Shu Qi in 5 unforgettable moments: the Taiwanese soft-porn actress who transitioned to award-winning star
The highest paid actress in Taiwan, who once appeared in the Chinese edition of Playboy magazine before going on to star in many mainstream movies and ad campaigns, turns 44 today
Taiwanese actress Shu Qi, who celebrates her 44th birthday on April 16, burst onto the Hong Kong film scene in the early 2000s and left a mark like no other. She moved to Hong Kong at the tender age of 17 with nothing more than some soft porn and Chinese Playboy credits to her name.
With her unique brand of charm and irresistible allure, Shu transitioned to the mainstream, and given how conservative Asian media can be, this is quite an incredible achievement.
She has gone on to receive countless accolades and starred in many movies and ad campaigns. Here are some of her most unforgettable moments.
Coquettish ingénue
Shu burst onto the silver screens in Hong Kong in Derek Yee’s film about the city’s porn industry. Her unabashed attitude to nudity and her ability to portray the development of her character from a naive wannabe porn star to professional erotic actress impressed audiences and critics alike. She won the Best Supporting Actress in the Hong Kong Film Awards as well as the Golden Bauhinia Awards.
Video vixen
Not long after her partnership with Leslie Cheung in Viva Erotica, the two teamed up again in Cheung’s music video for Blamefully Beautiful. The video solidified Shu’s unique ability to balance innocence and sexuality in a likeable way, proving her popularity with both male and female audiences.