Misplaced Pages

Yong Mei
Yong Mei at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival
Born	(1970-02-14) 14 February 1970 (age 54) Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
Alma mater	University of International Business and Economics
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1997–present
Awards	Silver Bear for Best Actress (2019)
Chinese name
Chinese	咏梅
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Yǒng Méi

Yong Mei (Chinese: 咏梅; born 14 February 1970) is a Chinese actress. In 2019, she won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival for her performance in the film So Long, My Son directed by Wang Xiaoshuai.

Early life and education

An ethnic Mongol, Yong Mei was born on 14 February 1970 in Hohhot, the capital of China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Her original name in Mongolian is Sunjidma (Mongolian: ᠰᠦᠨᠵᠢᠳᠮ ᠠ, Сүнжидмаа, Sünžidmaa, Mongolian pronunciation: [suntʃitmaː], Chinese: 森吉德玛; pinyin: Sēnjídémǎ), meaning "fairy", which has given rise to her nickname "Sister Fairy" (Chinese: 仙姐儿; pinyin: xiānjiěr). She studied business administration at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, where she was active in performing arts.

Career

After graduation from university, she initially worked in foreign trade, and later in the studio of the influential television hostess Xu Gehui (许戈辉). On the recommendation of Xu, Yong Mei starred in the 1997 television drama The Man Who Herds the Clouds (牧云的男人) and began her acting career. She had her breakout role in the 2004 television drama A Chinese-style Divorce (中国式离婚), which made her wildly popular. She was also praised for her performances in the TV series Cell Phone (手机), Ocean Paradise (海洋天堂), You Are My Lover (你是我爱人), and Cliff (悬崖, 2012).

In 2015, Yong Mei appeared in Hou Hsiao-hsien's film The Assassin (or Assassin Nie Yinniang), in which she plays the mother of the title character, Nie Yinniang. The production lasted from 2012 to 2014; she thoroughly enjoyed the experience and held the film in high regard. She did not accept a major role for the next few years for lack of a suitable script that met her standard for quality.

The next major film she appeared in was So Long, My Son, directed by Wang Xiaoshuai, in which she portrays a mother who has lost her only son. To prepare for the role, she interviewed a real-life mother who had lost her only child. She originally scheduled two hours for the interview, but it was eventually extended to seven hours and gave her deep insight into a mother's sorrow. The film premiered at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival on 14 February 2019, Yong Mei's 49th birthday. For their performance, Yong Mei and Wang Jingchun, who plays her husband in the film, were awarded the Silver Bear for Best Actress and Best Actor, respectively. She was the first actress from mainland China to win the award.

Personal life

Yong Mei is married to Luan Shu, the former lead singer of the Beijing rock band Black Panther. She became a fan of the band after being introduced to its music by a friend, and starred in the music video for its song "Don't Break My Heart".

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

1. ^ "咏梅 我的生活比剧本精彩多了". Xinhua. 2019-03-22. Archived from the original on April 7, 2019. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
2. ^ Hai Qing 海清 (2019-02-18). "蒙古族演员咏梅 擒"银熊"". Inner Mongolia Morning News. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
3. ^ Cao Songbo 曹嵩博 (2012-02-02). "咏梅：我不是个有野心的演员". Culture China. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
4. Chen, Meiling (2019-02-18). "Chinese actors win top awards at Berlin festival". China Daily. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
5. ^ "Lead roles in Chinese saga 'So Long My Son' share best actor awards". South China Morning Post. 2019-02-17. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
6. ^ Meza, Ed (2019-02-16). "Berlin Film Festival 2019: Nadav Lapid's 'Synonyms' Wins Golden Bear". Variety. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
7. Shenyang Today (28 June 2004). "第22届金鹰奖候选名单出炉 《大宅门》意外落选" [The list of candidates for the 22nd Golden Eagle Awards was released, and "The Grand Mansion Gate" was unexpectedly eliminated]. Sina. Archived from the original on 6 June 2024.
8. "第23届中国电视金鹰奖电视剧女演员提名名单" [List of nominees for the 23rd China TV Golden Eagle Awards TV Drama Actress]. Sohu. October 10, 2006. Archived from the original on 3 December 2008.
9. ^ "咏梅 Mei Yong 获奖情况". movie.douban.com. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
10. Huaxia. "32nd China Film Golden Rooster Awards announced". xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
11. "Wang Xiaoshuai's 'So Long, My Son' Earns Six APSA Nominations". Variety. October 15, 2019.
12. "导协2019年提名名单公布，王景春易烊千玺等入围年度男演员" [The 2019 nomination list of the Directors Association was announced, and Wang Jingchun, Yi Yangqianxi and others were shortlisted for the annual actor award]. Sohu. 25 August 2020. Archived from the original on 6 June 2024.

External links

• Yong Mei at IMDb
• Yong Mei on Douban (in Chinese)

• Biography
• China
• Film

• 1970 births
• Living people
• 21st-century Chinese actresses
• Actresses from Inner Mongolia
• Chinese people of Mongolian descent
• People from Hohhot
• Beijing University of International Business and Economics alumni
• Silver Bear for Best Actress winners