Wolf Warrior 2’s Hong Kong star Celina Jade on landing Wu Jing’s box office hit – and why she won’t play the ‘sexy, kick-ass Asian girl’
Accidental actress Jade is one of the biggest names in Chinese cinema, giving her the clout to work with film greats such as Wong Kar-wai and Zhang Yimou, she hopes. But the daughter of a martial artist will fight for the right roles
Celina Jade is no stranger to the spotlight. At the age of 15, the Hong Kong-born actress had already released a debut music album and had her face on a four-storey-tall billboard. Modelling to pay the bills while at university, she also appeared on magazine covers and starred in advertisements.
Even so, the 32-year-old co-star of Chinese production Wolf Warrior 2 was caught off guard by her sudden fame after the film broke Chinese box office records within 12 days of its July release.
She was mobbed by fans on arrival at Beijing airport, forcing her to hide in the toilet and call her manager for help. Back in Hong Kong, where the film still hasn’t opened in cinemas, she was approached six times by passers-by while on a coffee run.
If you’re going to come to me with a role that’s a sexy, kick-ass Asian girl, f*** it. Forget it. I’m not gonna waste my time
“I didn’t expect it to happen overnight,” she says. “We knew the figures were great but it doesn’t quite register in your mind what it really means.”
An estimated 140 million people have seen the film. “Out of every 10 people, one has seen it. No wonder people recognise me on the street,” says Jade. “And I’m Eurasian. That kind of sticks out like a sore thumb.”
Jade briefly visited Hong Kong recently for a photo shoot for a local fashion brand. Now she is on a world promotional tour for the film that will keep her busy until October.