Wu won the TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actress consecutively in 2015 and 2016. Some of the roles she is best known for include Wan Wan in Twin Of Brothers (2004); Eva in Forensic Heroes III (2011); Ting Ting in Gloves Come Off (2012); Coco in Triumph in the Skies II (2013); Gin in Ghost Of Relativity (2015); Tiu Lan in A Fist Within Four Walls (2016); To Man in Mission Run (2022); Sarah in Narcotic Heroes (2023); Seventh Master in No Return (2024)
Early life
Wu was born and raised in the Central and Western District of Hong Kong. She has parents, and a younger brother. Her father managed the family seafood shop in Sai Wan, but closed it in 2002 due to the economy.[1] As the eldest daughter of the family, Wu began working to help support the family finances while studying, and later graduating from St. Margaret's Girls' College.[2] Wu sang in school choir while she was in primary school; played track and field, and participated in a dance troupe while in secondary school.[3]
Career
Wu worked as a secretary prior to entering the entertainment industry.[4] Unlike many of her best friends and colleagues who became actresses by competing in beauty pageants, Wu entered through singing, and modelling competitions.[5][6]
In 1999, Wu participated in TVB's 18th Annual New Talent Singing Awards competition and finished in fourth place.[7]
In 2001, she entered TVB's 3rd Annual Cover Girl Competition and won the Most Photogenic Award, the Most Fit Award, the Most Attractive Award, and the Overall Winner Award. Following that, she enrolled in the 18th TVB Acting Class and entered the entertainment industry.[8]
The initial stage of Wu's acting career was marked by cameos and minor character roles in numerous TV shows often cast as a villain, either a temptress, a mistress, or a concubine.[7] Her biggest, most memorable role early on was in Twin of Brothers as the free-spirited seductress Wan Wan. Her success in tackling the challenging role and turning Wan Wan into a cult favorite character gained Wu attention early in her career. Wu gained more recognition in 2008 where she won the Most Improved Female Artiste award at the TVB Anniversary Awards for her performances in D.I.E., The Silver Chamber of Sorrows, the Wars of In-Laws II, and Legend of the Demigods; and additionally nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Ha Fei Fei in The Silver Chamber of Sorrows.
From 2009 to 2011, Wu was cast in major supporting roles in a number of popular and memorable dramas including Rosy Business, No Regrets, Gun Metal Grey, Forensic Heroes III, and D.I.E. Again. Forensic Heroes III marked the first time Nancy was cast in a more serious, intellectual role as Eva Chow, a capable barrister best remembered by the audience for her ambition and arrogance.
In 2012, Wu won the Best Supporting Actress awards at the TVB Anniversary Awards, and at the Asian Television Awards for her breakthrough performance in Gloves Come Off where she portrayed a mute Muay Ying, or female Muay Thai boxer; her convincing performance required learning sign language as well as boxing, and stunt choreography.[9] The role also redefined Wu's onscreen image as an action heroine, and not simply a villain, or a concubine.[7][10] Additionally, Wu received a Long Service Award from TVB for her contributions to the company.[11]
A year later, she won the TVB Star Award Malaysia for Favourite TVB Supporting Actress for her reprise role as CoCo in Triumph in the Skies II wherein she portrays a woman undergoing the emotional tribulations of becoming a surrogate mother for a friend. Wu stated she strives for improvement with every role, working hard, and learning from fellow actors with the goal of being a leading actress.[12] Among the actors Wu has worked with the most, and appearing onscreen together as a couple, has been Wayne Lai with No Return being their 8th collaboration.[13][14]
Since 2016, Wu has played leading roles on TV, and have been nominated, and won major awards during TVB Anniversary Awards, TVB Star Awards Malaysia, StarHub TVB Award, People's Choice awards, and other organizations. Wu credits her success on family, and friends in particular leading actress Myolie Wu who encouraged Wu early on her career.[15][16]
Wu has been involved in other performative works. She performed in the 2018 staging of By Chance: Xu Zhimo with Steven Ma where she sung Kunqu opera and danced with 3-meter length water sleeves.[17][18] In the same year, Wu appeared in the film Men on the Dragon where she was nominated for Best New Performer at the 38th Hong Kong Film Awards, and won Best New Performer at the Movie6 Movie Awards. In 2024, Wu appeared in the movie Rob N Roll.
