Zhao Tao

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Zhao Tao
Zhao Tao as Member of the International Competition Jury at Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo International Film Festival 2023 (53348116601) (cropped).jpg
Zhao Tao in 2023
Born (1977-01-28) 28 January 1977 (age 48)
Occupation(s)Actress, producer
Years active1999–present
Spouse
(m. 2012)
AwardsDavid di Donatello Award – Best Actress
2012 Shun Li and the Poet

Chinese name
Simplified Chinese 赵涛
Traditional Chinese 趙濤
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin Zhào Tāo
IPA [ʈʂâʊ tʰáʊ]

Zhao Tao (born 28 January 1977) is a Chinese actress. She works in China and occasionally Europe, and has appeared in 10 films and several shorts since starting her career in 1999. She is best known for her collaborations with her husband, director Jia Zhangke, including Platform (2000) and Still Life (2006). With Shun Li and the Poet (2011), she became the first Asian actress to win a prize at David di Donatello. She received two Golden Horse Award nominations for Mountains May Depart (2015) and Ash Is Purest White (2018). In 2020, The New York Times ranked her #8 on its list of the 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century. [1]

Contents

Biography

Zhao was born 28 January 1977 in Taiyuan, Shanxi, which is also the hometown of the heroine in Still Life . As a child, she studied classical Chinese dance. In 1996, she enrolled in the folk dance department at Beijing Dance Academy. After graduation, she became a dance teacher in Taiyuan Normal College, where she was spotted by Jia during casting for Platform . [2] Since then, they have worked together frequently.

In 2011, she starred in the Italian film Shun Li and the Poet by Andrea Segre, which screened in the Venice Days section of the 68th Venice International Film Festival. [3] Zhao won the David di Donatello Award, the Italian Oscar, for Best Actress for her bilingual role.

Zhao Tao at 2016 Cannes Film Festival Cannes 080 (27496091263).jpg
Zhao Tao at 2016 Cannes Film Festival

Personal life

On 7 January 2012, Zhao married director Jia Zhangke.

Complete filmography

YearEnglish TitleChinese TitleRoleNotes
2000 Platform 站台Yin RuijuanEnsemble
2002 Unknown Pleasures 任逍遥Qiao QiaoLead
2004 The World 世界TaoLead
2006 Still Life 三峡好人Shen HongLead
2007 Our Ten Years 我们的十年Lead
2008 24 City 二十四城记Su NaEnsemble
2008 Dada's Dance 达达Ensemble
2008 Cry Me a River 河上的愛情Zhou QiLead
2009Remembrance念石-Lead
2010 Ten Thousand Waves -Blue GoddessEnsemble
2011 Shun Li and the Poet 我是丽Shun LiLead
2013 A Touch of Sin 天注定Xiao YuEnsemble
2015 Mountains May Depart 山河故人Shen TaoNominated - 52nd Golden Horse Award for Best Leading Actress
2018 Ash Is Purest White 江湖兒女Zhao QiaoNominated - 55th Golden Horse Award for Best Leading Actress
Silver Hugo Award for Best Actress
Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Performance by an Actress
2024 Caught by the Tides 风流一代Qiao QiaoLead

References

  1. Dargis, Manohla; Scott, A.O. (25 November 2020). "The 25 greatest actors of the 21st century (so far)". The New York Times . Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  2. "Constant Muse: Jia Zhangke's leading lady Zhao Tao". China Film Journal. 24 March 2008. Archived from the original on 4 August 2008. Retrieved 1 May 2008.
  3. "5 September". La Biennale di venezia. Retrieved 4 September 2011.