Tang Wei:A Girl Next Door

by Zhao Xuan

Finding Mr. Right

Despite stiff competition from big-budget Hollywood action flicks A Good Day to Die Hard and Resident Evil： Retribution， the Chinese romantic comedy Finding Mr. Right has made a remarkable box office run since its premiere on March 21， 2013. The film grossed 100 million yuan in only six days. By April 5， the figure had reached 350 million yuan， making the film the most successful of its kind released outside of the New Year period.

The film features a simple and even formulaic plot： Wen Jiajia （Tang Wei） is dating a wealthy man. When she gets pregnant， Jiajia travels to Seattle in hopes that her baby will be born an American citizen. While waiting for the babys arrival， Jiajia is befriended by Frank， a Chinese father who immigrated to the United States to get his daughter better education. Jiajia hires Frank as her driver and caretaker， but even after a falling out with her rich boyfriend， Frank continues to take care of her， which ignites romance between the two.

Many moviegoers have compared the film to the 1993 classic romantic comedy Sleepless in Seattle. Although the two films plots differ drastically， some details of Finding Mr. Right were inspired by Sleepless in Seattle. For instance， both films are set in Seattle， and the climaxes of both unfold with profession of love atop the Empire State Building in New York City. Franks daughter in Finding Mr. Right is similar to Tom Hanks characters son in Sleepless in Seattle， both integral supporting characters who drive the plot. Further paying homage to the 93 classic， Jiajia in Finding Mr. Right was even written as a fan of Sleepless in Seattle.

Finding Mr. Right is a Hollywoodstyle rom-com incorporating many topics familiar in todays China， such as Chinese women giving birth in the United States， surrogate pregnancy， and homosexuality. In the film， Frank was a successful physician in China before becoming a stay-at-home dad in the U.S.， and Jiajia transforms from an impulsive mistress into a strong-minded single mother. Despite （or due to） the familiarity of its story， the film resonated exceptionally with Chinese moviegoers.

Tang returned to movies for Finding Mr. Right after an extended absence from Chinese mainland cinemas. Director Xue Xiaolu expected Tang to inject something new into the comedy. “When we first talked， Tang just wanted to try something new，” she revealed. “She hadnt done much comedy， so she was often nervous and anxious when we began shooting. But eventually， she delivered a stellar performance.”

“Im Just an Actress”

In 2006， Tang was cast by Ang Lee to play Wang Jiazhi， the female lead in Lust， Caution. She became famous overnight， but also highly controversial due to the films graphic sex scenes. In its wake， she was “blacklisted” from appearing on the big screen in Chinas mainland. She left for the U.K. to learn stage acting and English， and enjoyed going back to school. One time， she participated in a rehearsal of a Shakespeare play in London alongside an all-British cast and director.

In 2010， Tang returned to the big screen in the Hong Kong film Crossing Hennessy. It was a Cantonese-language film， but after months of painstaking practice， Tang spoke the Chinese dialect very well in the film. Later， she was cast in the South Korean movie Late Autumn， which was set in Seattle and directed by Kim Taeyong. Tang needed to speak English and a little Chinese in the film. The movie was a hit and made Tang one of the most popular Chinese actresses in South Korea.

Now among the most recognizable Chinese actresses in the world， Tang has frequently appeared at international film festivals including Cannes over the past few years. Her fluent English has helped her establish an international career. Compared to many other actresses， however， she hasnt appeared in many movies and has enjoyed a comparatively simple life. Since Late Autumn， Tang has appeared in only a handful of films： Wu Xia， Speed Angels， and now Finding Mr. Right.

Tang doesnt come off as glamorous as some other movie stars. When she first met Peter Chan， director of Wu Xia， she wore casual clothes and little makeup. However， that specific choice convinced Chan she was right for the role of an ordinary wife in the film. In her spare time， Tang endeavors to stay down-to-earth. She likes to shop at farmers markets， where she can haggle with vendors. She enjoys going to temple fairs by bus while holding her mothers hand. She also frequents bookstores and theaters when shes not meditating alone.

The actress lives life on her own terms， and doesnt like being tied down. Her agent is a native of Hong Kong， and only flies to Beijing when he has business related to Tang. In Beijing， Tang has only one assistant. “Maintaining a plain， down-to-earth lifestyle could extend my career as an actress，” she illustrates.

Because she majored in directing in college， Tang is often asked whether she plans to ever direct film. She has confessed that due to her directing expertise， it took“a long time to learn how to be a good actress.” But for now， she just wants to focus on acting. “Currently， I think I havent accomplished all I want to do，” she grins.“Also， I need to work on my concentration before I ever attempt planning and multitasking.”

Profile

Tang Wei was born in Leqing City， Zhejiang Province， in 1979 and graduated from the Department of Directing of the Central Academy of Drama. She became an overnight sensation for playing Wang Jiazhi， the female lead in Ang Lees Lust， Caution. In May 2011， she was honored as the Best Lead Actress at the 47th Baeksang Arts Awards in South Korea for Late Autumn， and has since become one of the most popular Chinese actresses in South Korea. Her credits include Lust， Caution， Crossing Hennessy， Late Autumn， and Wu Xia.