An actor prepares: from China’s Rambo to Sci-fi blockbuster (2)

Patriotic martial artist

Born into a family of martial artists in Beijing in 1974, Wu was sent to Beijing Wushu Academy when he was just six years old. Idolizing Bruce Lee, Wu decided to become an action movie star, hoping to show the world the beauty of traditional Chinese culture.

“It’s a pity that Bruce Lee died before I was born. I’ve learned so much from his movies, and I am inspired by his indomitable spirit and love of martial arts,” Wu told news portal zynews.com.

Although Wu had a solid martial arts background, his early film career was not as promising as expected. At the age of 21, he was chosen to take part in the Hong Kong action movie Tai Chi Boxer. Despite the movie’s success, he failed to rise to stardom.

However, in the years that followed, Wu spent time in supporting roles in Hong Kong action films, including Sha Po Lang in 2005, and Fatal Movie in 2008. Gradually gaining popularity, he decided to take a short break to refine his acting method.

“In 2008, I visited the earthquake-stricken villages in Sichuan and was impressed by the Chinese soldiers who bravely helped the victims. Their machismo and selflessness truly touched my heart. From there, I decided to produce a patriotic movie telling their stories,” Wu told Xinhua.

Wu’s enthusiasm and patriotism led to the successful release of Wolf Warrior, China’s first army action movie in 2015, but it was its 2017 sequel, Wolf Warrior 2, that cemented Wu's leading position in China’s film industry. Both films focus on patriotic themes, highlighting the efforts made by the Chinese army to preserve global peace and world order.

“As Chinese people, we want our stories heard by the global audience. These movies ignite people’s pride in being Chinese, as well as their love for the country,” Wu told Xinhua.

“The movie’s success has strengthened our belief: though we should learn from our foreign counterparts, such as Hollywood, we should also preserve the unique ‘Chinese flavor’ by focusing on stories featuring the lives of Chinese people,” Wu told Xinhua.