)
Occupation(s)Actress, producer, businesswoman
Years active1970s - present
Height1.59 m (5 ft 3 in)
Spouse(s)Chen Guojun[ citation needed ]
Ai Fung[ citation needed ]
Awards Golden Rooster Awards Best Actress
1987 Hibiscus Town

Hundred Flowers Awards Best Actress
1987 Hibiscus Town
1988 The Savage Land
1989 Chun Tao
Best Supporting Actress
1980 What A Family
Special Achievement
1992

Chinese name
Traditional Chinese
Simplified Chinese
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin Líu Xiǎoqìng
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutping lau4 hiu2 hing3

Liu Xiaoqing (born 30 October 1950 [1] ) is a Chinese actress and businesswoman. [2] One of the leading actresses in China in the 1980s, [3] [4] she is known for her roles in the films TheLittle Flower (1979), Reign Behind a Curtain (1983), The Burning of Imperial Palace (1983), Hibiscus Town (1986) and in the TV series Wu Zetian (1995).

Contents

Biography

In her early days Liu worked as a farm labourer, a propagandist for the People's Liberation Army and then a stage actor for the Chengdu Military Drama Group. [3] [5]

Liu rose to national fame in a series of Chinese films such as The Great Wall of the South China Sea (1976), [3] The Little Flower (1979), and What a Family (1979). [6] Her star power reached new heights when she portrayed the ruthless Qing dynasty Empress Dowager Cixi in Chinese-Hong Kong co-produced epics The Burning of the Imperial Palace (1983) and Reign Behind the Curtain (1984), directed by Li Han-hsiang. [7] During the back-to-back shooting of the film series, in response to the unprecedented publicity and scrutiny as a movie star in newly opened China, Liu published a 30,000-character autobiography titled I Did It My Way in a magazine in 1983, which included her famous quote: “Being a person is hard; being a woman is harder; being a famous woman is even harder; and being a single famous woman is the hardest of all.” Her autobiography sparked a major debate on "individualism" in Chinese society at the time, was translated into 14 languages, and distributed worldwide. Liu also became a member of the China Writers Association as a result.

Liu later reprised the role of the Empress Dowager Cixi in two unrelated films, including Li Lianying: The Imperial Eunuch (1991). She won Best Actress at the Hundred Flowers Award for her role as Hua Jinzhi in The Savage Land, filmed in 1981 but not released until 1987, [3] and again for her role in Hibiscus Town (1986). [8] She holds a record for having won the most number of awards in the actress categories of the Hundred Flowers Award, with three Best Actress and one Best Supporting Actress. [9]

Since the 1990s, she had shifted from acting to a successful business career. She became one of the richest people in China, appearing at 45 on Forbes' list of the 50 richest Chinese businesspeople in 1999. [2] [10] She promoted her success by publishing a book titled From A Movie Star to A Billionaire. However, in 2002, she was arrested for tax evasion in connection with her company, Beijing Xiaoqing Culture and Arts Company Ltd., [6] fined 7.1 million yuan, for which she was forced to sell some of her possessions, and imprisoned for a year. [9] [11] After her release, she made a comeback to the entertainment industry. From 2005 to 2008, she performed in a stage play, The Last Night of Tapan Chin, in China and Taiwan. [4] [12] [13] [14]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1975The Great Wall of the South China Sea
南海长城
Tiannü
1976Thank You, Comrades
同志,感谢你
Yang Jie
1977Spring Songs
春歌
Li Cuizhi
1979The Little Flower