In 2020, Wu visited Nepal as a Plan International ambassador advocating for girl rights and gender equality, and has participated in charitable fundraisers for the organization including Shine Together in 2022, and Run for Girls in 2023 and 2024.[25][26][27]
Wu, along with William So, and Kimbee Chan participated in the 125th Anniversary celebration launch of Ebenezer School & Home for the Visually Impaired in 2021.[28] She sang in a Food for Good fundraising dinner in 2023.[29]
In 2024, Wu visited Ethiopia as a Plan International ambassador, and narrated a Female genital mutilation awareness video for the organization.[30][31]
Personal life
Nancy Wu is best friends with Myolie Wu, Paisley Wu, Elaine Yiu, Selena Lee and Mandy Wong. They formed the sisterhood group “胡說八道會” after the Chinese idiom “胡說八道”, meaning "nonsense talk", in addition to several members sharing the same last name, Wu “胡”.[32][33][34]
In 2017, the group filmed a travel show together called The Sisterhood Traveling Gang. The show won the TVB Star Awards Malaysia Favorite TVB variety show, and the SINA Weibo Star Award for Awesome Variety Show.[35]
Wu is friends with Rosina Lam when filming the drama Short End of the Stick, and with Alex Fong whom they met as teenagers.[36]
While she is happy with her best friends, Wu has stated is not so easy to find somebody to entrust for life.[37] Her previous partners include Deep Ng (2006-2008), Kenneth Ma, (2008-2010), Patt Sham (2011-2014), and Terry Chan (2015-2016).
In 2018, Wu saved enough money to purchase a large house for her parents in Tuen Mun.[40] She considers family important, spending time with her dad; and did not attend the 2023 TVB Anniversary Awards ceremony in order to celebrate her parents’ anniversary.[38][41]
StarHub TVB Award for My Favourite TVB Female Drama Characters TVB Star Award Malaysia for My Top 17 Favourite TVB Drama Characters TVB Star Award Malaysia for My Favourite TVB Onscreen couple (with Ruco Chan)
TVB Anniversary Awards: Nominated [Top 5] - Most Popular Female Character (The Unholy Alliance)
TVB Anniversary Awards: Nominated - Most Popular On-screen Partnership (The Unholy Alliance with Ruco Chan)
TVB Anniversary Awards: Nominated - Most Popular On-screen Partnership (The Sisterhood Traveling Gang with Myolie Wu, Mandy Wong, Elaine Yiu, Selena Lee and Paisley Wu)
Harper's Bazaar Beauty Awards: Harper's Bazaar Beauty Star [49]
References
^"【落難西環海味店千金】胡定欣頂起頭家十幾年 仲儲到1100萬磚頭：踏實靠自己". Next Media. 13 December 2018. Archived from the original on 21 January 2024. 胡定欣咁錫父母，全因睇住屋企環境變化。佢本身家境唔錯，太爺嗰代已經喺西環開海味店，自細瑤柱當零食，食盡鮑參翅肚，仲話成日食根本唔知有幾貴，只知倉入面嘅魚翅好臭。可惜爸爸02年生意失敗，守唔到祖業，爸爸一向做開生意，從未打過工，人到中年先轉行做司機，胡定欣好心痛。
^"首批轉直資女英中 周秀娜葉蘊儀母校". Yahoo. Sing Tao Daily. 29 April 2014. Archived from the original on 30 April 2014. 該校亦有不少演藝界知名校友，包括藝人周秀娜、葉蘊儀、胡定欣，以及已退出樂壇的歌手吳日言等。
^"胡定欣大方向郑嘉颖示好 大赞其符合男友所有标准". New Phoenix Media 鳳凰新媒體 (in Simplified Chinese). 7 May 2012. Archived from the original on 24 January 2024. ...胡定欣的角色要打还要学习手语。她专门在开剧前空出两个月，一边上泰拳课一边练手语。... 因为导演、工作人员都不懂手语，所以拍错了也没人知道，胡定欣和陈国邦都会自己喊"CUT"，提示导演他们手语出错。
^"专访TVB艺人胡定欣：从配角到主演，与《巾帼枭雄》的缘分用"七爷"来完成". Shanghai Observer 上观新闻 (in Simplified Chinese). 6 November 2024. Archived from the original on 21 December 2024. 我以前的长相不是很纯，所以都演坏女人、妖女，直到后来拍了《拳王》，在里面演哑女，我觉得机会来了，有机会改变我的戏路了。
^"黎耀祥预告与薛家燕斗歌-想挑战3p学舞功学rap". Kwong Wah (in Simplified Chinese). 8 January 2024. Archived from the original on 30 December 2024. 黎耀祥透露刚刚在横店拍完《巾帼枭雄之悬崖》，这次的大女主就是胡定欣，黎耀祥谓已经是第8次与她合作："她是我合作最多次的女演员，大家都成熟了，默契、沟通都更好。"
^"胡杏兒結束美國之旅 台上深情對話 胡定欣感動落淚". Ming Pao (in Chinese). 27 December 2023. Archived from the original on 24 January 2024. 胡定欣講到跟杏兒相遇相識時，不禁流淚，大讚對方在自己什麼都不是時，給予無比鼓勵，推動自己做得更好，是位相當好的大姐姐，她直言：「我今時今日有少少成績，其實她都有功勞，她的說話對我們來說很重要，衷心感受到她盼望我們會好。」
^"胡定欣苦練舞功化身陸小曼". Yahoo. Sing Tao Daily. 17 April 2018. Archived from the original on 30 December 2024.
^"偶然．徐志摩". Truestar 出色堂出版有限公司. Archived from the original on 30 December 2024.
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