小花

He Cuigu
1979What a Family
瞧这一家子
Zhang Lan Hundred Flowers Award for Best Supporting Actress
1979Wedding
婚礼
Sheng Min3rd place - Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress
1980Mysterious Buddha
神秘的大佛
Meng Jie
1980The Little Flower
小花
He Cuigu, Yongsheng's motherWenhui Award for Best Actress
2nd place - Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress
1981 The Savage Land
原野
Hua Jinzi Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress
Nominated - Golden Rooster Award for Best Actress
1981The Invisible Web
潜网
Luo Xuan
1981Xu Mao and His Daughters
许茂和他的女儿们
Xu Zhen
1982Deep at Heart
心灵深处
Ouyang Lan
1983The Burning of the Imperial Palace Empress Dowager Cixi
1983Reign Behind the Curtain
垂帘听政
Empress Dowager Cixi Nominated - Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress
1984 Hibiscus Town
芙蓉镇
Hu Yuyin Golden Rooster Award for Best Actress
Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress
1984Ormosia from the North
北国红豆
Lu Yunzhi5th place - Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress
1984San Bao in Shenzhen
三宝闹深圳
Manager
1985The Ruthless Lover
无情的情人
Namei Qincuoalso producer
1986A Wild FieldHua Jinzi Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress
1987Chuntao
春桃
Chuntao Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress
1987The Imperial Cannon Team
大清炮队
Feng Yushualso producer
1988 A Dream of Red Mansions (parts 1 & 2)
红楼梦
Wang Xifeng
1989 A Dream of Red Mansions (parts 3-6)
红楼梦
Wang Xifeng
1989The Empress Dowager
一代妖后
Empress Dowager Cixi also titled Xi Taihou (西太后)
1991 Li Lianying: The Imperial Eunuch
大太监李莲英
Empress Dowager Cixi
2004Plastic Flower
春花开
Xie Chunhua
2010Rang Ai Huijia
让爱回家
Female cop
2011 Legendary Amazons
杨门女将之军令如山
Princess Chai
201237
2012The Monkey King: Uproar in Heaven
2015 Mojin: The Lost Legend
2016 For a Few Bullets
2016 Air Strike
2019 The Eight Hundred
八佰
Sister Rong [15]
2019Spy Wolf Chameleon

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1992Fenghua Juedai
风华绝代
Chunni
1993Xin Bao Qingtian Zhi Yinglie Qianqiu
新包青天之英烈千秋
1995 Wu Zetian
武则天
Wu Zetian
1996Huoshao Efang Gong
火烧阿房宫
Princess, Innkeeper, Mrs Yualso producer
1998Tao Zhi Lian
逃之恋
Xiaofengxianalso producer
Nominated - Golden Eagle Award for Best Actress
2000Huang Sao Tian Guihua
皇嫂田桂花
producer
2001Huo Fenghuang
火凤凰
(various roles)also producer
2002 Where the Legend Begins
洛神
producer
2003281 Feng Xin
281封信
Fang Meihuialso producer
2003 Hero During Yongle Period
永乐英雄儿女
Jinniang
2003Jiangshan Meiren
江山美人
Empress Dowager Mengalso titled Da Song Bei Ge (大宋碑歌)
2003Changhe Dongliu
长河东流
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang also titled Shei Zhu Chenfu (谁主沉浮)
2004Huanle Sangtian
欢乐桑田
Magu
2004Wo De Xiongdi Jiemei
我的兄弟姐妹
Ailian
2004 Lotus Lantern
宝莲灯
Queen Mother of the West
2004Jingcheng Si Shao
京城四少
Ninth Aunt
2005Hui Niang Wan Xin
徽娘宛心
Mrs Wu
2005Ayou Zhengzhuan
阿有正传
Zhen Gege
2006 The Shadow of Empress Wu
日月凌空
Wu Zetian
2006Chao Lin Jie
超临界
Lu Yan
2007Jiazu Rongyu
家族荣誉
Duan Huijun
2007Wang Zhaojun
王昭君
Lady Guan
2008Nüren Heku Weinan Nüren
女人何苦为难女人
Zhang Yuying
2008 Lotus Lantern
宝莲灯前传
Queen Mother of the West
2008Yunxiu
云袖
Liang Yunxiu
2008Chengjiang Qingyuan
澄江情缘
Liu Guiying
2009Ning Xiang Jie
凝香劫
Tang Mu
2009Xu Beihong
徐悲鸿
Jiang Biwei
2010Hong Meigui Hei Meigui
红玫瑰黑玫瑰
Song Dachuan
2011 Heroes of Sui and Tang Dynasties 1 & 2
隋唐英雄
Empress Xiao
2011 Secret History of Empress Wu
武则天秘史
Wu Zetian (middle age)
2011Yangnü
养女
Liu Jianying
2014 Heroes of Sui and Tang Dynasties 3 & 4 Ouyang Feiyan

[16] [17]

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References

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